Patent Application
20070233718
It is common for databases to contain tables for which the identifying columns consist of a collection of items rather than a single item. For example, whereas a customer table might have a simple key such as customer_id, a product table may have a compound key such as product_category_id+product_subcategory_id+product_id. While the user of a reporting or analysis tool may think of the entity as a single thing (e.g. a product), the compound nature of the identifier (e.g. the compound key) forces the user or client application to track a set of attributes to identify a single instance of the entity (e.g. “the product with product category 1, product subcategory 14 and product id 6”). This requires the user or client application to become familiar with database-specific concepts and/or structures instead of focusing on simply obtaining the answers to the questions using the reporting or other analysis tool. This task can be quite challenging for most knowledge workers and distracts them from focusing on the objective at hand.
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that improve the retrieval or interaction with data in databases. A database has one or more tables with compound keys. An entity key that is a single, reversible composite key of each of the compound keys is generated. The entity key is used by separate applications to interact with the database instead of the respective underlying compound key. The entity key is reversed into the underlying compound key when a particular database operation needs to be performed. The results are then returned to the separate application with the entity key, where applicable.
This Summary was provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications in the described embodiments, and any further applications of the principles as described herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art.
The system may be described in the general context as a database application that generates a composite entity key for use in lieu of compound keys, but the system also serves other purposes in addition to these. In one implementation, one or more of the techniques described herein can be implemented as features within a database program such as MICROSOFT® SQL Server, or from any other type of program or service that manages or interacts with data in one or more underlying data stores.
As shown in
Additionally, device 100 may also have additional features/functionality. For example, device 100 may also include additional storage (removable and/or non-removable) including, but not limited to, magnetic or optical disks or tape. Such additional storage is illustrated in
Computing device 100 includes one or more communication connections 114 that allow computing device 100 to communicate with other computers and/or applications 115. Device 100 may also have input device(s) 112 such as keyboard, mouse, pen, voice input device, touch input device, etc. Output device(s) 111 such as a display, speakers, printer, etc. may also be included. These devices are well known in the art and need not be discussed at length here. In one implementation, computing device 100 includes database application 200 and data store 117. Database application 200 is operable to communicate with data store 117 to retrieve and/or update data. Database application 200 will be described in further detail in
Turning now to
Database application 200 includes program logic 204, which is responsible for carrying out some or all of the techniques described herein. Program logic 204 includes logic for storing at least a portion of data with compound keys 206; logic for generating an entity key that is a single composite key (e.g. base-64 encoded binary value) for each compound key by applying an invertible composition transformation to the compound key values 208; logic for providing the entity key to a separate application so the separate application does not have to work with the underlying compound key 210; logic for receiving a request from the separate application to perform a database operation using the entity key 212; logic for converting the single composite entity key into the underlying compound key when the compound key is needed (e.g. by performing an inverse of the composition transformation) 214; logic for using the resulting compound key(s) to perform requested database operations 216; logic for returning the results from the database to the separate application with the entity key, as applicable 218; and other logic for operating the database application 220. In one implementation, program logic 204 is operable to be called programmatically from another program, such as using a single call to a procedure in program logic 204.
The examples presented herein illustrate using these technologies and techniques with a database application in one implementation. However, as discussed previously, in other implementations these technologies and techniques are used with other systems for storing and/or retrieving data from one or more data stores.
Turning now to
The procedure begins at start point 240 with providing a database (e.g. data store 117) for storing at least a portion of data with compound keys (stage 242). An entity key that is a single composite key (e.g. a base-64 encoded binary value) is generated for each of the compound keys in the database (or at least some of them) by applying an invertible composition transformation to the compound key values (stage 244). The entity key is provided to a separate application so the separate application does not have to work with the underlying compound key (stage 246). Database application 200 receives a request from the separate application to perform a database operation using the entity key (stage 248). Database application 200 converts the composite entity key back into the underlying compound key (e.g. when the compound key is needed), such as by performing an inverse of the composition transformation (stage 250). Database application 200 then uses the compound key(s) to perform the requested database operation (stage 252). The results are returned from database application 200 to the separate requesting application with the entity key, as applicable (254). The process ends at end point 256.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims. All equivalents, changes, and modifications that come within the spirit of the implementations as described herein and/or by the following claims are desired to be protected.
For example, a person of ordinary skill in the computer software art will recognize that the client and/or server arrangements, user interface screen content, and/or data layouts as described in the examples discussed herein could be organized differently on one or more computers to include fewer or additional options or features than as portrayed in the examples.
