Externalizing very large objects in a relational database client/server environment

An article of manufacture comprising a computer program carrier readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for executing a query to retrieve data from a database, the database comprising data having at least one standard data type and data having at least one non-standard data type and being stored on a data storage device connected to a server computer, the method comprising the steps of:

• at the server computer,
• retrieving data having a standard data type, a small non-standard data type, and a large non-standard data type from the database;
• generating an answer set comprising data having the standard data type, the small non-standard data type, and a placeholder representing data having the large non-standard data type;
• transmitting the generated answer set comprising at least the placeholder to a client computer;
• and
• after transmitting the generated answer set, transmitting data having the large non-standard data type represented by the placeholder in the answer set to the client computer.

A method for executing a query to retrieve data from a database, the database comprising data having at least one non-standard data type and being stored on a data storage device connected to a server computer, the method comprising the steps of:

• at the server computer,
• retrieving data having a small non-standard data type and a large non-standard data type from the database;
• generating an answer set comprising data having the small non-standard data types and a placeholder, wherein the placeholder represents data having the large non-standard data types;
• transmitting the generated answer set comprising at least the placeholder to a client computer;
• and
• after transmitting the generated answer set, transmitting data having the large non-standard data type represented by the placeholder in the answer set to the client computer.

An article of manufacture comprising a computer program carrier readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for executing a query to retrieve data from a database, the database comprising data having at least one standard data type and data having at least one non-standard data type and being stored on a data storage device connected to a server computer, the method comprising the steps of:

• at the server computer,
• retrieving data having a small non-standard data type and a large non-standard data type from the database;
• generating an answer set comprising data having the small non-standard data types and a placeholder, wherein the placeholder represents data having the large non-standard data types;
• transmitting the generated answer set comprising at least the placeholder to a client computer;
• and
• after transmitting the generated answer set, transmitting data having the large non-standard data type represented by the placeholder in the answer set to the client computer.