Efficiently storing indented threads in a threaded discussion application

• US 7,174,330 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2004
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Frieden, Kurt, Srikhanta, Prasanna
• Primary Examiner(s): PANNALA, SATHYANARAYA R
• Application Number:
  US10/840,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20040210576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/7, 707/103.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/30 of unstructured textual data document management systems G06F16/93
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/81 Indexing, e.g. XML tags; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer-readable media for retrieving records in a hierarchical set of the records having a plurality of hierarchical levels and a plurality of hierarchical depths, each of the records having a tag that is unique within the hierarchical set of the records, comprises identifying one of the records in the hierarchical set of the records; modifying the tag, thereby producing a key; indexing the hierarchical set of the records only once, thereby selecting one or more of the records within the hierarchical set of the records, wherein indexing the hierarchical set of the records only once comprises applying the key to the hierarchical set of the records; and retrieving the selected records.

Claims

1. A method for adding a new record to a hierarchical set of records having a plurality of hierarchical levels and a plurality of hierarchical depths, each of the records in the hierarchical set of records having a tag that is unique within the hierarchical set of records, the method comprising:

identifying one of the records in the hierarchical set of records as the parent of the new record;

modifying the tag, thereby producing a key;

adding the key to the new record;

indexing the hierarchical set of records only once, thereby adding the new record to the hierarchical set of records, wherein indexing the hierarchical set of records only once comprises applying the key to the hierarchical set of records; and

retrieving the added record with the key which comprises a second tag uniquely identifying the added record, and

wherein each tag comprises a number including multiple digits indicating a depth and a level within the hierarchical set of records;

wherein the modifying comprises selecting a digit and changing a value of the digit, thereby changing the level or the depth, or both, of said one of the records;

wherein identifying one of the records comprises receiving a selection of the one of the records from a user; and

wherein applying comprises selecting those of the records in the hierarchical set of the records having a tag that matches the key.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each tag is a number having a plurality of digits;

the position of each of the digits represents one of the hierarchical depths;

the value of each of the digits represents one of the hierarchical levels;

the identified record represents a message;

identifying one of the records further comprises receiving a command from the user that requests replying to the message; and

modifying the tag comprises;

selecting the digit corresponding to the hierarchical depth immediately below the hierarchical depth of the identified record; and

incrementing the value of the selected digit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each tag includes a plurality of digits;

the position of each of the digits represents one of the hierarchical depths; and

the value of each of the digits represents one of the hierarchical levels.

4. At least one computer programmed to execute a process for adding a new record to a hierarchical set of records having a plurality of hierarchical levels and a plurality of hierarchical depths, each of the records in the hierarchical set of records having a tag that is unique within the hierarchical set of records, the process comprising:

identifying one of the records in the hierarchical set of records as the parent of the new record;

modifying the tag, thereby producing a key;

adding the key to the new record;

indexing the hierarchical set of records only once, thereby adding the new record to the hierarchical set of records, wherein indexing the hierarchical set of records only once comprises applying the key to the hierarchical set of records; and

retrieving the added record with the key which comprises a second tag uniquely identifying the added record, and

wherein each tag comprises a number including multiple digits indicating a depth and a level within the hierarchical set of records, and

wherein the modifying comprises selecting a digit and changing a value of the digit, thereby changing the level or the depth, or both, of said one of the records;

wherein identifying one of the records comprises receiving a selection of the one of the records from a user; and

wherein applying comprises selecting those of the records in the hierarchical set of the records having a tag that matches the key.

5. The computer of claim 4, wherein:

each tag is a number having a plurality of digits;

the position of each of the digits represents one of the hierarchical depths;

the value of each of the digits represents one of the hierarchical levels;

the identified record represents a message;

identifying one of the records further comprises receiving a command from the user that requests replying to the message; and

modifying the tag comprises;

selecting the digit corresponding to the hierarchical depth immediately below the hierarchical depth of the identified record; and

incrementing the value of the selected digit.

6. The computer of claim 4, wherein:

each tag includes a plurality of digits;

the position of each of the digits represents one of the hierarchical depths; and

the value of each of the digits represents one of the hierarchical levels.

7. An apparatus for adding a new record to a hierarchical set of records having a plurality of hierarchical levels and a plurality of hierarchical depths, each of the records in the hierarchical set of records having a tag that is unique within the hierarchical set of records, the apparatus comprising:

means for identifying one of the records in the hierarchical set of records as the parent of the new record;

means for modifying the tag, thereby producing a key;

means for adding the key to the new record;

means for indexing the hierarchical set of records only once, thereby adding the new record to the hierarchical set of records, wherein indexing the hierarchical set of records only once comprises applying the key to the hierarchical set of records; and

means for retrieving the added record with the key which comprises a second tag uniquely identifying the added record, and

wherein each tag comprises a number including multiple digits indicating a depth and a level within the hierarchical set of records, and

wherein the modifying comprises selecting a digit and changing a value of the digit, thereby changing the level or the depth, or both, of said one of the records;

wherein identifying one of the records comprises receiving a selection of the one of the records from a user; and

wherein applying comprises selecting those of the records in the hierarchical set of the records having a tag that matches the key.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

each tag is a number having a plurality of digits;

the position of each of the digits represents one of the hierarchical depths;

the value of each of the digits represents one of the hierarchical levels;

the identified record represents a message;

means for identifying one of the records further comprises means for receiving a command from the user that requests replying to the message; and

means for modifying the tag comprises;

means for selecting the digit corresponding to the hierarchical depth immediately below the hierarchical depth of the identified record; and

means for incrementing the value of the selected digit.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

each tag includes a plurality of digits;

the position of each of the digits represents one of the hierarchical depths; and

the value of each of the digits represents one of the hierarchical levels.

10. Computer-readable media embodying instructions executable by a computer to perform a method for adding a new record to a hierarchical set of records having a plurality of hierarchical levels and a plurality of hierarchical depths, each of the records in the hierarchical set of records having a tag that is unique within the hierarchical set of records, the method comprising:

identifying one of the records in the hierarchical set of records as the parent of the new record;

modifying the tag, thereby producing a key;

adding the key to the new record; and

indexing the hierarchical set of records only once, thereby adding the new record to the hierarchical set of records, wherein indexing the hierarchical set of records only once comprises applying the key to the hierarchical set of records; and

retrieving the added record with the key which comprises a second tag uniquely identifying the added record, and

wherein each tag comprises a number including multiple digits indicating a depth and a level within the hierarchical set of records, and

wherein the modifying comprises selecting a digit and changing a value of the digit, thereby changing the level or the depth, or both, of said one of the records;

wherein identifying one of the records comprises receiving a selection of the one of the records from a user; and

wherein applying comprises selecting those of the records in the hierarchical set of the records having a tag that matches the key.

11. The media of claim 10, wherein:

each tag is a number having a plurality of digits;

the position of each of the digits represents one of the hierarchical depths;

the value of each of the digits represents one of the hierarchical levels;

the identified record represents a message;

identifying one of the records further comprises receiving a command from the user that requests replying to the message; and

modifying the tag comprises;

selecting the digit corresponding to the hierarchical depth immediately below the hierarchical depth of the identified record; and

incrementing the value of the selected digit.

12. The media of claim 10, wherein:

each tag includes a plurality of digits;

the position of each of the digits represents one of the hierarchical depths; and

the value of each of the digits represents one of the hierarchical levels.