Relational database extenders for handling complex data types
First Claim
1. A computer-readable storage medium storing a relational extender for a computer-based relational database, the relational extender providing the relational database with access to object data of a complex data type, comprising:
- a first table having a user defined application database, and at least one column dedicated to containing an object handle uniquely identifying an object associated with the object data, the object handle and the at least one column of the first table both having a data type of the complex data type;
a second table containing at least one column defining a unique characteristic associated with said object and one column dedicated to containing said object handle;
a third table containing at least one column defining a common characteristic associated with all objects defined within said first table and one column dedicated to containing said object handle and at least one column dedicated to containing a reference to the object data associated with said object; and
a function strongly typed against the complex data type wherein the function takes the object handle as a parameter and manipulates the object data.
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Abstract
This invention is directed to relational extenders for a computer-based relational database. Each relational extender includes at least one column, in a first, business table containing a user defined application database, dedicated to object handles for defining the complex data type of an object; a second, attribute, table containing at least one column defining a unique characteristic associated with the one object and one column dedicated to containing the object handle; and a third, metadata, table containing at least one column defining a common characteristic associated with all objects defined within the business table and one column dedicated to containing the object handles and at least one column dedicated to containing a reference to object data associated with the object. The relational extender further includes a fourth table containing a reference to each object handle column defined in the first table, and a fifth table containing the names of the second and third tables for each object defined in the first table.
216 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A computer-readable storage medium storing a relational extender for a computer-based relational database, the relational extender providing the relational database with access to object data of a complex data type, comprising:
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a first table having a user defined application database, and at least one column dedicated to containing an object handle uniquely identifying an object associated with the object data, the object handle and the at least one column of the first table both having a data type of the complex data type; a second table containing at least one column defining a unique characteristic associated with said object and one column dedicated to containing said object handle; a third table containing at least one column defining a common characteristic associated with all objects defined within said first table and one column dedicated to containing said object handle and at least one column dedicated to containing a reference to the object data associated with said object; and a function strongly typed against the complex data type wherein the function takes the object handle as a parameter and manipulates the object data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of providing a computer-based relational database access to object data of a complex data type, said method comprising the steps of:
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dedicating at least one column of a first table having a user defined application database to containing an object handle uniquely identifyingy an object associated with the object data, the object handle and the at least one column of the first table both having a data type of the complex data type; dedicating one column to containing said object handle in a second table containing at least one column defining a unique characteristic associated with said object; dedicating at least one column to containing a reference to the object data associated with said object in a third table containing at least one column defining a common characteristic associated with all objects defined within said first table and one column dedicated to containing said object handle; and manipulating the object data by a function strongly typed against the complex data type wherein the function takes the object handle as a parameter. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A relational database system for accessing object data of a complex data type, said relational database system comprising:
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a first table having a user defined application database, and at least one column dedicated to containing an object handle uniquely identifying an object associated with the object data, the object handle and the at least one column of the first table both having a data type of the complex data type; a second table containing at least one column defining a unique characteristic associated with said object and one column dedicated to containing said object handle; a third table containing at least one column defining a common characteristic associated with all objects defined within said first table and one column dedicated to containing said object handle and at least one column dedicated to containing a reference to the object data associated with said object; and a function strongly typed against the complex data type wherein the function takes the object handle as a parameter and manipulates the object data. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification