Fast rich application view initiation

• US 7,765,207 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kline, Rodger N., Mazeev, Maxim, Nagarajan, Ramesh, Zhao, Yanbiao, Fang, Lijiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahmoudi; Tony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim; Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/118,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20060248056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/728
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2438 Embedded query languages
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results

Abstract

To provide data from a database in response to an application query, the database is queried an initial time to provide a first set of data. For example, a “fast first page” may be requested, by requesting that all data which might appear on a first page to be displayed is obtained from the database first. After this, one or more subsequent asynchronous queries obtain the remaining information responsive to the query. Or, certain columns from the database (“spine columns”) may be requested in the initial query of the database, and the rest of the data requested subsequently. Thus, information needed to make an initial presentation to a user can be obtained first, and other information filled in subsequently.

Claims

1. A system for servicing data requests from an application, said system comprising:

at least one computer comprising a database storing data, wherein the data is stored according to a schema comprising a plurality of tables, each table comprising a column;

a view provider, operably connected to said database, said view provider adapted to;

receive an initial query from an application, wherein the initial query includes a view definition defining an application view, the application view comprising a complete set of pages to be retrieved from the database, wherein the view definition comprises a preliminary query and specifies how to order the complete set of pages in the application view and a number N of initial pages, each page in the complete set of pages including a plurality of columns of data, the view definition further specifying at least one spine column and one at least one non-spine column from among the plurality of columns of data, each spine column in a page being deemed to constitute core information in the page that should be displayed relatively sooner than non-core information and each non-spine column in a page being deemed to constitute non-core information that should be displayed relatively later than core information;

generate an application view from the view definition, wherein the application view provides a container for storing a subset of information from the database commensurate with the view definition;

based upon the view definition, formulate a first query, wherein the first query is designed to retrieve a predefined initial set of pages comprising the first N pages from the complete set of pages as ordered according to the order specified by the view definition;

submit the first query to the database;

receive first response data from the database relating to the first query;

store the first response data in the application view;

generate a display based upon the first response data;

after generating the display based upon the first response data, formulate a second query, wherein the second query is designed to retrieve a first portion of each of a remaining set of pages, the remaining set of pages comprising all the pages after the first N pages from the complete set of pages as ordered according to the order specified by the view definition, the retrieved first portion of each of the remaining set of pages comprising data from the database relating to each spine column specified in the view definition;

submit the second query to the database;

receive second response data from the database relating to the second query;

store the second response data in the application view;

update the display based upon the application view with the second response data;

after updating the display based upon the application view with the second response data, based upon the view definition, formulate a third query, wherein the third query is designed to retrieve a second portion of each of the remaining set of pages, the retrieved second portion of each of the remaining set of pages comprising data from the database relating to each non-spine column specified in the view definition;

submit the third query to the database;

receive third response data from the database relating to the third query;

store the third response data in the application view;

update the display based upon the application view with the third response data, wherein the second and third queries and associated updating of the display are performed asynchronously, wherein an event is fired upon completion of updating the application view with the second response data and upon an attempt to sort data associated with a particular spine column before the event is fired, an indication of an illegal operation is generated.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the initial query is directed toward obtaining data that is initially needed by the application.

3. The system of claim 1, where said database stores data in at least two columns, and where said second query comprises a query requesting data from one or more specific columns from among said at least two columns of data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the predefined initial set of pages are defined by a TOP clause and an ORDER-BY clause.

5. The system of claim 1, where said second and third queries are issued as background queries.

6. The system of claim 4, where said initial query comprises ordering data describing an ordering for responsive data to said initial query, and where said first query is calculated to retrieve a sequentially first grouping of data from among said first response data when said first response data is ordered according to said ordering data.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the first query requests the TOP n records ordered in a manner specified in the ORDER-BY clause.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the second and third queries and associated updating of the application view are respectively performed by a first background thread and a second background thread.

9. A computer implemented method for servicing data requests for a database storing data according to a schema, the schema comprising a plurality of tables, each table comprising a column from an application comprising:

receive an initial query from an application, wherein the initial query includes a view definition defining an application view, the application view comprising a complete set of pages to be retrieved from the database, wherein the view definition comprises a preliminary query and specifies how to order the complete set of pages in the application view and a number N of initial pages, each page in the complete set of pages including a plurality of columns of data, the view definition further specifying at least one spine column and one at least one non-spine column from among the plurality of columns of data, each spine column in a page being deemed to constitute core information in the page that should be displayed relatively sooner than non-core information and each non-spine column in a page being deemed to constitute non-core information that should be displayed relatively later than core information, wherein each spine column pertains to a database column designated to be viewable in an initial view and each non-spine column pertains to a database column designated to be viewable in a subsequent view;

generating, via the computer, an application view from the view definition, wherein the application view provides a container for storing a subset of information from the database commensurate with the view definition;

based upon the view definition, formulating a first query, wherein the first query is designed to retrieve a predefined initial set of pages comprising the first N pages from the complete set of pages as ordered according to the order specified by the view definition;

submitting the first query to the database;

receiving first response data from the database relating to the first query;

storing the first responsive data in the application view;

generating a display based upon the first response data;

after generating the display based upon the first response data, formulating a second query, wherein the second query is designed to retrieve a first portion of each of a remaining set of pages, the remaining set of pages comprising all the pages after the first N pages from the complete set of pages as ordered according to the order specified by the view definition, the retrieved first portion of each of the remaining set of pages comprising data from the database relating to each spine column specified in the view definition;

submitting the second query to the database;

receiving second response data from the database relating to the second query;

storing the second response data in the application view;

updating the display based upon the application view with the second response data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

based upon the view definition, formulating a third query, wherein the third query is designed to retrieve data from the database relating to each non-spine column specified in the view definition;

submitting the third query to the database;

receiving third response data from the database relating to the third query;

storing the third response data in the application view;

updating the display based upon the application view, wherein the second and third queries and associated updating of the display are performed asynchronously.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the initial query is directed toward obtaining data that is initially needed by the application.

12. The method of claim 9, where the database stores data in at least two columns, and where said second query comprises a query requesting data from one or more specific columns from among said at least two columns of data.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the predefined initial set of pages are defined by a TOP clause and an ORDER-BY clause.

14. The method of claim 10, where said second and third queries are issued as background queries.

15. A computer readable storage medium for servicing data requests to a database, the database storing data according to a schema, the schema comprising a plurality of tables, each table comprising a column from an application comprising, the computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for:

receive an initial query from an application, wherein the initial query includes a view definition defining an application view, the application view comprising a complete set of pages to be retrieved from the database, wherein the view definition comprises a preliminary query and specifies how to order the complete set of pages in the application view and a number N of initial pages, each page in the complete set of pages including a plurality of columns of data, the view definition further specifying at least one spine column and one at least one non-spine column from among the plurality of columns of data, each spine column in a page being deemed to constitute core information in the page that should be displayed relatively sooner than non-core information and each non-spine column in a page being deemed to constitute non-core information that should be displayed relatively later than core information, wherein each spine column pertains to a database column designated to be viewable in an initial view and each non-spine column pertains to a database column designated to be viewable in a subsequent view;

generating an application view from the view definition, wherein the application view provides a container for storing a subset of information from the database commensurate with the view definition;

based upon the view definition, formulating a first query, wherein the first query is designed to retrieve a predefined initial set of pages comprising the first N pages from the complete set of pages as ordered according to the order specified by the view definition;

submitting the first query to the database;

receiving first response data from the database relating to the first query;

storing the first responsive data in the application view;

generating a display based upon the first response data;

after generating the display based upon the first response data, formulating a second query, wherein the second query is designed to retrieve a first portion of each of a remaining set of pages, the remaining set of pages comprising all the pages after the first N pages from the complete set of pages as ordered according to the order specified by the view definition, the retrieved first portion of each of the remaining set of pages comprising data from the database relating to each spine column specified in the view definition;

submitting the second query to the database;

receiving second response data from the database relating to the second query;

storing the second response data in the application view;

updating the display based upon the application view with the second response data.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

based upon the view definition, formulating a third query, wherein the third query is designed to retrieve data from the database relating to the non-spine columns specified in the view definition;

submitting the third query to the database;

receiving third response data from the database relating to the third query;

storing the third response data in the application view;

updating the display based upon the application view, wherein the second and third queries and associated updating of the display are performed asynchronously.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the initial query is directed toward obtaining data that is initially needed by the application.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, where the database stores data in at least two columns, and where said second query comprises a query requesting data from one or more specific columns from among said at least two columns of data.