Hypertext-based database architecture

• US 6,654,737 B1
• Filed: 05/23/2000
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dassault Systemes Enovia Corporation (Dassault Systemes SA)
• Original Assignee: Centor Software
• Inventors: Nunez, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Yicun
• Application Number:
  US09/577,271
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/5, 707/10, 707/102, 707/500, 707/203, 707/513, 707/104.1, 707/501.1, 707/515, 707/517, 345/760, 711/137
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• 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 database which consists of HTML, XML or other standard-format, hypertext documents is disclosed. For each “record” in the database there is a master document and multiple related documents, called “view documents.” The view documents are related to the master document and may have a subset of the data of the master document. The view documents are generally created at the same time as the master document. The master document and view documents are revised by the DBMS together. The view documents are based upon pre-defined templates. The view documents provide alternative views of the data in the master document, and may be tailored to the user or class of user. Thus, each “record” in the database is actually one or more files. The “database” is formed from a directory tree of these files, structured in a pre-defined and controlled manner.

Claims

1. A database comprised of hypertext documents stored on a computer-readable medium and used in conjunction with a database management server, the database management server comprising programs for securing and maintaining the database, the database comprising:

a) a named catalog, the catalog comprising a folder in a file system on the computer-readable medium;

b) plural named volumes created by the database management server, the volume names being generated by the database management server, each volume comprising a folder stored within the catalog;

c) plural records comprising documents stored in the volumes, each record comprising one or more documents, said documents not being required to be stored in database tables, at least one record comprising a master document and at least one view document,

i) the master document storing a view format for the at least one view document and all of the data for the record, the view format comprising a template document, the template document for pre-formatting the data for viewing;

ii) the view document storing at least some of the data for the record and displaying formatting instructions for the data stored in the view document;

d) a catalog starter document in the catalog, the catalog starter document generated by the database management server and comprising an index to the volumes; and

e) volume starter documents in plural respective volumes, the volume starter document for a given respective volume comprising an index to the records in the given respective volume, the volume starter documents being generated by the database management server.

2. The database of claim 1 wherein the volumes include respective properties sub-directories, and the records for the volumes are stored in the properties sub-directories.

3. The database of claim 1, wherein the database management server names each new volume based upon the volume name of a last-added volume in the catalog plus a sequence number.

4. The database of claim 1, wherein the database management server names each new record based upon the name of a last-added record in the corresponding volume plus a sequence number.

5. The database of claim 1 wherein the master documents and the view documents are hypertext documents.

6. The database of claim 1 wherein the catalog starter document and the volume starter documents are hypertext documents.

7. A database management system operative in a computer having an operating system and a hierarchical file system, the database management system comprising a database management server, and a database:

a) the database comprising;

i) a named catalog, the catalog comprising a directory of a file system on the computer-readable medium;

ii) plural named volumes created by the database management server, the volume names being generated by the database management server, each volume comprising a folder stored within the catalog;

iii) plural records comprising documents stored in the volumes, each record comprising one or more documents, said documents not being required to be stored in database tables, at least one record comprising a master document and at least one view document,

(1) the master document storing a view format for the at least one view document and all of the data for the record, the view format comprising a template document, the template document for preformatting the data for viewing;

(2) the view document storing at least some of the data for the record and display formatting instructions for the data stored in the view document;

iv) a catalog starter document in the catalog, the catalog starter document generated by the database management server and comprising an index to the volumes;

v) volume starter documents in plural respective volumes, the volume starter document for a given respective volume comprising an index to the records in the given respective volume, the volume starter documents being generated by the database management server; and

b) the database management server comprising computer program instructions for creating, editing and deleting volumes, and creating, editing and deleting records.

8. The database management system of claim 7, wherein the volumes include respective properties subdirectories, and the records for the volumes are stored in the properties sub-directories.

9. The database management system of claim 7, wherein the database management server names each new volume based upon the volume name of the last-added volume in the catalog plus a sequence number.

10. The database management system of claim 7, wherein the database management server names each new record based upon the name of the last added record in the corresponding volume plus a sequence number.

11. The database management system of claim 7, wherein the master documents and the view documents are hypertext documents.

12. The database management system of claim 7, wherein the catalog starter document and the volume starter documents are hypertext documents.

13. A method of creating a database record comprising one or more related documents in a database comprising:

a) providing a database management server comprising programs for securing and maintaining the database;

b) providing a hierarchical file system comprising plural folders representative of a hierarchy for the database, the hierarchy of folders including one or more volume folders, the database management server naming the volume folders in accordance with a volume naming convention, at least one volume folder for containing at least a database record;

c) the database management server receiving data for the database record; and

d) the database management server creating the database record comprised of a master document and plural view documents, said documents not being required to be stored in database tables, comprising;

i) selecting a folder for storing the master document and the view documents;

ii) obtaining a master document template;

iii) creating the master document from the master document template, the master document including all of the data for the database record;

iv) obtaining plural view document templates, the view document templates including fields;

v) creating the view documents from the view document templates, each view document including data for the database record corresponding to the fields, if present; and

vi) the database management server creating and storing a view format for at least one view document in the master document, the view format comprising a pre-defined template document for pre-formatting the data for viewing.

14. The method of creating a database record in a database of claim 13 wherein the master document and the view documents are hypertext documents.

15. An open format database comprised of open format documents stored on a database management server, the database management server comprising programs for securing and maintaining the database, the database comprising:

a) a catalog, the catalog comprising volume information about one or more volumes stored in the open format database, the catalog comprising a folder in a file system on the computer-readable medium;

b) plural volumes, each volume having a volume name, the volume names being generated by the database management server, the volumes comprising one or more folders stored within the catalog, the volumes each comprising record information about one or more records stored in the volume, the volume information to index the volumes;

c) plural records, each record comprising one or more open format documents, said documents not being required to be stored in database tables, the record information to index the records;

i) the record information further comprising view format information for at least one of the open format documents, the view format information comprising a pre-formatting template for pre-formatting the data for viewing;

ii) the at least one open format document storing at least some of the data for at least one record and display formatting instructions;

d) a catalog starter document in the catalog comprising an index to the volumes; and

e) volume starter documents in the plural respective volumes, each volume starter document for a given respective volume comprising an index to the records in the given respective volume.

16. The open format database of claim 15, wherein the catalog further comprises a first folder in a file system, the first folder to store the volume information.

17. The open format database of claim 16, wherein the volume further comprises a second folder in the file system, the second folder stored within the first folder, the second folder to store the records.

18. The open format database of claim 15, wherein the open format comprises hypertext format.

19. The open format database of claim 18, wherein the hypertext format comprises XML format.

20. The open format database of claim 18, wherein the hypertext format comprises HTML format.

21. The open format database of claim 15, wherein the record further comprises a master document and at least one view document, the master document comprising first data stored in the record, the view document comprising second data stored in the record and transformation information, wherein the second data comprises a subset of the first data.

22. The open format database of claim 21, wherein the transformation information comprises the display formatting instructions.

23. The open format database of claim 21, wherein the view document comprises a pre-generated view document.

24. The open format database of claim 21, wherein the view document comprises a dynamically generated view document.

25. The open format database of claim 21, further comprising a master template, the master template to generate the master document.

26. The open format database of claim 21, further comprising a view template, the view template to generate the view document.

27. The open format database of claim 15, wherein the database is stored in volatile storage.

28. The open format database of claim 27, wherein the volatile storage comprises random-access memory (RAM).

29. The open format database of claim 15, wherein the database is stored in non-volatile storage.

30. The open format database of claim 29, wherein the non-volatile storage comprises a hard disk.