US 8,943,045 B2 · Mechanisms for efficient autocompletion in XML search applications

Abstract

Mechanisms are described for providing auto-completion capability in a user interface that allows users to search for XML tags and data in a collection of XML documents. A user searching for data in XML documents might not be aware of the entire structure of the data. A path context may be specified for narrowing the search to a particular set of nodes within the documents in the collection. When the user is in the process of typing in an XML tag name, but prior to submitting the tag name to the search engine, the user interface presents an ordered list of completed XML tags that match the prefix typed by the user. The order of the tags in the list reflects the frequency of the completed tags found within the specified path context of the collection of documents. Likewise, when the user is in the process of typing a string of text to be searched for within the value of XML nodes in the set of documents, but prior to submitting the test string to the search engine, the user interface presents an ordered list of completed text strings that match the partially specified text, where the order of the completed text strings reflects their frequency within the specified path context in the collection of documents.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a path context and a search string for a tag name in a collection of XML documents;
determining an ordered set of tag name completions, wherein each tag name completion of said ordered set of tag name completions matches said search string and corresponds to a matching tag name of a respective set of nodes that are contained within said path context, said matching tag name of the respective set of nodes having a number of occurrences equal to a number of nodes in the respective set of nodes;
wherein said ordered set of tag name completions has an order based on the number of occurrences of each matching tag name corresponding to a tag name completion of the ordered set of tag name completions;
and
displaying the ordered set of tag name completions in the order.

2 more elements

A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a path context and a user-specified prefix for an item, wherein the item is one of an XML tag or a node value;
retrieving a set of index entries, wherein each index entry of the set of index entries contains a path expression, an item, and a score value;
constructing an ordered list of items based on the set of index entries, said ordered list of items being ordered based on the respective score values of the set of index entries;
wherein for each item in the ordered list of items, there is a corresponding index entry of the set of index entries, wherein the corresponding index entry contains the path expression;
wherein the item in the corresponding index entry starts with the user-specified prefix;
storing the ordered list of items in a volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory.

3 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:

receiving a path context and a user-specified prefix for an item, wherein the item is one of an XML tag or a node value;
retrieving a set of index entries, wherein each index entry of the set of index entries contains a path expression, an item, and a score value;
constructing an ordered list of items based on the set of index entries, said ordered list of items being ordered based on the respective score values of the set of index entries;
wherein for each item in the ordered list of items, there is a corresponding index entry of the set of index entries, wherein the corresponding index entry contains the path expression;
wherein the item in the corresponding index entry starts with the user-specified prefix;
storing the ordered list of items in a volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Mechanisms for efficient autocompletion in XML search applications

Life of this patent

Mechanisms for efficient autocompletion in XML search applications

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14