Indexing semi-structured data

An apparatus for indexing semi-structured data, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• one or more processing devices, operatively coupled to the memory, the one or more processing devices configured to:
• generating, for a base table comprising a semi-structured data field, an inverted index for the semi-structured data field, wherein the inverted index comprises a term and a posting, and wherein, to generate the inverted index, the one or more processing devices are configured to:
• store, for each pair of a plurality of path-and-value pairs in the semi-structured data field, a path of a corresponding pair in a path field of the term of a corresponding entry in the inverted index, wherein the path is stored in the path field of the term excluding any array index in the path;
• store, for each pair of the plurality of path-and-value pairs in the semi-structured data field, any array index of the path of the corresponding pair in an array index field of the term of the corresponding entry in the inverted index;
• store, for each pair of the plurality of path-and-value pairs in the semi-structured data field, a value of the corresponding pair in a value field of the term of the corresponding entry in the inverted index;
• and
• store, for each pair of the plurality of path-and-value pairs in the semi-structured data field, in the posting of the corresponding entry in the inverted index, an indication of each record in the base table including the corresponding pair in the semi-structured data field.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause a processing device to:

• generate, for a base table comprising a semi-structured data field, an inverted index for the semi-structured data field, wherein the inverted index comprises a term and a posting, and wherein, to generate the inverted index, the instructions, when executed, cause the processing device to:
• store, for each pair of a plurality of path-and-value pairs in the semi-structured data field, a path of a corresponding pair in a path field of the term of a corresponding entry in the inverted index, wherein the path is stored in the path field of the term excluding any array index in the path;
• store, for each pair of the plurality of path-and-value pairs in the semi-structured data field, any array index of the path of the corresponding pair in an array index field of the term of the corresponding entry in the inverted index;
• store, for each pair of the plurality of path-and-value pairs in the semi-structured data field, a value of the corresponding pair in a value field of the term of the corresponding entry in the inverted index;
• and
• store, for each pair of the plurality of path-and-value pairs in the semi-structured data field, in the posting of the corresponding entry in the inverted index, an indication of each record in the base table including the corresponding pair in the semi-structured data field.