Simplified search interface for querying a relational database

• US 20080114745A1
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zesty.ai, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ojha, Smita, Lee, David James, Gideoni, Michal, Larimore, Stefan, Sherman, Joseph Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,548,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/287 Visualization; Browsing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

Methods and computer-readable media are provided for performing a search on a relational database. According to one method, a query class is provided that includes properties that specify how a query is to be performed and how results from the query are to be returned, and an execute method that is called to perform the actual query. A keyword query class derived from the query class is also provided that includes keyword query properties and an execute method for performing the keyword query. In order to perform a keyword query of an SQL database, an instance of the keyword query class is created, the properties set on the instance, and the execute method called. When the execute method is called, the specified properties are translated into an equivalent SQL statement and the search is performed on the identified relational database by a search service.

Claims

1. A method for searching a relational database, the method comprising:

providing an abstract query class defining an execute method for causing a query to be performed on the relational database and one or more query properties that specify the manner in which the query is performed; and

providing a keyword query class derived from the abstract query class, the keyword query class comprising an execute method which when called causes a keyword query to be performed on the relational database and one or more keyword query properties that specify how the keyword query is to be performed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a full text structured query language (SQL) query class derived from the query class, the full text SQL query class comprising an execute method which when called causes an SQL query to be performed on the relational database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the query properties correspond to a portion of an SQL statement.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the query properties comprise a query text property for specifying a query string.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the query properties further comprise a result types property for specifying one or more search result types to be returned from a query.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the keyword query properties comprise a select properties property for specifying the properties to be returned from the query.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the keyword query properties further comprise a sort list property for specifying how one or more search results returned in response to the query are sorted.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the query properties further comprise a trim duplicates property for specifying that duplicate entries should be removed from the search results.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the query properties further comprise an ignore noise property for specifying whether noise words should be ignored when performing the query.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the query properties further comprise a start row property for specifying the first result of one or more search results to be returned in response to the query.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the query properties further comprise a timeout property for specifying an elapsed time value after which the query should timeout.

12. A method for searching a relational database, the method comprising:

providing an abstract query class defining an execute method for causing a query to be performed on the relational database and one or more query properties that specify the manner in which the query is performed;

providing a keyword query class derived from the abstract query class, the keyword query class comprising an execute method which when called causes a keyword query to be performed on the relational database and one or more keyword query properties that specify how the keyword query is to be performed; and

exposing the functionality provided by the keyword query class through a remote function call operative to receive a request packet as input, the request packet comprising one or more data elements corresponding to the properties of the keyword query class.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the request packet comprises a query text element for specifying a query string for the keyword query.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the request packet further comprises a properties element for specifying the properties to be returned from a query.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the request packet further comprises a sort by element for specifying how the search results returned from the query are sorted.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the request packet further comprises an enable stemming element for specifying whether a stemmer should be utilized when performing the query.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the request packet further comprises an ignore noise element for specifying whether noise words should be ignored when performing the query.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the request packet further comprises a trim duplicates element for specifying that duplicate entries should be removed from search results returned in response to the query.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the request packet further comprises one or more result types elements for specifying one or more search result types to be returned from the query.

20. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

create an instance of a keyword query class, the keyword query class defining an execute method which when called causes a keyword query to be performed on a relational database and one or more properties that specify how the keyword query is to be performed;

set a property on the instance for specifying the query text to be used in the keyword query; and

to

call the execute method on the instance to perform the keyword query on the relational database.