Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-21
2001-06-05
Breene, John (Department: 2177)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C709S203000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243710
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to computer databases and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for providing object-based querying of a non-object-based database.
B. Description of the Related Art
Conventional, non-object-based database management systems (CDBMS) are widely used to store data. One popular type of a CDBMS, a relational database management system (RDBMS), stores data in the form of related tables. An RDBMS, however, is limited to relational (or tabular) data and does not have the sophistication required to manipulate more complex items such as objects associated with object-oriented programming languages. Some companies now provide an object-to-database mapping (ODM) system that converts objects to data and then stores the data in a CDBMS. With these systems, a software developer may to some extent integrate an object-oriented program with a CDBMS.
With both a CDBMS and an ODM system, however, data must be retrieved by using a standardized query language, such as SQL. Until now, therefore, software developers have not been able to take advantage of object-oriented programming languages to perform queries on data stored in a CDBMS. Instead, software developers have been required to formulate queries by using a standardized query language such as SQL. This approach limits software developers to the functions supported by SQL and does not allow them to take full advantages of the capabilities of object-oriented programming. Furthermore, in order to formulate SQL queries, software developers must learn how to map objects to the data stored in the DBMS.
There exists, therefore, a need for a system that allows software developers to formulate and perform object-based queries on data stored in a conventional, non-object-based DBMS.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Methods and apparatus consistent with the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, allow users to perform object-based querying in a distributed system having a non-object-based database management system.
In accordance with the invention, a method for performing object-based querying in a system having a non-object-based database management system comprises receiving an object-based query from a user program. The object-based query is separated into a server portion and a client portion, and the server portion is transmitted to the database management system.
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Cattell Roderic G. G.
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Breene John
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