User friendly data base access
First Claim
1. An improvement in a data base management system of the type requiring user specified selection criteria in association with corresponding program communication blocks (PCBs) selection in order to access information in the data base, said improvement being a method for simplifying the user'"'"'s query task, comprising the steps of:
- constructing a set of entry data bases from definitions of said data bases and PCBs, said entry data bases each consisting of a single hierarchical structure that shows every physical and logical path accessible from one physical root segment with duplicate logical and physical paths being consolidated,displaying said entry data bases to the query user as a menu from which segments, fields and PCBs can be selected,evaluating all possible access paths to the segments to be retrieved in the user query, andselecting the optimum access path according to weighted priorities.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Data base administrator (10) creates program communication blocks (11), and programmer (12) writes programs (13) using the program communication blocks (PCBs) to store data in bulk storage device (14). A user (15) not having data processing skills or experience is enabled by means of a utility to access data in bulk storage device (14) via the PCBs (11). The utility first reads the data base descriptions (DBDs) and PCB source statements and constructs a data directory, consolidating access paths into entry data bases which are displayed to the user (15) as a menu. The utility then evaluates all possible access paths that will satisfy a user query, weights them according to their efficiency, and selects the best.
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Citations
6 Claims
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1. An improvement in a data base management system of the type requiring user specified selection criteria in association with corresponding program communication blocks (PCBs) selection in order to access information in the data base, said improvement being a method for simplifying the user'"'"'s query task, comprising the steps of:
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constructing a set of entry data bases from definitions of said data bases and PCBs, said entry data bases each consisting of a single hierarchical structure that shows every physical and logical path accessible from one physical root segment with duplicate logical and physical paths being consolidated, displaying said entry data bases to the query user as a menu from which segments, fields and PCBs can be selected, evaluating all possible access paths to the segments to be retrieved in the user query, and selecting the optimum access path according to weighted priorities. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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Specification