Query services for database system

• US 7,480,661 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2002
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Seefeldt, Daniel Edward, Simons, Michael R., Bramel, Paul R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Miranda
• Application Number:
  US10/201,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20040015511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,374 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-201, 709/203, 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2452 Query translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A query web service wraps functionality of a number of database query subsystems. The query web service exposes interfaces with methods, when invoked, perform a wide variety of functions related to querying the database. Such methods allow a user to write to the interface to create, manage and execute queries against the entities in the database.

Claims

1. A system for providing services for queries against a database, comprising:

a first component, stored on a computer readable storage medium, coupleable to the database and exposing an interface having methods which, when invoked, receive a request from a client and perform object-based operations on a query object, the query object defining a query executable against the database and the object-based operations including a store operation to persist the query object for later use, the first component being further configured to return the query object, for user modification, in response to receiving a request to return a stored query object and a reference to the query object;

wherein the first component is configured to persist the query object and include in the query object system-substitutable variables as query restrictions, the system-substitutable variables being defined by the system and are comprised of executable code, executed when the query defined by the query object is executed against the database; and

wherein the first component is configured to receive user-selection of properties of entities stored in the database to be queried, and to present for user selection only properties of the entities to be queried that are queryable by the user.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first component is configured to store the reference to the query object in a folder system.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the folder system is arranged hierarchically.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first component is configured to return query results from the database to the client.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the first component is configured to generate a serialized representation of at least a portion of the query object, and return the serialized representation to the client along with the query results.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the serialized representation is indicative of evaluated variables from the query object.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the serialized representation is indicative of evaluated parameters from the query object.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the first component is configured to persist the query object and include in the query object user-substitutable parameters as query restrictions.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the user substitutable parameters are comprised of executable code, executed when the query defined by the query object is executed against the database.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the object-based operations comprise:

creating a query object.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the object-based operations comprise:

retrieving a stored query object.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the object-based operations comprise:

updating a stored query object.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the object-based operations comprise:

deleting a stored query object.

14. A system comprising:

a processor configured to transmit data packets stored on a computer storage medium to a query service component that performs query services relative to the database system, wherein at least one of the data packets is defined by;

a request portion including request information indicative of a requested object-based operation with respect to a query, the request information, when read by the query service component, causing the query service component to perform the requested object-based operation on the query;

a query definition portion including query definition information defining the query;

a query path reference portion including query path information indicative of a location of a stored query;

a query results portion including result information indicative of results of executing a query against the database system; and

a hypermedia portion including hypermedia information indicative of hypermedia links associated with the result information.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the query results portion includes query definition reference information that relates result information to a part of the query definition information.

16. The system of claim 14 and further comprising:

a bookmark portion including bookmark information indicative of a serialized representation of at least a portion of the query definition information.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the bookmark information is indicative of a serialized representation of a next subsequent location in the database system, subsequent to a location last accessed based on the query.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the bookmark information is indicative of a serialized representation of a next previous location in the database system, previous to a location last accessed based on the query.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the bookmark information is indicative of a serialized representation of evaluated, substitutable place holders in the query.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the request information comprises load information indicative of a requested query to be loaded.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein, when the requested query is loaded, the query definition information in the query definition portion defines the requested query.

22. The system of claim 14 wherein the request information comprises execute information indicative of a request to execute the query.

23. The system of claim 14 wherein the query definition portion includes view information indicative of a type of view to be returned for an entity being queried.

24. The system of claim 14 wherein the query definition portion includes available properties information indicative of queryable properties of an entity being queried.

25. The system of claim 14 wherein the query definition portion includes selected properties information indicative of user-selected properties of an entity being queried.

26. The system of claim 14 wherein the query definition portion includes sort information indicative of how query results are to be sorted.

27. The system of claim 14 wherein the query definition portion includes parameters information indicative of user-substitutable restrictions on the query.

28. An application programming interface (API) comprising a component stored on a tangible computer readable storage medium and configured to perform query services for queries against a database system, the API having query object manipulation methods which, when invoked, cause the component to perform object-based operations on one of a plurality of different stored query objects representative of queries executable against the database system, wherein the object-based operations include loading one of a plurality of different stored query objects based on a query reference, for execution against the database system, wherein the object-based operations include executing a query represented by a query object against the database system, and wherein the API further includes query referencing methods which, when invoked, cause the component to perform query reference operations in a hierarchically arranged query reference folder system, wherein the query reference operations include deleting path names of folders in the query reference folder system.

29. The API of claim 28 wherein the object-based operations include deleting a query object.

30. The API of claim 28 wherein the object-based operations include performing a process request in the database system.

31. The API of claim 28 wherein the query reference operations include listing contents of folders containing query references.

32. The API of claim 28 wherein the query reference operations include creating folders for containing query references.

33. The API of claim 28 wherein the query reference operations include copying path names of folders in the query reference folder system.

34. The API of claim 28 and further including query building methods which, when invoked, cause the component to perform query building operations by accessing metadata for use in building a query.

35. The API of claim 34 wherein the query building operations include displaying an indication of permitted views of data in the database system.

36. The API of claim 34 wherein the query building operations include displaying a list of viewable properties.

37. The API of claim 34 wherein the query building operations include displaying a list of associated views, associated with a selected view.

38. The API of claim 34 wherein the query building operations include displaying expression variables for use in building the query.