Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-13
2002-12-03
Mizrahi, Diane D. (Department: 2175)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06490591
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to storage of a complex data structure such as an array within storage media having a defined structure, for example a database table or an extensible markup language (XML) document.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Storage of information within a storage medium requires establishment of a prescribed storage definition for the storage medium. The storage definition for the storage medium enables the information to be stored and retrieved from the storage medium according to prescribed routines based on the storage definition. Such storage definitions may include specifying a definition for a data entry, where the data entry includes a unique identifier usable by an index for searching (i.e., a key), and a corresponding data entry value. For example, a database such as an LDAP database has prescribed storage definitions that enable external processes to access the database. Similarly, an extensible markup language (XML) document may be defined by prescribed XML tags that specify the data to be stored.
FIG. 1
is a diagram illustrating a conventional XML document
10
configured for storing information according to a prescribed storage definition. The XML document
10
includes XML tags
12
that specify the storage definition for the information to be stored. For example, the XML tags
12
a
and
12
e
define the boundaries of the XML document
10
having the title “USER ENTRY”. The XML tags
12
b
,
12
c
and
12
d
each specify a data entry having an element name
14
and the corresponding element value
16
. Each XML tag
12
also specifies a prescribed data type
18
. Hence, an XML parser can recognize that the data field “User Address”
14
b
is an address-type entry having a value of “1234 Generic Road, Anytown, Va. USA 23232”. Hence, the XML document
10
provides a data structure that enables the storage and retrieval of information according to the prescribed storage definitions specified within the XML document
10
and as implied by the syntax of the XML language.
A fundamental problem with the storage of information within a rigidly defined storage medium, such as in an XML document or a database, is that the addition of a complex structure such as an array requires a change in the existing storage definition. For example, the data element “User Address”
14
b
specifies an address value of “1234 Generic Road, Anytown, Va. USA 23232”. Assume, however, that a new use of the existing data structure
10
requires storage of the address value as a structured array
20
, as illustrated in
FIG. 2
, where the address value
16
b
needs to be redefined as an array
22
having a plurality of separate array elements
24
instead of the single string
16
b.
In particular, the element
24
a
specifies the name (“User Address”) of the array
22
, and each of the elements
24
b,
24
c,
24
d,
24
e,
and
24
f
specify an element name
26
usable as a key and a corresponding element value
28
. Although the array
22
has the advantage of enabling indexed searching on any one of the elements
24
, the array
22
cannot be stored within the XML document
10
according to conventional techniques. Hence, the array
22
cannot be stored without modification to the existing structure of the XML document
10
unless the element values
28
within the array
22
are extracted and combined to form the string
16
b
, resulting in a loss of the searchable element names
26
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There is a need for an arrangement that enables a complex data structure to be stored within a storage medium according to a prescribed storage definition, without modification of the prescribed storage definition or removal of structural components of the complex data structure.
There is also a need for an arrangement that enables an array having a prescribed data structure to be stored within a single data field having a prescribed storage definition in a manner that enables the array to be recovered from the single data field.
These and other needs are attained by the present invention, where an executable process, configured for storing and retrieving data from a storage medium having a prescribed storage definition, is configured for converting an array having a prescribed data structure into a string having array descriptors that specify the prescribed data structure, enabling the array to be stored and recovered from the storage medium without modification of the prescribed storage definition.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided in a executable system configured for storing information onto a tangible medium according to a prescribed storage definition. The method includes generating a string based on an array, having a prescribed data structure and having the information stored in the array according to the prescribed data structure, by including within the string the information and array descriptors that specify the prescribed data structure. The method also includes storing the string into a data field on the tangible medium according to the prescribed storage definition. The inclusion of array descriptors within the string and that specify the prescribed data structure enables the array structure to be preserved during storage into the data field according to the prescribed storage definition. Hence, a retrieval process may regenerate the array from the string stored in the data field, based on the stored array descriptors. Hence, a complex structure such as an array can be stored in a storage medium having a prescribed storage definition, without loss of the array structure or modification to the prescribed storage definition.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a processor-based system configured for storing information onto a tangible medium according to a prescribed storage definition. The system includes a storage interface process configured for converting an array, having a prescribed data structure and information stored according to the prescribed data structure, into a string including the information and array descriptors that specify the prescribed data structure. The system also includes a storage process configured for storing the string into a data field on the tangible medium according to the prescribed storage definition.
Additional advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the present invention may be realized and attained by means of instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5970170 (1999-10-01), Kadashevich et al.
Dave Winer, wysiwyg://60/http://www.xmlrpc.com/spec, copyrighted 1999.
Danner Ryan Alan
Denbar Melissa Lee
Cisco Technology Inc.
Mizrahi Diane D.
Mofiz Apu
Turkevich Leon R
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