Method, system, and program for optimizing processing of nested functions

• US 7,124,137 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Fen-Ling, Wang, Yun, Zhang, Guogen, Cu, Jason Alexander, Cai, Mengchu, Lee, Li-Mey, Chen, Yao Ching Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahmoudi, Hassan
• Application Number:
  US10/325,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20040122795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/3, 707/201, 713/513, 713/866
• US Class Current: 707/713
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/86 Mapping to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

Disclosed is a method, system, and program for processing a function. A set of nested functions are received. A composite function is generated for the set of nested functions. A tagging template is generated for the set of nested functions that corresponds to the composite function. A result is produced by evaluating the composite function using the tagging template.

Claims

1. A method for processing a function, comprising:

receiving a set of nested functions;

at bind time,

generating a composite function for a highest level in the set of nested functions, wherein the composite function receives arguments of the set of nested functions as input; and

generating a tagging template for the set of nested functions that corresponds to the composite function; and

at execution time,

generating an intermediate result structure that includes a reference to the tagging template and one or more argument input values; and

producing a result by evaluating the composite function using the tagging template, wherein the intermediate result structure is used to produce the result, wherein the results are produced by performing serialization by traversing the tagging template and the intermediate result structure, and wherein the result is stored in storage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tagging template comprises a structure of nodes for XML elements and XML attributes for the set of nested functions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tagging template is part of a composite structure that includes an argument list for arguments in the set of nested functions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of nested functions includes an XMLATTRIBUTES function and wherein the tagging template includes an XMLATTRIBUTES node corresponding to the XMLATTRIBUTES function.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of nested functions includes an XMLFOREST function and wherein the tagging template includes an XMLELEMENT node for each XML element generated by evaluating the XMLFOREST function.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite function is generated for the set of nested functions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite function receives as input a reference to the tagging template and a list of arguments.

8. A system for processing a function, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

at least one program executed by the processor in the memory to cause the processor to perform;

(i) receiving a set of nested functions;

at bind time,

(ii) generating a composite function for a highest level in the set of nested functions, wherein the composite function receives arguments of the set of nested functions as input; and

(iii) generating a tagging template for the set of nested functions that corresponds to the composite function; and

at execution time,

(iv) generating an intermediate result structure that includes a reference to the tagging template and one or more argument input values; and

(v) producing a result by evaluating the composite function using the tagging template, wherein the intermediate result structure is used to produce the result, wherein the results are produced by performing serialization by traversing the tagging template and the intermediate result structure, and wherein the result is stored in storage.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the tagging template comprises a structure of nodes for XML elements and XML attributes for the set of nested functions.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the tagging template is part of a composite structure that includes an argument list for arguments in the set of nested functions.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the set of nested functions includes an XMLATTRIBUTES function and wherein the tagging template includes an XMLATTRIBUTES node corresponding to the XMLATTRIBUTES function.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the set of nested functions includes an XMLFOREST function and wherein the tagging template includes an XMLELEMENT node for each XML element generated by evaluating the XMLFOREST function.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the composite function is generated for the set of nested functions.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the composite function receives as input a reference to the tagging template and a list of arguments.

15. An article of manufacture embodied as a computer readable medium comprising one of volatile and non-volatile storage and including a program for processing a function, wherein the program causes operations to be performed, the operations comprising:

receiving a set of nested functions;

at bind time,

generating a composite function for a highest level in the set of nested functions; and

generating a tagging template for the set of nested functions that corresponds to the composite function, wherein the composite function receives arguments of the set of nested functions as input; and

at execution time,

generating an intermediate result structure that includes a reference to the tagging template and one or more argument input values; and

producing a result by evaluating the composite function using the tagging template, wherein the intermediate result structure is used to produce the result, wherein the results are produced by performing serialization by traversing the tagging template and the intermediate result structure, and wherein the result is stored in storage.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the tagging template comprises a structure of nodes for XML elements and XML attributes for the set of nested functions.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the tagging template is part of a composite structure that includes an argument list for arguments in the set of nested functions.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the set of nested functions includes an XMLATTRIBUTES function and wherein the tagging template includes an XMLATTRIBUTES node corresponding to the XMLATTRIBUTES function.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the set of nested functions includes an XMLFOREST function and wherein the tagging template includes an XMLELEMENT node for each XML element generated by evaluating the XMLFOREST function.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the composite function is generated for the set of nested functions.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the composite function receives as input a reference to the tagging template and a list of arguments.