SPECIFICATION OF DATABASE TABLE RELATIONSHIPS FOR CALCULATION

• US 20120323958A1
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dickerman, Howard, Min, Vjacheslav, Dumitru, Marius
• Granted Patent: US 9,348,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2448 for particular applications; for extensibility, e.g. user defined types
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/902 using more than one table in sequence, i.e. systems with three or more layers

Abstract

A relationship amongst multiple relationships between database tables can be specified independent of a query. More specifically, a function (USERELATIONSHIP) can be introduced to the DAX language (Data Analysis Expressions), which provides a way to author formulas that are not evaluated immediately, but that can be evaluated dynamically and concurrently in many different contexts. The function enables a single relationship to be specified in the calculation formula away from the query. This provides a mechanism within the formula that specifies specific relationship(s) that are to be followed when the dynamic expression is evaluated.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

employing at least one processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored in memory to perform the following acts;

specifying a relationship to follow for a specific calculation from multiple relationships between two tables of a database in an analysis expression function and independent of a database query.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises overriding database settings of the relationship using the analysis expression function.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises enabling the relationship solely for duration of the calculation.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises specifying the relationship in the analysis expression function automatically implies a remaining relationship of the multiple relationships is not used.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises defining arguments in the analysis expression function that identify the relationship.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprises following the relationship regardless of an ambiguity.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprises following a path associated with an innermost invocation of nested invocations of the function.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprises invoking the function multiple times to specify the multiple relationships.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprises assigning weighted priorities to the multiple relationships and calculating a path weight based on the priorities.

10. A system, comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory, the processor configured to execute the following computer-executable components stored in the memory;

a language component configured to identify a relationship to follow for a calculation from multiple relationships defined between at least two tables of a database.

11. The system of claim 10, the language component is employed in a formula that when evaluated performs the calculation on table items associated with the relationship.

12. The system of claim 11, the language component enables selection of the relationship independently of a query.

13. The system of claim 10, the language component includes arguments that represent two endpoints of the relationship.

14. The system of claim 10, the language component is an analysis function that overrides database settings of the relationship and enables the relationship solely for duration of the calculation.

15. The system of claim 10, the relationships are assigned weighted priorities and an ambiguity is resolved based on the weighted priorities.

16. A method of relationship specification, comprising:

employing at least one processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored in memory to perform the following acts;

identifying at least two tables, of database of tables, having multiple relationships defined between the least two tables;

specifying a relationship of the multiple relationships to follow for a specific calculation, in an analysis function, and independent of a database query; and

defining arguments of the analysis function that identify the relationship, the arguments identify table columns of the at least two tables used in the relationship.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprises overriding database settings of the relationship using the analysis function and returning the database settings to a previous state after the calculation has completed.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprises specifying other relationships to follow as part of defining a formula for the calculation.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprises following a path associated with an innermost invocation of nested invocations of the function.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprises assigning weighted priorities to multiple relationships and combining the weights in response to an ambiguous path to determine a path used for the calculation.