Multi-part looked-up table fields and its use in data processing operations involving multiple tables of a relational database
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- presenting a first plurality of fields of a first table for selection for use in a data processing operation;
receiving a selection of a first field that is a member of said first fields;
determining, in response to the selection of said first field, whether said selected first field is a first designated look-up field for looking up first one or more of a second plurality of fields of a second table;
presenting said second plurality of fields for selection for use in said data processing operation, if it is determined that said selected first field is a first designated look-up field for looking up first one or more of said second plurality of fields of said second table; and
generating a SQL statement, including with said generated SQL statement field or fields to be selected from said first table and a FROM clause enumerating said first table, and if one or more of said fields to be looked up from said second table are also selected, further including among said field or fields to be selected said one or more fields to be looked up from said second table, and a JOIN clause joining said second table to said first table, and an ON clause specifying a condition on which rows of said second and said first tables are to be joined, said condition comprising said look-up field.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In accordance with a first aspect, a software component is equipped to identify looked-up table fields in a data processing statement, and automatically includes with a SQL statement one or more appropriate JOIN clauses joining one or more target tables from which the table fields are to be looked up with a basis table. In one embodiment, the looked-up table fields are expressed in a multi-part form. In accordance with a second aspect, a software component is equipped to automatically expand table fields available for inclusion in a data processing operation to include table fields of a target table of a look-up table field, in response to the selection of the look-up table field. In one embodiment, the second aspect is practiced in conjunction with the automatic inclusion of appropriate JOIN clauses to a SQL statement of the first aspect.
10 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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presenting a first plurality of fields of a first table for selection for use in a data processing operation; receiving a selection of a first field that is a member of said first fields; determining, in response to the selection of said first field, whether said selected first field is a first designated look-up field for looking up first one or more of a second plurality of fields of a second table; presenting said second plurality of fields for selection for use in said data processing operation, if it is determined that said selected first field is a first designated look-up field for looking up first one or more of said second plurality of fields of said second table; and generating a SQL statement, including with said generated SQL statement field or fields to be selected from said first table and a FROM clause enumerating said first table, and if one or more of said fields to be looked up from said second table are also selected, further including among said field or fields to be selected said one or more fields to be looked up from said second table, and a JOIN clause joining said second table to said first table, and an ON clause specifying a condition on which rows of said second and said first tables are to be joined, said condition comprising said look-up field. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus comprising:
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storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions, when executed, operate the apparatus to present a first plurality of fields of a first table for selection for use in a data processing operation, receive a selection of a first field that is a member of said first fields, determine, in response to the selection of said first field, whether said selected first field is a first designated look-up field for looking up first one or more of a second plurality of fields of a second table, present said second plurality of fields for selection for use in said data processing operation, if it is determined that said selected first field is a first designated look-up field for looking up first one or more of said second plurality of fields of said second table,and generating a SQL statement, including with said generated SQL statement field or fields to be selected from said first table and a FROM clause enumerating said first table, and if one or more of said fields to be looked up from said second table are also selected, further including among said field or fields to be selected said one or more fields to be looked up from said second table, and a JOIN clause joining said second table to said first table, and an ON clause specifying a condition on which rows of said second and said first tables are to be joined, said condition comprising said look-up field; and at least one processor coupled to the storage medium to execute the programming instructions. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification