Apparatus for specifying a result relation in a relational database system by selection of rows

• US 5,097,408 A
• Filed: 12/14/1989
• Issued: 03/17/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wang Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Huber, Val J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kriess, Kevin A.
• Application Number:
  US07/450,505
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

In a data processing system having a relational database, novel relational operator means is provided that accepts a cursor defined against a database target. The system retrieves record occurrences from the target as defined by the cursor; the means accepts predefined display format signals and defines a stored screen image responsive to the format signals and the retrieved record occurrences. The screen image is displayed to a user on the system display, and is modified in response to enumerating signals input by the user through the system keyboard during such display. The operator means derives from the modified screen image and the cursor, output signals defining a result relation, membership in which is defined enumeratively and interactively through the keyboard. Alternatively, using other format signals for the display, characterizing signals are input by the user, and a result relation, membership in which is defined in terms of attributes in the target, is defined interactively. In either case, the operator means further defines in the screen image a plurality of selectable operations, executable with respect to the result relation, and responds to further user signals input during display, to provide an output signal representative of a selected operation.

Claims

1. In a relational database system, having stored therein relations, each of said relations conforming with constraints sufficient to permit operations on said relations to be modeled and analyzed by relational analysis, apparatus for specifying a result relation comprising

target specifying means for specifying a target relation in the relational database system, said target specifying means being responsive to input of target specifying signals,

display means for displaying rows of the specified target relation, said display means being responsive to an output from said target specifying means,

selecting means for enumeratively selecting certain ones of the rows of the specified target relation, said selecting means being responsive to input of enumerating commands by a user during displaying of said rows of said specified target relation, said enumerating commands having no reference to values in any field of the rows, and

result specifying means for specifying a result relation derived from said selected certain ones of rows, said result specifying means being responsive to an output from said selecting means, said result relation conforming with said sufficient constraints.