Constructing a bifurcated database of context-dependent and context-independent data items

• US 6,018,742 A
• Filed: 07/07/1998
• Issued: 01/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Perigis Corporation
• Original Assignee: Perigis Corporation
• Inventors: Herbert, Charles St. John III
• Primary Examiner(s): Lintz, Paul R.
• Application Number:
  US09/111,387
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 707/4, 707/10, 707/102, 704/8, 709/303, 345/333
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method of constructing a multi-lingual database includes the step of defining metadata to describe fields of a record as being either language-dependent or language-independent. The fields of the record are so described by flagging descriptions of columns associated with the fields in the metadata. A composite table, including a parent table and a child table, is then automatically generated. The parent table includes columns for the language-independent fields of the record, while the child table includes columns for the language-dependent fields of the record.

Claims

1. A method of constructing a context-dependent database, the method including the steps of:

creating metadata to describe fields of a record as being either context-dependent or context-independent;

generating a context-independent table excluding columns for the context-dependent fields of the record; and

generating a context-dependent table, associated with the context-independent table, excluding columns for the context-independent fields of the record.

2. The method of claim 1 including the step of automatically generating the context-independent and context-dependent tables utilizing the metadata.

3. The method of claim 1 including the step of generating a record identifier for an entry of the context-independent table, and assigning the record identifier to multiple context-specific entries of the context-dependent table.

4. The method of claim 1 including the step of generating a context identifier for each entry in the context-dependent table, the context identifier identifying the entry as being appropriate for a specific context.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the context identifier indicates a language preference.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the context identifier indicates a geographical location.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the context identifier indicates a user.

8. The method of claim 1 including the step of generating a context table including a context record describing a context and including a context identifier for use in associating an entry in the context-dependent table with the context record.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of generating a context table comprises generating a user table including a record of user preferences.

10. The method of claim 1 including the step of generating a unique key for each entry of the context-dependent table, the unique key comprising a record identifier and a context identifier.

11. A method of constructing a context-dependent view of database information in a database including a context-dependent table and a context-independent table, the method including the steps of:

identifying a field of a record to be retrieved as being either context-dependent or context-independent; and

if the field is context-dependent, then retrieving database information for the field exclusively from a column associated with the field in a context-dependent table without reference to a column associated with a field in the context-independent table.

12. The method of claim 11 including the step of, if the field is context-independent, then retrieving the database information for the field exclusively from a context-independent table.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of identifying comprises referencing a metadata description of a column associated with the field to determine whether the field is context-dependent or context-independent.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of retrieving from the context-dependent table comprises locating an entry within the context-dependent table by referencing both a record identifier and a context identifier.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the context identifier indicates a language preference.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the context identifier indicates a geographical location.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the context identifier indicates a user.

18. The method of claim 14 including the step of identifying the context identifier from a context table.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the context table comprises a user table.

20. A method of constructing a multi-lingual database, the method including the steps of:

defining metadata to describe a first field of record as being language-dependent and a second field of the record as being language-independent;

automatically generating a first table, including a column for the first field of the record, but not having column for the second field; and

automatically generating a second table, associated with the first table, including a column for the second field of the record, but not having a column for the first field.

21. A computer-readable medium having a sequence of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to construct a database by performing the steps of:

examining metadata that describes fields of a record as being either context-dependent or context-independent;

automatically generating a context-independent table excluding columns for the context-dependent fields of the record; and

generating a context-dependent table, associated with the context-independent table, excluding columns for the context-independent fields of the record.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the sequence of instructions cause the processor to perform the step of automatically generating the context-independent and context-dependent tables utilizing the metadata.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the sequence of instructions cause the processor to perform the steps of generating a record identifier for an entry of the context-independent table, and of assigning the record identifier to multiple context-specific entries of the context-dependent table.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the sequence of instructions cause the processor to perform the step of generating a context identifier for each entry in the context-dependent table, the context identifier identifying the entry as being appropriate for a specific context.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 wherein the context identifier indicates a language preference.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 wherein the context identifier indicates a geographical location.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 wherein the context identifier indicates a user.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the sequence of instructions cause the processor to perform the step of generating a context table including a context record describing a context and including a context identifier for use in associating an entry in the context dependent table with the context entry.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 where in the sequence of instructions cause the processor to perform the step of generating a user table including a record of user preferences.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the sequence of instructions cause the processor to perform the step of generating a unique key for each entry of the context-dependent table, the unique key comprising a record identifier and a context identifier.

31. A computer-readable medium having a sequence of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to construct a context-dependent view of database information by performing the steps of:

identifying a field of a record to be retrieved as being either context-dependent or context-independent; and

if the field is context-dependent, then retrieving database information for the field exclusively from a column associated with the field in a context-dependent table without reference to a column associated with a field in the context-independent table.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the sequence of instructions cause the processor to perform the step of, if the field is context-independent, retrieving the database information for the field directly and exclusively from a context-independent table.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the sequence of instructions cause the processor to perform the step of referencing a metadata description of a column associated with the field to determine whether the field is context-dependent or context-independent.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the sequence of instructions cause the processor to perform the step of locating an entry within the context-dependent table by referencing both a record identifier and a context identifier.

35. A method of constructing a context-dependent view of database information in a database including a context-dependent table and a context-independent table, the method including the steps of:

referencing a metadata description of a column, associated with a field of a record to be retrieved, to determine whether the field is context-dependent or context-independent; and

if the field is context-dependent, then retrieving database information for the field exclusively from a column associated with the field in a context-dependent table without reference to a column associated with a field in the context-independent table.