Supporting dynamic tables in SQL query compilers

A method, in a database management system, the method comprising:

• resolving a table reference to an actual table entity unknown at compile-time (a dynamic table), further comprising:
• creating an extended run-time descriptor (extended table object (TAOB)) for the dynamic table;
• and
• dispatching control, during a run-time routine, to dynamically link the table reference, using the extended table object, with an actual table entity.

A method, in a database management system, the method comprising:

• resolving a table reference to an actual table entity unknown at compile-time (a dynamic table), further comprising:
• including a type of dynamic table in an extended table object representation capable of receiving run-time parameters;
• dispatching control, from a run-time routine, to a process depending upon the type of dynamic table identified in the extended table object representation;
• including parameters defined at run-time in the extended table object representation including an identity of the actual table entity being referenced;
• and
• using the extended table object representation, in the process dependent upon the type of dynamic table, for dynamically linking the table reference to the actual table entity.

A method, in a database management system, the method comprising:

• resolving a table reference to an actual table entity unknown at compile-time (a dynamic table), further comprising:
• handling, by the query compiler, table functions as a type of a dynamic table;
• marking, by a query parser, a parsed representation of the dynamic table to distinguish between types of dynamic tables;
• including a type of dynamic table marked in the parsed representation into a template run-time descriptor for the corresponding table reference (an extended table object (TAOB)) created by a code generator;
• including parameters defined at run-time in an actual extended TAOB representing the actual table entity including an identity of the actual table entity being referenced;
• dispatching control to a process for dynamically linking the table reference to the actual table entity only known at run-time by using the actual extended TAOB;
• and
• continuing with query processing, after the dynamic linking resolves the table reference, as if the underlying table were a base or derived table.

A method, in a database management system, comprising:

• resolving, at run-time, a table reference to an actual table entity unknown at compile-time (a dynamic table), further comprising:
• mapping dynamic tables to table functions and identifying, in a parsed representation of the dynamic tables, the table reference as being unresolved;
• extending a run-time descriptor for the table being referenced (table object TAOB)) to include parameters defined at run-time including a table identity of the actual table entity;
• and
• using the extended TAOB at run-time to dynamically link the actual table entity with the table reference.

A database management system comprising:

• means for resolving a table reference to an actual table entity unknown at compile-time (a dynamic table) further comprising;
• means for supporting more than one type of dynamic table including a table function;
• and
• a code generator capable of generating a separate executable plan for each type of dynamic table, each executable plan generating a similar table object for each dynamic table, the similar table objects having different values within the table object to differentiate between the types of dynamic table.

A database management system comprising:

• means for resolving a table reference to an actual table entity unknown at compile-time (a dynamic table), the means for resolving further comprising:
• means for creating an extended run-time descriptor (extended table object (TAOB)) for the dynamic table;
• and
• means for dispatching control, during a run-time routine, to dynamically link the table reference, using the extended table object, with an actual table entity.

Computer programming code residing on at least one computer usable medium for use in a database management system, the programming code comprising:

• program code means for resolving a table reference to an actual table entity unknown at compile-time (a dynamic table), further comprising:
• program code means for causing a marking, by a query compiler, in a parsed representation of the table reference, an identification of a type of dynamic table;
• program code means for causing a run-time descriptor (extended table object (TAOB)) for the dynamic table to be extended to include the type of dynamic table and to include parameters defined at run-time including a table identifier for the actual table entity defined at run-time;
• and
• program code means for causing a dispatching of control, during a run-time routine, to a routine to dynamically link the table reference, using the extended table object, with an actual table entity.

Computer programming code residing on at least one computer usable medium for use in a database management system, the programming code comprising:

• program code means for resolving a table reference to an actual table entity unknown at compile-time (a dynamic table) further comprising;
• program code means for supporting more than one type of dynamic table including a table function;
• and
• program code means for generating a similar table object for each dynamic table, the similar table objects having different values within the table object to differentiate between the types of dynamic table.

Computer programming code residing on at least one computer usable medium for use in a database management system, the programming code comprising:

• means for resolving a table reference to an actual table entity unknown at compile-time (a dynamic table), further comprising:
• means for creating an extended run-time descriptor (extended table object (TAOB)) for the dynamic table;
• and
• means for dispatching control, during a run-time routine, to dynamically link the table reference, using the extended table object, with an actual table entity.