Abstract query building with selectability of aggregation operations and grouping

• US 7,472,117 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kolz, Daniel P., Dettinger, Richard D., Tenner, Jeffrey W., Stevens, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Uyen T
• Application Number:
  US11/469,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20060294081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 715/780, 715/781
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/244 Grouping and aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24556 Aggregation; Duplicate elimination
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Methods, systems and articles of manufacture for query building with selectability of aggregation operations and grouping. Abstract queries are composed on the basis of a data abstraction model abstractly describing data in the database. The abstract queries may include result criterions and aggregation operations to be performed with respect to the result criterions for generating aggregation information. An object is generated containing query entities and allowing a user to selectively (i) generate a first executable query corresponding to the abstract query inclusive of the aggregation operation and aggregation logic; and (ii) generate a second executable query corresponding to the abstract query exclusive of the aggregation operation and aggregation logic.

Claims

1. A method of constructing queries selectively capable of returning aggregation information related to data in a database, comprising:

receiving user input specifying at least one result criterion for an abstract query comprising one or more logical fields, each corresponding to a logical field specification of a data abstraction model abstractly describing the data in the database, each result criterion corresponding to a logical field for which data is to be returned;

receiving user input specifying selection criteria for the abstract query;

receiving user input specifying an aggregation operation to be performed with respect to the at least one result criterion for generating aggregation information;

generating an object containing entities including the at least one result criterion, the selection criteria, the aggregation operation and aggregation logic associating the aggregation operation with the at least one result criterion; and

accessing the object to selectively (i) generate a first executable query corresponding to the abstract query inclusive of the aggregation operation and aggregation logic; and

(ii) generate a second executable query corresponding to the abstract query exclusive of the aggregation operation and aggregation logic.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transforming the abstract query into one of the first and second executable queries for execution against the data in the database.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second executable queries are SQL queries.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user selection to perform the aggregation operation with respect to the at least one result criterion;

determining, from the object, the selection criterion, the at least one result criterion, the aggregation operation and the aggregation logic; and

generating the first executable query on the basis of the determined selection criterion, the at least one result criterion, the aggregation operation and aggregation logic.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user selection not to perform the aggregation operation with respect to the at least one result criterion;

in response to the user selection, determining the selection criterion and the at least one result criterion from the object; and

generating the second executable query on the basis of the determined selection criterion and the at least one result criterion, exclusive of the aggregation operation and the aggregation logic.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the abstract query comprises at least a first and a second result criterion, the first result criterion being associated with the aggregation operation and the second result criterion being associated with a grouping operation to define a result group for the abstract query.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a user interface allowing user selection of the selection criteria, the at least one result criterion and the aggregation operation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the displaying comprises:

displaying a selection element allowing the user selection of whether to perform the aggregation operation with respect to the at least one result criterion.