Tree structure representation of an SQL clause
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsKenneth R. Banning, Wendy S. James, Shih-Gong Li, Anton Versteeg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system, program and method for graphically representing a WHERE or HAVING clause of an SQL query directed to a relational database. Logical operators are defined and linked to predicates using a tree structure format. The tree is not binary in character and consequently exhibits a 1:1 relation between the predicates and tree leaves. The tree structure representation provides intuitive feedback to the user defining the query. Preferably the SQL format and tree structure graphic format queries appear simultaneously on the video display of the computer system used to define the query.
Claims5
A computer system for accessing information in a relational database of a computer, comprising:
- means for a user of the computer to define predicates of a query to be executed in the computer by direct graphical manipulation of images on a video display of the computer;
- means for depicting WHERE or HAVING clauses of the query in graphical format on the video display of the computer and in response to user manipulation using a tree structure which links three or more predicates for a logical operator;
- means for deriving an SQL statement equivalent of the tree structure which links three or more predicates;
- and
- means for accessing information from the relational database using the derived SQL statement.
A computer implemented method for creating a database search in a relational database of a computer, comprising the steps of:
- graphically defining within the computer one or more logical operators of a query by direct user manipulation of images on a video display of the computer;
- graphically defining within the computer three or more predicates of the query by direct user manipulation of images on a video display of the computer;
- defining within the computer a WHERE or HAVING clause for the query through links relating three or more predicates to a common logical operator by direct user manipulation of graphical format images on the video display of the computer;
- deriving within the computer an SQL statement equivalent of the WHERE or HAVING clauses for the query;
- and
- executing a relational database search within the computer using the derived SQL statement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.