Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Patent
1996-06-04
1998-08-25
Black, Thomas G.
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
G06F 1730
Patent
active
057993084
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides the basis for the implementation of an improved approach to computing Background Art which is fundamentally different from known concepts and which mitigates many disadvantages associated with conventional computing.
The conventional approach to computing systems usually starts with the preparation of a detailed specification of what is required and how it is to be implemented. This initial stage is often fraught with difficulties. Often it is not understood what is actually required from a computer system until at least part of the system has been seen in operation. Additionally, many systems are so large and complex that it is extremely difficult even to produce a system specification which is completely internally consistent.
The second stage in building a conventional computer system is to pass the system specification to specialist programmers and futher difficulties are often encountered at this stage. Apart from potential problems in interpreting or simply implementing the requirements set out in the specification, one of the biggest problems facing conventional computing is the generation of documentation explaining what the system does and how it does it and subsequent maintenance of the computer programs. A problem frequently encountered in the maintenance of the computer programs. A problem frequently encountered in the maintenance of existing systems arises when it is desired to add an additional field to an existing record structure. Typically, all programs within the computer system which access the file containing the records in question have to be amended.
There have been many studies which show that perhaps as much as 80% of all modern programming effort is spent on maintaining existing systems, thus allowing only 20% of the available programming effort to be spent on developing new applications.
Difficulties arise even at the most basic level. For example, when data is stored on magnetic media, it is conventionally stored either in fixed length or variable length records. Especially where there is a requirement for the sorting of stored data and/or a desire for fast access, the stored data is indexed and fixed length records are preferred. The index may be stored as part of the original data or may be stored separately from it. The index is of fixed length. Fixed length records have the obvious disadvantage that the data must be tailored to fit the chosen length of record.
Very considerable human resources have been expended in devising computer database systems. This expenditure and the popularity of such systems attests to the underlying need for such systems in modern society. The system requirements become ever more sophisticated and one aspect of this has become the requirement for recording and processing of many-to-many relationships. Some known systems claim to meet these requirements. But, as far as is known, they all appear to have certain limitations and/or very complex processing requirements.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to mitigate all of the above-mentioned disadvantages using a conceptual approach which is distinct from that underlying conventional computing systems.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of data storage and retrieval comprising the formation of records having a keyfield containing two numbers, one identifying an entity type and one identifying an attribute of an entity of the identified type.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of data storage and retrieval comprising the formation of records having a keyfield containing three numbers, one identifying an entity type, one identifying an entity of the identified type and one identifying an attribute of the entity.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of data storage and retrieval comprising the formation of records having a keyfield containing numbers derived from a look-up table or file in which numbe
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Black Thomas G.
Ho Ruay Lian
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