Method and system for providing SQL or other RDBMS access to native xbase application

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to database storage and access translation systems, and more specifically to providing remote relational database management system (RDBMS) or structured query language (SQL) type access to native xbase application programs.

#2. Discussion of the Related Art

#The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.

#In the drawings:

#FIG. 1 illustrates the functional relationship between a non-relational application program, the translation layer, and the relational data store according to one aspect of the present invention;

#Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

#According to the principles of the present invention, native Xbase style application programs are allowed to transparently access remote SQL or other RDBMS style database systems. By providing at least one of a translation library, a translation kernel, and file system translation modifications, native local Xbase style data access requests may be translated into SQL or other RDBMS style remote data access requests. Accordingly, native Xbase style application programs may transparently access remote SQL or other RDBMS style database systems.

#As shown in FIG. 1 according to one aspect of the present invention, the Xbase translation library 6 may be provided within a translation layer 4. The translation library is designed to access and manipulate an SQL or other RDBMS type data source 8 using a translated set of function calls that are supported by Xbase type database application programs 2. Essentially, the translation library presents a superficial replica of the Xbase style database interfaces to the Xbase style application program. Interfaces used in the translation library may be compiled or interpreted, or a combination of the two. The translation library interface 10 is a superficial replica of the Xbase style interface in the sense that the interface of the translation library accepts Xbase style database access and manipulation function calls, which are native to Xbase style database interfaces 10′, and functionally connects the Xbase style function calls to an abstracted version of the Xbase database, wherein the abstracted version of the Xbase database would not otherwise recognize the native Xbase function calls.