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Database development system with methods for java-string reference lookups of column names

  • US 5,787,431 A
  • Filed: 12/16/1996
  • Issued: 07/28/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. In a development system for creating a program which includes programmatic access to columns of database tables, an improved method for determining an ordinal representing an offset within a database table of a column which has been referenced within a program by name, the method comprising:

  • allocating memory for storing a plurality of reference cache entries, each cache entry storing a reference to a text string representing a name for a given column and further storing an ordinal for the given column;

    upon a request for an ordinal of a particular column, said request including the text string which represents the name for the particular column,(i) attempting to determine the ordinal by examining the reference cache for an entry storing a reference which matches a corresponding reference to a text string representing the name for the particular column;

    (ii) if the reference cache has no such entry,(1) determining the ordinal based, at least in part, on comparison of the text string representing the name for the particular column, and(2) updating the reference cache by storing a cache entry having a reference to the text string and the ordinal for the particular column, so that subsequent requests for the ordinal of the particular column can be satisfied based on examination of the reference cache; and

    (iii) providing the determined ordinal for the particular column, so that the program has programmatic access to information stored at the particular column.

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