Using ontological relationships in a computer database
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented method for optimizing a database query to return ontological data from a database, the method comprising:
- receiving the database query;
analyzing the database query to determine whether the query satisfies a first condition, the first condition being satisfied if the database query comprises a SELECT statement and an ontological clause in the form of a Change Query Attribute (CHGQRYA) clause, wherein the Change Query Attribute clause is composed of a Substitute Forward clause, Substitute Backward clause, or a Group By At Level clause;
analyzing the database to determine whether the database satisfies a second condition, the second condition being satisfied if the database defines an ontological data structure for the Change Query Attribute clause; and
when the first condition and the second condition are both affirmatively satisfied, performing the steps of;
accessing the database;
parsing the ontological data structure to extract an ontological relationship for the Change Query Attribute clause;
using the extracted ontological relationship to modify an attribute of the database query; and
executing the database query to return data from the database, wherein the data is associated with the ontological relationship.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method use ontological relationships in a query language and a computer database to improve database performance and utility. A set of ontological relationships are stored in the database and new query clauses are used to query the data in advantageous ways. Ontological relationships are preferably stored in a tree structure. This tree structure then can be used to reflect the ontological relationships of data stored in the columns of a database.
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2 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for optimizing a database query to return ontological data from a database, the method comprising:
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receiving the database query; analyzing the database query to determine whether the query satisfies a first condition, the first condition being satisfied if the database query comprises a SELECT statement and an ontological clause in the form of a Change Query Attribute (CHGQRYA) clause, wherein the Change Query Attribute clause is composed of a Substitute Forward clause, Substitute Backward clause, or a Group By At Level clause; analyzing the database to determine whether the database satisfies a second condition, the second condition being satisfied if the database defines an ontological data structure for the Change Query Attribute clause; and when the first condition and the second condition are both affirmatively satisfied, performing the steps of; accessing the database; parsing the ontological data structure to extract an ontological relationship for the Change Query Attribute clause; using the extracted ontological relationship to modify an attribute of the database query; and executing the database query to return data from the database, wherein the data is associated with the ontological relationship. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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Specification