Managing directory listings in a relational database

• US 6,192,373 B1
• Filed: 05/15/1998
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Haegele, Gerald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Amsbury, Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pardo, Thuy N.
• Application Number:
  US09/079,698
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 395/705, 395/701, 395/702, 707/1, 707/2, 707/4, 707/100, 707/103, 707/104, 707/205, 707/531, 345/329, 379/219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method for managing hierarchal listings of indented caption sets in a relational database of complete listings, comprising the steps of: uniquely identifying each listing by a listing object identifier (LOID); uniquely identifying each caption set within the listings and each level of indentation for each caption set by a caption set object identifier (CSOID); parsing individual words of each listing; creating a relational table indexed by the relational database with an entry for each of the parsed words, each of the entries including a respective LOID and CSOID for each parsed word; searching for caption sets in the relational database by searching the parsed words in the relational table; and, using the LOID and the CSOID as index links to the relational database to retrieve data, for example telephone numbers, stored exclusively in the relational database.

Claims

1. A method for managing hierarchal listings of indented caption sets in a relational database of complete listings, comprising the steps of:

uniquely identifying each said listing by a listing object identifier (LOID);

uniquely identifying each said caption set within said listings and each level of indentation for each said caption set by a caption set object identifier (CSOID);

parsing individual words of each said listing;

creating a relational table indexed by said relational database with an entry for each of said parsed words, each of said entries including a respective LOID and CSOID for each said parsed word;

searching for caption sets in said relational database by searching said parsed words in said relational table;

using said LOID and said CSOID as index links to said relational database;

retrieving data stored exclusively in said relational database according to said LOID and said CSOID index links, whereby said data stored exclusively in said relational database can be retrieved more efficiently by indirect queries directed to said relational table than direct queries to said relational database;

redundantly identifying each said level of indentation for each said caption set by an independent indentation object identifier (IOID);

including a respective IOID in each said entry;

using said IOID as a further index link to said relational database; and

,

retrieving data stored exclusively in said relational database according to said LOID, said CSOID and said IOID index links, whereby said data stored exclusively in said relational database can be retrieved even more efficiently, notwithstanding said redundancy in each said entry of said relational table.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said listings are telephone directory listings and said data stored exclusively in said relational database comprises at least telephone numbers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein different ones of said listings can have identical ones of said parsed words in different hierarchal relationships and in identical hierarchal relationships, said searching and using steps retrieving said data stored exclusively in said relational database without regard to said different and identical hierarchal relationships.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein different ones of said listings can have identical ones of said parsed words in different hierarchal relationships and in identical hierarchal relationships, said searching and using steps retrieving said data stored exclusively in said relational database without regard to said different and identical hierarchal relationships.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step displaying in full, with proper indentation, any desired portion of any of said listings from said retrieved data.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step displaying in full, with proper indentation, any desired portion of any of said listings from said retrieved data.

7. A method for managing hierarchal listings of indented caption sets in a relational database of complete listings, comprising the steps of:

uniquely identifying each said listing by a listing object identifier (LOID);

uniquely identifying each said caption set within said listings and each level of indentation for each said caption set by a caption set object identifier (CSOID);

parsing individual words of each said listing;

creating a relational table indexed by said relational database with an entry for each of said parsed words, each of said entries including a respective LOID and CSOID for each said parsed word;

searching for caption sets in said relational database by searching said parsed words in said relational table;

using said LOID and said CSOID as index links to said relational database;

retrieving data stored exclusively in said relational database according to said LOID and said CSOID index links, whereby said data stored exclusively in said relational database can be retrieved more efficiently by indirect queries directed to said relational table than direct queries to said relational database;

wherein said CSOID is a varying length character string having at least three bytes.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said IOID is a fixed length character string having three bytes.

9. A method for managing hierarchal listings of indented caption sets in a relational database of complete listings, comprising the steps of:

uniquely identifying each said listing by a listing object identifier (LOID);

uniquely identifying each said caption set within said listings and each level of indentation for each said caption set by a caption set object identifier (CSOID);

parsing individual words of each said listing;

creating a relational table indexed by said relational database with an entry for each of said parsed words, each of said entries including a respective LOID and CSOID for each said parsed word;

searching for caption sets in said relational database by searching said parsed words in said relational table;

using said LOID and said CSOID as index links to said relational database;

retrieving data stored exclusively in said relational database according to said LOID and said CSOID index links, whereby said data stored exclusively in said relational database can be retrieved more efficiently by indirect queries directed to said relational table than direct queries to said relational database;

wherein said IOID is a fixed length character string having three bytes.

10. A method for managing hierarchal listings of indented caption sets in a relational database of complete listings, comprising the steps of:

uniquely identifying each said listing by a listing object identifier (LOID);

uniquely identifying each said caption set within said listings and each level of indentation for each said caption set by a caption set object identifier (CSOID);

parsing individual words of each said listing;

creating a relational table indexed by said relational database with an entry for each of said parsed words, each of said entries including a respective LOID and CSOID for each said parsed word;

searching for caption sets in said relational database by searching said parsed words in said relational table;

using said LOID and said CSOID as index links to said relational database;

retrieving data stored exclusively in said relational database according to said LOID and said CSOID index links, whereby said data stored exclusively in said relational database can be retrieved more efficiently by indirect queries directed to said relational table than direct queries to said relational database;

wherein different ones of said listings can have identical ones of said parsed words in different hierarchal relationships and in identical hierarchal relationships, said searching and using steps retrieving said data stored exclusively in said relational database without regard to said different and identical hierarchal relationships.

11. A method for managing hierarchal listings of indented caption sets in a relational database of complete listings, comprising the steps of:

uniquely identifying each said listing by a listing object identifier (LOID);

uniquely identifying each said caption set within said listings and each level of indentation for each said caption set by a caption set object identifier (CSOID);

parsing individual words of each said listing;

creating a relational table indexed by said relational database with an entry for each of said parsed words, each of said entries including a respective LOID and CSOID for each said parsed word;

searching for caption sets in said relational database by searching said parsed words in said relational table;

using said LOID and said CSOID as index links to said relational database;

retrieving data stored exclusively in said relational database according to said LOID and said CSOID index links, whereby said data stored exclusively in said relational database can be retrieved more efficiently by indirect queries directed to said relational table than direct queries to said relational database;

wherein said listings are telephone directory listings and said data stored exclusively in said relational database comprises at least telephone numbers;

wherein different ones of said listings can have identical ones of said parsed words in different hierarchal relationships and in identical hierarchal relationships, said searching and using steps retrieving said data stored exclusively in said relational database without regard to said different and identical hierarchal relationships.