Methods and system for storing and accessing embedded information in object-relational databases

A method for accessing a selected data element stored in an object-relational database stored in a computer system, the object-relational database comprising one or more tables, the tables each having a table name and comprising one or more rows of information, the rows of information each having a row identifier and comprising one or more columns, the columns each having a column name and comprising embedded-data elements or atomic data elements, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• receiving a database command for accessing a selected data element, the command comprising at least a table name and an extension corresponding to a column name, the column name representing an embedded-data column for storing embedded data elements;
• in response to receiving the database command, accessing a table represented by the table name;
• in response to accessing the table, accessing the embedded-data column represented by the column name in the database command;
• and
• in response to accessing the embedded-data column, accessing the selected data element.

A method for storing and accessing a user defined type of data (UDT) in an object-relational database stored in a computer system, the object-relational database comprising one or more tables, the tables each comprising a table name and one or more rows, the rows each comprising one or more embedded data columns, the embedded data columns each having a type name and comprising a plurality of data elements, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing a UDT in one or more selected tables, the UDT being stored in an embedded-data column in each of the selected tables, a UDT-name being the type name for the embedded-data column in each of the selected tables;
• receiving a database command for accessing a selected data element, the database command comprising at least the UDT name;
• in response to receiving the database command, searching every table in the object-relational database to identify the selected tables storing the UDT;
• in response to identifying the selected tables, accessing each of the selected tables to identify an associated type name associated with the UDT name;
• in each of the selected tables, in response to identifying the associated type name, accessing the embedded-data column corresponding to the UDT name;
• and
• in each of the selected tables, in response to accessing the embedded data column, accessing the selected data element,
• whereby a UDT may be stored in selected tables in the object-relational database and subsequently accessed without specifying the table names for the selected tables in the database command.

A system for storing and accessing information in an object-relational database, the object-relational database comprising one or more tables, the tables each having a table name and comprising one or more rows of information, the rows of information each comprising one or more columns of data elements, the system comprising:

• a memory device for storing a plurality of data elements in a row of information, the row comprising a plurality of columns, the columns each having a column name and comprising at least one of the data elements;
• a dictionary comprising table names and column names;
• a processor (CPU) for receiving a database command for accessing a selected data element, the database command comprising a selected table name and an extension corresponding to a selected column name, the selected column name corresponding to an embedded-data column, the embedded-data column being one of the columns operative for storing a plurality of the data elements;
• and
• in response to receiving the database command, the processor being operative to:
• access the dictionary to associate the selected column name and the selected table name with a corresponding table and a corresponding embedded-data column,
• access the corresponding table corresponding to the selected table name,
• in response to accessing the corresponding table, accessing the embedded-data column corresponding to the selected column name,
• in response to accessing the embedded-data column, accessing the selected data element,
• whereby a plurality of data elements may be stored in a single embedded-data column of an object relational database and, by way of an extension to a database command, may subsequently be accessed from the embedded data column as if the embedded-data column were a table.

A system for storing and accessing a user defined type of data (UDT) in an object-relational database stored in a computer system, the object-relational database comprising one or more tables, the tables each comprising a table name and one or more rows, the rows each comprising one or more embedded data columns, the embedded data columns each having an column name and comprising a plurality of data elements, the system comprising:

• a memory device for storing a UDT in one or more selected tables, the UDT being stored in an embedded-data column in each of the selected tables, a UDT-name being the type name for the embedded-data column in each of the selected tables;
• a dictionary comprising type names and table names;
• a processor for receiving a database command for accessing a selected data element, the database command comprising at least the UDT name;
• and
• in response to receiving the database command, the processor being operative to:
• access the dictionary to identify the selected tables storing the UDT,
• in response to identifying the selected tables, access each of the selected tables to identify an associated type name associated with the UDT name,
• in each of the selected tables, in response to identifying the associated type name, access the embedded-data column corresponding to the UDT name, and
• in each of the selected tables, in response to accessing the embedded data column, access the selected data element,
• whereby a UDT may be stored in selected tables in the object-relational database and subsequently accessed without specifying the table names for the selected tables in the database command.