Auto-generation of table neighborhoods

• US 6,363,394 B1
• Filed: 03/18/1999
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rajarajan, Vij, Kiernan, Casey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US09/272,016
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/4, 707/102, 707/101, 707/103, 707/203, 707/204, 705/35, 345/334
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A system for automatically generating table neighborhoods comprises a database designer which automatically generates a database diagram for a selected table. The database designer automatically compiles a set of tables having the desired relation to a selected table. The desired level of relation may be several levels removed from the selected table, in which case, the database designer searches multiple levels for tables to be included in the database diagram. Thereafter, the database designer gathers format data for the selected table and the set of tables having the desired relation to the selected table. Finally, the database designer displays the selected table, the tables in the set of tables having the desired relation to the selected table, and the relationships between these tables.

Claims

1. A database management system for managing data in a database, comprising:

a database designer for creating a database diagram of tables in the database, wherein said database designer automatically displays a selected database table and related database tables having a selected level of relation with the selected database table.

2. The database management system of claim 1 wherein said database designer searches the database for tables having a relationship to the selected table;

retrieves format data related to the selected table and each table having a relationship to the selected table; and

displays the selected table and each table having a relationship to the selected table.

3. The database management system of claim 1, wherein said database designer compiles a set of related tables having a relationship to the selected table;

retrieves format data about the selected table and each table in the set of related tables; and

displays the selected table, each table in the set of related tables, and relationships between the selected table and each table in the set of related tables.

4. A database management system for managing data in a database, comprising:

computer-executable instructions for searching a database for tables having a relationship to the selected table;

computer-executable instructions for formatting data related to the selected table and each table having a relationship to the selected table; and

computer-executable instruction for automatically displaying the selected table and each table having a relationship to the selected table.

5. A database management system for managing data in a database, comprising:

computer-executable instruction for compiling a set of related tables having a relationship to a selected table;

computer-executable instruction for retrieving format data about the selected table and each table in the set of related tables; and

computer-executable instruction for automatically displaying the selected table, each table in the set of related tables, and relationships between the selected table and each table in the list of related tables.

6. A method for creating a database diagram for a selected table, comprising the following steps:

searching a database for tables having a relationship to the selected table;

retrieving format data related to the selected table and each table having a relationship to the selected table;

automatically displaying the selected table, each table having a relationship to the selected table, and relationships between the selected table and each table having a relationship to the selected table.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of searching a database for tables having a relationship to the selected table comprises searching a database schema for tables defined in the schema as having a relationship to the selected table.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said format data comprises column name, column character type, and column width.

9. A computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 6.

10. A method for creating a database diagram for a selected table, comprising the following steps:

compiling a set of related tables having a relationship to the selected table;

retrieving format data about the selected table and each table in the set of related tables; and

automatically displaying the selected table, each table in the set of related tables, and relationships between the selected table and each table in the set of related tables.

11. The method for creating a database diagram of claim 10, wherein said step of compiling a set of tables comprises:

searching the database for tables within a defined level of relation with the selected table.

12. The method for creating a database diagram of claim 11, wherein said step of searching the database for tables having a relationship to the selected table comprises searching a database schema for tables defined in the schema as having a relationship to the selected table.

13. The method for creating a database diagram of claim 10, wherein the format data comprises column name, column character type, and column width.

14. The method for creating a database diagram of claim 10, wherein the defined level of relation is one level of relation.

15. The method for creating a database diagram of claim 14, wherein the defined level of relation is two levels of relation.

16. The method for creating a database diagram of claim 14, wherein the defined level of relation is three levels of relation.

17. The method for creating a database diagram of claim 14, wherein the defined level of relation is defined by human input.

18. A computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 10.

19. A method for creating a database diagram for a plurality of selected tables, comprising the following steps:

searching a database for tables having a relationship to at least one of the plurality of selected tables;

retrieving format data for each of the plurality of selected tables and each table having a relationship to at least one of the plurality of selected tables; and

automatically displaying each of the plurality of selected tables, each table having a relationship to at least one of the plurality of selected tables, and relationships between the plurality of selected tables and each table having a relationship to at least one of the plurality of selected tables.

20. The method of creating a database diagram of claim 19, wherein said plurality of selected tables is two tables.

21. A computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 19.