Interchange object data base index which eliminates the need for private copies of interchange documents files by a plurality of application programs

• US 5,142,674 A
• Filed: 10/01/1990
• Issued: 08/25/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stark, Jeffrey A., Edel, Thomas R., Barker, Barbara A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Treat, William M.
• Application Number:
  US07/593,325
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 395/600, 395/800, 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File
• US Class Current: 707/696
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/123 Storage facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The need for private copies of an interchange document file in a computer system is eliminated by building a common architected index characterized in that (1) it includes selected indexable elements each having sufficient associated pointers for environment and resource specifications to be accessed as stand-alone entities and (2) is structured to be handled by all application programs or processes understanding the interchange protocol. Normal work with a file requires reading the entire document file and building a process'"'"' own index. This requires excessive time and takes up storage which could be used for other purposes. By building an architected document index with associated pointers in turn associated with each indexable element, any desired element of the document can be readily addressed by many different application program.

Claims

1. In a computer system including a file server and a plurality of computers connected in a network, wherein each of said computers are running diverse application programs and have access to a local direct access storage device on which is stored a local library corresponding to the computer, said computer system further including a central direct access storage device is accessed by said file server, said central direct access storage device storing a plurality of interchange documents in an interchange document library, each document in said interchange library being composed of a plurality of document elements and provided with an interchange index, a method of eliminating a requirement of a private copy of interchange document files by a plurality of said diverse application programs running on respective ones of said computers in said computer system, said method comprising the computer performed steps of:

building and maintaining by said application programs running on said computers a common document interchange index during file creation and modification, each document in said interchange library being composed of a plurality of document elements with each document element standing alone in an application processing environment, said interchange index including pointers associated with each indexable element in a hierarchical data structure of said document elements;

receiving a data stream over said network by said computers of said computer system, said data stream including index elements of said interchange index;

building by application programs running on each of said computers local database indices which are application dependent and which are optimized for the application programs, said building step being performed without processing an entire document;

storing said local database indices on said local direct access storage device;

thereafter accessing by any of said application programs respective local database indices to select portions of a document in said interchange document library on said central direct access storage device for accessing and processing.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein a local index is built from said interchange index by a data stream processor comprising the steps of:

detecting index elements in a data stream containing said interchange index and creating a local index of document element content including resources, data objects and processing environment;

testing each index element to determine if a parent element in a hierarchical structure of elements exists and, if not, placing the index element in a list file, otherwise, linking the index element to the parent element; and

testing each index element in said list file to determine if children elements exist for the index element and, if so, linking the index element in the list file to the children elements before exiting to said data stream processor, otherwise, exiting directly to the data stream processor.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein an index element is retrieved from a local index by one of said application programs comprising the steps of:

using the local index to locate a requested element on a document file;

retrieving the requested element from the document file; and

establishing resource, data object and processing environment for a retrieved element before returning to an element retrieval process.

4. The method according to claim 2 including an interchange data stream build function wherein an interchange index for transmission of a document to another application program is built from a local index by said data stream processor comprising the steps of:

for each element in the local index, determining whether the element is a last document index element to be processed and, if so, making a return to the interchange data stream build function;

otherwise, testing each element to determine if the element is a last element of a document leg in a hierarchical local process index and, if the element is, adjusting an local element search to another branch in a document hierarchy before retrieving a next internal index element within the document hierarchy, but if the element is not, then retrieving a next internal index element within the document hierarchy; and

creating an interchange form of index element and content from the local process index before repeating the steps for a next document index element until the last document index element is processed.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of building and maintaining a common document interchange index from a sequential data stream defining a document comprises the computer system performed steps of:

establishing a current state of resources, data objects and processing environment for each document index element; and

creating an interchange form of index element and content from a current state of each said document index element until an end of said data stream is reached.

6. A computer system comprising:

a file server and a plurality of computers connected in a network, each of said computers running diverse application programs and having access to a local direct access storage device on which is stored a local library corresponding to the computer;

a central direct access storage device accessed by said file server, said central direct access storage device storing a plurality of interchange documents in an interchange document library, each document in said interchange library being composed of a plurality of document elements and provided with an interchange index, said interchange index being built during file creation and modification with each of said document elements being capable of standing alone in each of said diverse application programs, said interchange index including pointers associated with each indexable element in a hierarchical data structure of said document elements;

each of said application programs running on one of said computers building a local database index which is application dependent without processing an entire document by receiving a data stream containing said interchange index over said network, detecting index elements in said data stream, and linking detected index elements in a hierarchical data structure which is optimized for the application program, said local database index being stored on said local direct access storage device; and

each of said application programs running on one of said computers thereafter accessing respective local database indices to select portions of a document in said interchange document library on said central direct access storage device for accessing and processing without processing said entire document.