Dynamically generated schema representing multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships

• US 7,246,136 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2004
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Robertson, George G., Cameron, Kim, Booth, James H., Clement, Luc, MacLeod, Stewart P.
• Primary Examiner(s): LU, CHARLES EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US10/967,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20050071354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/103.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/81 Indexing, e.g. XML tags; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• 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 707/99947 Object-oriented database structure reference

Abstract

Systems and methods for dynamically generating a schema representing multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships are described. In one aspect, a polyarchical query language data structure includes first, second, and third data fields. The first data field is used to specify a particular schema for presenting or managing a plurality of objects in a data polyarchy based on values of attributes in the objects. The second data field is to indicate an attribute of interest. The third data field indicates how one or more objects that include the attribute of interest are to be presented or managed with respect to one or more participating dimensions of inter-object relationships based on the schema.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-program instructions executable by a processor, the computer-program instructions comprising instructions for operating on a polyarchical query language data structure including:

a first data field to specify a particular schema, the particular schema indicating how to meaningfully present or manage a plurality of objects in a data polyarchy based on values of attributes in the objects;

a second data field to indicate an attribute of interest; and

a third data field to indicate how one or more objects comprising the attribute of interest are to be presented or managed with respect to one or more participating dimensions of inter-object relationships which are based on the schema; and

wherein the third data field further comprises a dimension information indicator for specifying a particular direction and a particular depth within which to present a data relationship between a complex object of the one or more objects and one or more different objects of the one or more objects.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the third data field further comprises a modifier to limit the one or more objects.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the third data field further comprises a logical modifier to limit the one or more objects.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the third data field further comprises a dimension information indicator for specifying a dimension within which to present the one or more objects.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein each data field is expressed in an XML data format.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the particular schema provides access to only a first subset of the objects to provide access control to the objects.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the polyarchical query language data structure further comprises a fourth data field to indicate a physical access strategy with respect to the data polyarchy, the physical access strategy being identified by indicating that the attribute of interest belongs to a distinguishing domain, a classifying domain, or a locating domain.

8. A method comprising:

specifying a particular schema via a polyarchical query language data structure, the polyarchical query language data structure comprising;

a first data field to specify the particular schema, the particular schema indicating how to meaningfully present or manage a plurality of objects in a data polyarchy based on values of attributes in the objects;

a second data field to indicate an attribute of interest;

a third data field to indicate how one or more objects comprising the attribute of interest are to be presented or managed with respect to one or more participating dimensions of inter-object relationships which are based on the schema; and

wherein the third data field further comprises a dimension information indicator for specifying a particular direction and a particular depth within which to present a data relationship between a complex object of the one or more objects and one or more different objects of the one or more objects.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the third data field further comprises a modifier to limit the one or more objects.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the third data field further comprises a logical modifier to limit the one or more objects.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the third data field farther comprises a dimension information indicator for specifying a dimension within which to present the one or more objects.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein each data field is expressed in an XML data format.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the particular schema provides access to only a first subset of the objects to provide access control to the objects.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the inter-object relationships comprise a flat relationship, a hierarchical relationship, and multiple intersecting hierarchies of relationships.

15. The method of claim 8, where the objects comprise enterprise resource planning (ERP) objects, directory based objects, or database objects.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the polyarchical query language data structure further comprises a fourth data field to indicate a physical access strategy with respect to the data polyarchy, the physical access strategy being identified by indicating that the attribute of interest belongs to a distinguishing domain, a classifying domain, or a locating domain.