Generating one or more XML documents from a single SQL query

• US 6,636,845 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2002
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Xu, Jian, Chow, Jyh-Herng, Cheng, Isaac Kam-Chak, Cheng, Josephine Miu, Chau, Hoang K., Pauser, Michael Leon, Chiu, Suet Mui
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Yicun
• Application Number:
  US10/066,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20020156772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/4, 707/6, 707/7, 707/8, 707/9, 707/10, 707/102, 707/103.1, 707/103.4, 707/501.1, 707/513, 717/104, 717/100, 717/114, 709/223, 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/86 Mapping to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A technique is provided for generating one or more XML documents from a single SQL query. Data stored on a data storage device that is connected to a computer is transformed. A query is received that selects data stored in a relational database management system on the data storage device, wherein a data access definition defines: (1) a collection of one or more tables in the relational database management system for storing attributes from an XML document, (2) how data stored in the tables maps to the XML document, (3) a query for mapping the data stored in the tables to the XML document, and (4) a table that will contain the XML document after the XML document is generated. Then, one or more XML documents are generated from the selected data using the data access definition.

Claims

1. A method of transforming data stored on a data storage device that is connected to a computer, the method comprising:

receiving a query that selects data is stored in a relational database management system on the data storage device, wherein a data access definition defines;

(1) a collection of one or more tables in the relational database management system for storing attributes from an XML document, (2) how data stored in the tables maps to the XML document, (3) a query for mapping the data stored in the tables to the XML document, and (4) a table that will contain the XML document after the XML document is generated; and

generating one or more XML documents from the selected data using the data access definition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more XML documents are generated by mapping each column of the tables to an element or attribute of one of the XML. documents.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a document type definition to validate the one or more XML documents.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a document type definition to prepare the document access definition.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the document access definition further comprises an Extensible Markup Language Path data model based definition of the one or more XML documents to be generated.

6. The meted of claim 1, further comprising mapping column names of the tables to equivalence classes.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the equivalence classes are defined by a user.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the equivalence classes are defined by a heuristic approach.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing duplicates from the selected data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to retrieving data, parsing the document access definition.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more XML documents are generated using XML composition stored procedures.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the data to generate one or more documents is stored in an XML collection.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more XML documents are shared between businesses.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or mote XML documents are generated by stored procedures.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored procedures can be called from database client code.

16. An apparatus for transforming data, comprising:

a computer having a data store coupled thereto, wherein the data store data; and

one or more computer programs, performed by the computer, for receiving a query that selects data stored in a relational database management system on the data storage device, wherein a data access definition defines;

(1) a collection of one or more tables in the relational database management system for storing attributes from an XML document, (2) how data stored in the tables maps to the XML document, (3) a query for mapping the data stored in the tables to the XML document, and (4) a table that will contain the XML document after the XML document is generated; and

generating one or more XML documents from the selected data using the data access definition.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one or more XML documents are generated by mapping each column of the tables to an element or attribute of one of the XML documents.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising using a document type definition to validate the one or more XML documents.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising using a document type definition to prepare the document access definition.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the document access definition further comprises an Extensible Markup Language Path data model based definition of the one or more XML documents to be generated.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising creating mapping column names of the tables to equivalence classes.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the equivalence classes are defined by a user.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the equivalence classes are defined by a heuristic approach.

24. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising removing duplicates from the selected data.

25. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising, prior to retrieving data, parsing the document access definition.

26. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one or more XML documents are generated using XML composition stored procedures.

27. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the data to generate one or more XML documents is stored in an XML collection.

28. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one or more XML documents are shared between businesses.

29. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one or more XML documents are generated by stored procedures.

30. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the stored procedures can be called from database client code.

31. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for transforming data in a data store connected to the computer, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a query that selects data stored in a relational database management system on the data storage device, wherein a data access definition defines;

(1) a collection of one or more tables in the relational database management system for storing attributes from an XML document, (2) how data stored in the tables maps to the XML document, (3) a query for mapping the data stored in the tables to the XML document, and (4) a table that will contain the XML document after the XML document is generated; and

generating one or more XML documents from the selected data using the data access definition.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein the one or more XML documents are generated by mapping each column of the tables to an element or attribute of one of the XML documents.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 31, further comprising using a document type definition to validate the one or more XML documents.

34. The article of manufacture of claim 31, further comprising using a document type definition to prepare the document access definition.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein the document access definition further comprises an Extensible Markup Language Path data model based definition of the one or more XML documents to be generated.

36. The article of manufacture of claim 31, further comprising mapping column names of the tables to equivalence classes.

37. The article of manufacture of claim 36, wherein the equivalence classes are defined by a user.

38. The article of manufacture of claim 36, wherein the equivalence classes are defined by a heuristic approach.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 31, further comprising removing duplicates from the selected data.

40. The article of manufacture of claim 31, further comprising, prior to retrieving data, parsing the document access definition.

41. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein the one or more XML documents are generated using XML composition stored procedures.

42. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein the data to generate one or more documents is stored in an XML collection.

43. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein the one or more XML documents are shared between businesses.

44. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein the one or more XML documents are generated by stored procedures.

45. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein to stored procedures can be called from database client code.