Display method and display apparatus

A display method comprising:

• accepting, by a processor, designation of a first entity included in a database that includes a plurality of entities and a plurality of links indicating relationships between the plurality of entities, each of the plurality of entities having an entity type, the designated first entity having a first entity type;
• acquiring, by the processor, a query template that describes a look-up condition for searching the database, the query template including a parameter to which identification information of one of the plurality of entities is to be assigned, and acquiring an entity type condition indicating a second entity type of the parameter;
• generating, by the processor, a first query from the query template by assigning first identification information of the designated first entity to the parameter, in response to determining that the first entity type is identical to the second entity type;
• selecting, by the processor, a second entity that is coupled to the designated first entity via one or more links in the database and has the second entity type from among the plurality of entities, in response to determining that the first entity type is not identical to the second entity type, and generating a second query based on second identification information of the selected second entity and the query template;
• and
• retrieving, by the processor, data to be used in display processing from the database by using generated one of the first query and the second query.

A display apparatus comprising:

• a memory configured to store a query template that describes a look-up condition for searching a database that includes a plurality of entities and a plurality of links indicating relationships between the plurality of entities, each of the plurality of entities having an entity type, the query template including a parameter to which identification information of one of the plurality of entities is to be assigned, and to store an entity type condition indicating a second entity type of the parameter;
• and
• a processor configured to perform a process including:
• accepting designation of a first entity among the plurality of entities, the designated first entity having a first entity type;
• generating a first query from the query template by assigning first identification information of the designated first entity to the parameter, in response to determining that the first entity type is identical to the second entity type;
• selecting a second entity that is coupled to the designated first entity via one or more links in the database and has the second entity type from among the plurality of entities in response to determining that the first entity type is not identical to the second entity type, and generating a second query based on second identification information of the selected second entity and the query template;
• and
• retrieving data to be used in display processing from the database by using generated one of the first query and the second query.