Interactive construction of means for database maintenance
First Claim
1. Method for retrieving from a destination relation in a stored relational database, signals representing record occurrences related to a record occurrence of a starting relation, said method comprisingproviding, for a relationship between particular relations in said database, stored signals representing relationship attributes including a specification of a relationship field common to said particular relations,accessing, responsive to selection of a starting paticular relation and a relationship in which said starting relation participates, said stored relationship attribute signals,generating, responsive to said relationship attributes, generic cursor signals representing a generic cursor defined against the other particular relation as a destination relation,storing said generic cursor signals in working storage,copying, responsive to a signal representing selection by an operator of a particular record occurrence in the starting relation and to an operation selection signal from the operator, values of said specified relationship field from said particular record occurrence to locations in said generic cursor to form a completed cursor,accessing in said stored database, responsive to said completed cursor, destination relation record occurrence signals defined by said completed cursor, andstoring said accessed destination relation record occurrence signals in working storage.
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Abstract
In a data processing system, application programs for the maintenance of a relational database may be constructed interactively and nonprocedurally. A data dictionary and screen-files are defined interactively and nonprocedurally. Data structures represent a meta-dictionary modeled as a relational database, a definition screen-file, a builder screen-file, and a set of archetype screen formats for modification.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. Method for retrieving from a destination relation in a stored relational database, signals representing record occurrences related to a record occurrence of a starting relation, said method comprising
providing, for a relationship between particular relations in said database, stored signals representing relationship attributes including a specification of a relationship field common to said particular relations, accessing, responsive to selection of a starting paticular relation and a relationship in which said starting relation participates, said stored relationship attribute signals, generating, responsive to said relationship attributes, generic cursor signals representing a generic cursor defined against the other particular relation as a destination relation, storing said generic cursor signals in working storage, copying, responsive to a signal representing selection by an operator of a particular record occurrence in the starting relation and to an operation selection signal from the operator, values of said specified relationship field from said particular record occurrence to locations in said generic cursor to form a completed cursor, accessing in said stored database, responsive to said completed cursor, destination relation record occurrence signals defined by said completed cursor, and storing said accessed destination relation record occurrence signals in working storage.
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3. Record retrieval means for retrieving from a destination relation in a stored relational database, signals representing record occurrences related to a record occurrence of a starting relation, said means comprising
storage means for providing, for a relationship between particular relations in said database, stored attribute signals representing relationship attributes including a specification of a relationship field common to said particular relations, means for accessing, responsive to selection of a starting particular relation and a relationship in which said starting relation participates, said stored relationship attribute signals, means for generating, responsive to said relationship attributes, generic cursor signals representing a generic cursor defined against the other particular relation as a destination relation, means for storing said generic cursor signals in working storage, means for copying, responsive to a signal representing selection by an operator of a particular record occurrence in the starting relation and to an operation selection signal from the operator, values of said specified relationship field from said particular record occurrence to locations in said generic cursor to form a completed cursor, means for accessing in said stored database, responsive to said completed cursor, destination relation record occurrence signals defined by said completed cursor, and means for storing said accessed destination relation record occurrence signals in working storage.
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8. In a data dictionary definition means, relationship naming means comprising
name signal generating means for forming, responsive to input relationship definition signals, signals representing default ascend and descend names of a relationship, means for storing said default name signals in attribute storage corresponding to said relationship, means for controlling the display of representations of said default relationship names, means for accepting operator input signals for modifying such display, and means for forming modified name signals representing modified relationship ascend and descend names, responsive to said operator input signals, and means for storing said modified name signals in said attribute storage.
Specification