Method, system, program, and data structure for transforming database tables

• US 6,920,443 B1
• Filed: 09/21/1999
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mandel, Richard Henry III, Cesare, Mark Anthony, Jerves, Julie Ann, Christopher, Tom Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Shahid
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLEURANTIN, JEAN B
• Application Number:
  US09/400,507
• Time in Patent Office: 2,128 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1-206, 707100-1041, 709214-215, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• 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 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Disclosed is a method, system, program, and data structure for transforming data in an input table in a database in a server in communication with a client. A transform command is received from the client indicating an input data table name in the database and at least one rule indicating at least one cell in the input table to transform and a transform operation to perform with respect to the at least one cell. The transform command is executed in the server including the database by accessing a copy of the input table from the database and transforming data in the accessed input table according to each rule specified in the transform command.

Claims

1. A method for transforming data in an input table in a database in a server in communication with a client, comprising:

receiving from the client a transform command indicating an input data table name in the database and at least one rule indicating at least one cell in the input table to transform and a transform operation to perform with respect to the at least one cell;

accessing a copy of the input table from the database; and

transforming, within the server, data in the accessed input table according to each rule specified in the transform command.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the client is a client computer that communicates with the server over a network, wherein the transform command is transmitted from the client computer to the server over the network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the client is an application program executing in the server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transform command rules specify multiple transform operations to perform on at least one cell in the accessed input table, wherein an application of a subsequent transform operation following a previous transform operation on one cell transforms previously transformed data in the cell.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the client cannot affect the execution of the transform command during the execution of the transform command, whereby the transform command executes in the server independently of the client.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transform command further comprises multiple rules, wherein each rule specifies at least one column in the input table and at least one transform operation to perform on each specified column in the input table, wherein at least two rules specify different columns in the input table and different transform operations to apply to each specified column.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transform operation modifies the content of the at least one cell.

8. A method for transforming data in an input table in a database in a server in communication with a client, comprising:

receiving from the client a transform command indicating an input data table name in the database and at least one rule indicating at least one cell in the input table to transform and a transform operation to perform with respect to the at least one cell;

accessing a copy of the input table from the database;

transforming, within the server, data in the accessed input table according to each rule specified in the transform command; and

writing the transformed input table data to the database in the server after performing all transform operations specified in the rules of the transform command against the accessed input table.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether the transform command indicates an output table in the database;

writing the transformed input table to the output table if the transform command indicates the output table; and

updating the input table in the database with the transformed input table if the transform command does not indicate one output table.

10. A system for transforming data, comprising:

a client process;

a server including a database and an input table in communication with the client process;

program logic implemented in the server, comprising;

(i) means for receiving from the client process a transform command indicating an input data table name in the database and at least one rule indicating at least one cell in the input table to transform and a transform operation to perform with respect to the at least one cell;

(ii) means for accessing a copy of the input table from the database; and

(iii) means for transforming data in the accessed input table according to each rule specified in the transform command.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the client process executes in a client computer that communicates with the server over a network, wherein the transform command is transmitted from the client computer to the server over the network.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the client process is an application program executing in the server.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the transform command rules specify multiple transform operations to perform on at least one cell in the accessed input table, wherein an application of a subsequent transform operation following a previous transform operation on one cell transforms previously transformed data in the cell.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the client process cannot affect the execution of the transform command curing the execution of the transform command, whereby the transform command executes in the server independently of the client process.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the transform command further comprises multiple rules, wherein each rule specifies at least one column in the input table and at least one transform operation to perform on each specified column in the input table, wherein at least two rules specify different columns in the input table and different transform operations to apply to each specified column.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the transform operation modifies the content of the at least one cell.

17. A system for transforming data, comprising:

a client process;

a server including a database and an input table in communication with the client process;

program logic implemented in the server, comprising;

(i) means for receiving from the client process a transform command indicating an input data table name in the database and at least one rule indicating at least one cell in the input table to transform and a transform operation to perform with respect to the at least one cell;

(ii) means for accessing a copy of the input table from the database;

(iii) means for transforming data in the accessed input table according to each rule specified in the transform command; and

(iv) means for writing the transformed input table data to the database in the server after performing all transform operations specified in the rules of the transform command against the accessed input table.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the program logic further comprises:

means for determining whether the transform command indicates an output table in the database;

means for writing the transformed input table to the output table if the transform command indicates the output table; and

means for updating the input table in the database with the transformed input table if the transform command does not indicate one output table.

19. An article of manufacture for use in transforming data in an input table in a database, the article of manufacture comprising computer usable media including at least one computer program embedded therein that causes the computer to perform:

receiving a transform command indicating an input data table name in the database and at least one rule indicating at least one cell in the input table to transform and a transform operation to perform with respect to the at least one cell;

accessing a copy of the input table from the database; and

transforming data in the accessed input table according to each rule specified in the transform command.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the transform command rules specify multiple transform operations to perform on at least one cell in the accessed input table, wherein an application of a subsequent transform operation following a previous transform operation on one cell transforms previously transformed data in the cell.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the transform command further comprises multiple rules, wherein each rule specifies at least one column in the input table and at least one transform operation to perform on each specified column in the input table, wherein at least two rules specify different columns in the input table and different transform operations to apply to each specified column.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the client cannot affect the execution of the transform command during the execution of the transform command, whereby the transform command executes in the server independently of the client.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the transform operation modifies the content of the at least one cell.

24. An article of manufacture for use in transforming data in an input table in a database, the article of manufacture comprising computer usable media including at least one computer program embedded therein that causes the computer to perform:

receiving a transform command indicating an input data table name in the database and at least one rule indicating at least one cell in the input table to transform and a transform operation to perform with respect to the at least one cell;

accessing a copy of the input table from the database;

transforming data in the accessed input table according to each rule specified in the transform command; and

writing the transformed input table data to the database after performing all transform operations specified in the rules of the transform command against the accessed input table.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 24, further comprising:

determining whether the transform command indicates an output table in the database;

writing the transformed input table to the output table if the transform command indicates the output table; and

updating the input table in the database with the transformed input table if the transform command does not indicate one output table.

26. A memory device including a command for performing a transform operation on a computer database input table, the command comprising

an input data table name parameter indicating the input table subject to the transform operation;

and

at least one rule indicating at least one cell in the input table to transform and a transform operation to perform with respect to the at least one cell, wherein the transform command is executed to access a copy of the input table from the database and transforming data in the accessed input table according to each rule specified in the transform command, wherein the command is transmitted from a client to a server, and wherein the server processes the command to transform data in the input table according to each rule in the transform command.

27. The memory of claim 26, wherein the transform command rules specify multiple transform operations to perform on at least one cell in the accessed input table, wherein an application of a subsequent transform operation following a previous transform operation on one cell transforms previously transformed data in the cell.

28. The memory of claim 26, wherein the transform command is capable of indicating an output table in the database, wherein the transformed input table is written to the output table if the transform command indicates the output table, and wherein the input table in the database is updated with the transformed input table if the transform command does not indicate one output table.

29. The memory of claim 26, wherein the transform command further comprises multiple rules, wherein each rule specifies at least one column in the input table and at least one transform operation to perform on each specified column in the input table, wherein at least two rules specify different columns in the input table and different transform operations to apply to each specified column.

30. The memory device of claim 26, wherein the transform operation modifies the content of the at least one cell.

31. A memory device including a command for performing a transform operation on a computer database input table, the command comprising

an input data table name parameter indicating the input table subject to the transform operation;

and

at least one rule indicating at least one cell in the input table to transform and a transform operation to perform with respect to the at least one cell, wherein the transform command is executed to access a copy of the input table from the database and transforming data in the accessed input table according to each rule specified in the transform command, wherein the transformed input table data is written to the database in the server after performing all transform operations specified in the rules of the transform command against the accessed input table.