Automatically creating a relational database from a spreadsheet

• US 20080126395A1
• Filed: 11/28/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ocyrhoe Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: Ocyrhoe Technologies Limited
• Inventors: Marueli, Amichai
• Application Number:
  US11/604,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20080126395A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

A method of creating a relational database schema from data represented in a matrix representation, comprising the steps of identifying dimensions of the matrix, said dimensions describing a multi-dimensional space; identifying hierarchies within said dimensions; identifying a data area of the matrix; calculating a set of coordinates within said multi-dimensional space for each data member in said data area; and mapping said dimensions into database tables.

Claims

1. A method of creating a relational database schema from data represented in one or more matrix representations, comprising the steps of:

identifying dimensions of each matrix, said dimensions describing a multi-dimensional space;

identifying hierarchies within said dimensions;

identifying a data area of each matrix;

calculating a set of coordinates within said multi-dimensional space for each data member in each said data areas; and

mapping said dimensions into database tables.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of identifying dimensions is performed manually and said step of identifying a data area is performed automatically, based on said manual identification of dimensions.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of identifying a data area is performed manually and said step of identifying dimensions is performed automatically, based on said manual identification of a data area.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said dimensions comprise at least one parameters area, at least one rows area and at least one columns area.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said at least one rows area comprises a plurality of rows areas, whereby a hierarchy is automatically deduced.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said automatic deduction of hierarchy is based on the distance of said rows areas from the data area.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein said at least one columns area comprises a plurality of columns areas, whereby a hierarchy is automatically deduced.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said automatic deduction of hierarchy is based on the distance of said columns areas from the data area.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein empty cells of a dimension are filled automatically.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said empty dimension cells are automatically filled according to one of nearest neighbor, first non-empty cell to the left and color barrier.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said database tables represent a star schema.

12. The method according to claim 1, additionally comprising the step of modifying at least one of said dimensions and said data, wherein said modification automatically updates said database.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said modification comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

modifying a region extent, modifying a region name and modifying a data item value.

22. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

23. A computer-controlled apparatus capable of performing the method of claim 1.

14. A system for creating a relational database schema from data represented in a matrix representation, comprising:

means for identifying dimensions of the matrix, said dimensions describing a multi-dimensional space;

means for identifying hierarchies within said dimensions;

means for identifying at least one data area of the matrix;

means for calculating a set of coordinates within said multi-dimensional space for each data member in each said data areas; and

means for mapping said dimensions into database tables.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said means for identifying dimensions are user interface means.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein said means for identifying a data area are user interface means.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein said dimensions comprise one or more parameters areas, one or more rows areas and one or more columns areas.

18. The system according to claim 14, additionally comprising means for automatically filling empty cells of a dimension.

19. The system according to claim 14, wherein said database tables represent a star schema.

20. The system according to claim 14, additionally comprising means for modifying at least one of said dimensions and said data, wherein said modification automatically updates said database.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein said modification means comprise at least one of the group consisting of:

means for modifying a region extent, means for modifying a region name and means for modifying a data item value.