Object views for relational data
First Claim
1. A method for presenting data from a set of one or more tables as a set of objects that belong to an object class, the method comprising the steps of:
- reading data from one or more rows of the set of one or more tables, wherein said one or more rows do not store an object id used for modeling the data in said one or more rows as an object that belongs to said object class;
reading database metadata that defines how to derive object ids from values in one or more columns;
generating, in the manner defined by said database metadata, an object id derived from one or more values in the one or more columns in said one or more rows; and
presenting data from said one or more rows as an object that belongs to said object class and that has said object id.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for presenting and modifying data from a set of tables in a database is provided. A view that is defined is based on a set of one or more tables that may include relational tables or object tables. The view defines a presentation of data from the one or more tables as a set of objects that reside in the database. Data is read from the one or more rows of the tables based on the view, and is presented as a set of objects that reside in the database. An object id that is based on data from the one or more rows is generated and associated with each object presented. The view may specify which columns from the one or more tables contain values used to generate the object ids. A trigger may associated with the view. The set of objects presented may be presented as objects having an attribute that is a column object. Column objects include user specified object types, collection objects (e.g. nested tables and variable arrays), or references to objects.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method for presenting data from a set of one or more tables as a set of objects that belong to an object class, the method comprising the steps of:
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reading data from one or more rows of the set of one or more tables, wherein said one or more rows do not store an object id used for modeling the data in said one or more rows as an object that belongs to said object class;
reading database metadata that defines how to derive object ids from values in one or more columns;
generating, in the manner defined by said database metadata, an object id derived from one or more values in the one or more columns in said one or more rows; and
presenting data from said one or more rows as an object that belongs to said object class and that has said object id. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for presenting, as an object, data from a set of one or more tables residing in one or more databases, the method comprising the steps of:
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reading first database matadata that indicates how to generate a column object from one or more columns;
reading a first set of data from the one or more columns of a plurality of rows from the set of one or more tables, wherein second database metadata defines said one or more tables, wherein said second database metadata does not specify how to generate said column object from said one or more columns;
generating, in the manner indicated by said first database metadata, a particular column object based on said first set of data; and
presenting a second set of data from said set of one or more tables as object oriented data by presenting said second set of data as said object that has said particular column object as an attribute. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A computer system, comprising:
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a processor;
a memory coupled to said processor;
database metadata that indicates how to derive object ids from values in one or more columns;
a set of one or more tables, said set of one or more tables containing one or more rows, wherein said one or more rows do not store an object id used for modeling the data in said one or more rows as an object that belongs to said object class;
said processor configured to read data from one or more rows of the set of one or more tables;
said processor configured to generate, in the manner defined by said database metadata, an object id derived from one or more values from said one or more rows, wherein said one or more values reside in said one or more columns; and
said processor configured to present data from said one or more rows as an object that belongs to an object class and that has said object id. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A computer system, comprising:
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a processor;
a memory coupled to said processor;
one or more databases;
a set of one or more tables contained in said one or more databases;
first database metadata that defines how to generate a column object from one or more columns;
second database metadata that defines said one or more tables, wherein said second database metadata does not specify how to generate said column object from said one or more columns;
said processor configured to read a first set of data from a plurality of rows from the set of one or more tables;
said processor configured to generate, in the manner defined by said first database metadata, a particular column object based on said first set of data; and
said processor configured to present a second set of data from said set of one or more tables as object oriented data by presenting said second set of data as said object that has said particular column object as an attribute.
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20. A computer-readable medium caring one or more sequences of one or more instructions for presenting data from a set of one or more tables as a set of objects that belong to an object class, wherein the execution of the one or more sequences of the one or more instructions causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
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reading data from one or more rows of the set of one or more tables, wherein said one or more rows do not store an object id used for modeling the data in said one or more rows as an object that belongs to said object class;
reading database metadata that defines how to derive object ids from values in one or more columns;
generating, in the manner defined by said database metadata, an object id derived from one or more values in the one or more columns in said one or more rows; and
presenting data from said one or more rows as an object that belongs to said object class and that has said object id. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for presenting, as an object, data from a set of one or more tables residing in one or more databases, wherein the execution of the one or more sequences of the one or more instructions causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
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reading first database metadata that defines how to generate a column object from one or more columns;
reading a first set of data from the one or more columns of a plurality of rows from the set of one or more tables, wherein second database metadata defines said one or more tables, wherein said second database metadata does not specify how to generate said column object from said one or more columns;
generating, in the manner defined by said first database metadata, a particular column object based on said first set of data; and
presenting a second set of data from said set of one or more tables as object oriented data by presenting said second set of data as said object that has said particular column object as an attribute. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method performed by one or more computers, comprising:
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storing data in a table of a database that is managed by a database server;
wherein the table is defined by a table definition;
wherein an object class is defined by an object class definition;
maintaining, separate from the table definition and obejct class definition, metadata that indicates how to derive object ids from values stored in the table; and
the database server deriving, based on the metadata, object ids for objects of the object class from the values stored in table. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification