Method and system for defining a heirarchical structure

• US 8,161,371 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Baldwin, Timothy John, Oevers, Manfred Georg, Morris, Philip Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Syed, Farhan
• Application Number:
  US11/740,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20070299867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,817 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/208
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06

Abstract

A hierarchical structure is provided. The hierarchical structure includes object items for objects located in the hierarchical structure, each object item having a name and a link. The hierarchical structure also includes node items each having a name of a hierarchical path name. A node item is provided for each unique path name in the hierarchical structure and the link of an object item links to a single node item having the hierarchical path name of the object.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method for defining a hierarchical structure, said processor-implemented method comprising:

a processor providing object items for objects represented in the hierarchical structure, each object item having a name and a link stored within a database;

the processor providing a node item having a name in the form of a hierarchical path name, wherein a unique node item is provided for each unique path name in the hierarchical structure, wherein the node item is a leaf node in the hierarchical structure, wherein a name of the leaf node is a full path name that directly describes a full hierarchical pathway from the leaf node to a root node in the hierarchical structure, wherein the full hierarchical pathway is constructed by concatenating a path name for the leaf node with a path name for the root node, wherein a link for an object item links to a single node item having the hierarchical path name of an object, and wherein each node item in the hierarchical structure has a link to an object item;

the processor manipulating objects represented by the hierarchical structure by changing links between object items and node items; and

the processor searching for objects represented by the hierarchical structure by pattern matching of object items and node item names.

2. The processor-implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the object items and node items have properties, wherein names and links are provided as properties.

3. The processor-implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the object items and node items are entries in a table, the entries having a name, and links are provided in a table defining the start and end of each of the links.

4. The processor-implemented method as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the object items represents an object that defines the hierarchical structure and contains nested objects.

5. The processor-implemented method as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the object items represents an object that has an associated content.

6. The processor-implemented method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

the processor following the link from an object item of said object items to determine the path name of an object.

7. The processor-implemented method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

the processor searching objects in the hierarchical structure by following links between object items and node items.

8. A computer comprising:

a processor, a memory unit, and a non-transitory computer readable media;

first program instructions to provide object items for objects represented in the hierarchical structure, each object item having a name and a link stored within a database;

second program instructions to provide a node item having a name in the form of a hierarchical path name, wherein a unique node item is provided for each unique path name in the hierarchical structure, wherein the node item is a leaf node in the hierarchical structure, wherein a name of the leaf node is a full path name that directly describes a full hierarchical pathway from the leaf node to a root node in the hierarchical structure, wherein the full hierarchical pathway is constructed by concatenating a path name for the leaf node with a path name for the root node, wherein a link for an object item links to a single node item having the hierarchical path name of an object, and wherein each node item in the hierarchical structure has a link to an object item;

third program instructions to manipulate objects represented by the hierarchical structure by changing links between object items and node items; and

fourth program instructions to search for objects represented by the hierarchical structure by pattern matching of object items and node item names; and

wherein

said first, second, third, and fourth program instructions are stored on said computer readable media for execution by said processor via said memory unit.

9. The computer as claimed in claim 8, wherein the object items and node items have properties, wherein names and links are provided as properties.

10. The computer as claimed in claim 8, wherein the object items and node items are entries in a table, the entries having a name, and links are provided in a table defining the start and end of each of the links.

11. The computer as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of the object items represents an object that defines the hierarchical structure and has nested objects within it.

12. The computer as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of said one or more object items represents an object that has an associated content.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing program instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for defining a hierarchical structure, comprising:

instructions for providing object items for objects represented in the hierarchical structure, each object item having a name and a link stored within a database;

instructions for providing a node item having a name in the form of a hierarchical path name, wherein a unique node item is provided for each unique path name in the hierarchical structure, wherein the node item is a leaf node in the hierarchical structure, wherein a name of the leaf node is a full path name that directly describes a full hierarchical pathway from the leaf node to a root node in the hierarchical structure, wherein the full hierarchical pathway is constructed by concatenating a path name for the leaf node with a path name for the root node, wherein a link for an object item links to a single node item having the hierarchical path name of an object, and wherein each node item in the hierarchical structure has a link to an object item;

instructions for manipulating objects represented by the hierarchical structure by changing links between object items and node items; and

instructions for searching for objects represented by the hierarchical structure by pattern matching of object items and node item names.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein the object items and node items have properties, wherein the names and links are provided as properties.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein the object items and node items are entries in a table, the entries having a name, and the links are provided in a table defining the start and end of the link.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein an object item represents an object that defines the hierarchical structure and contains nested objects.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein an object item represents an object that has an associated content.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

instructions for following the link from an object item to determine the path name of an object.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

instructions for searching objects in the hierarchical structure by following links between object items and node items.