Hierarchical triggers for database
View Patent ↗The present invention introduces the concept of a super-trigger to allow for multi-level hierarchical triggers in a database application. The super-trigger may be created by identifying one or more triggers as sub-triggers, and defining a condition in the super-trigger, the result of the condition depending from a result of one or more of the sub-triggers. Upon execution, information may be retrieved regarding a result for each of the sub-triggers. The condition may then be evaluated using these results, and an action may be performed if the condition is met.
1. A method for organizing triggers, the method comprising:
creating a super-trigger in a database application executing on a server computer, by storing metadata that (a) establishes activation of one or more triggers as one or more sub-triggers of said super-trigger, (b) specifies a condition, and (c) specifies an action;
when said super-trigger is activated, performing, on the server computer, the steps of:
determining an activation count that indicates how many times said one or more sub-triggers of said super-trigger have been activated;
based on said activation count exceeding a threshold values, determining whether said condition is satisfied; and
in response to determining that said condition is satisfied, performing said action on the server computer;
wherein said threshold value is defined using a key word defined in multidimensional expression syntax.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said metadata establishes a plurality of triggers as sub-triggers of said super-trigger.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the super-trigger is a first super-trigger;
the method further comprises:
creating a second super-trigger by storing metadata that (a) establishes one or more triggers as one or more sub-triggers of said second super-trigger, (b) specifies a condition, and (c) specifies an action;
when said second super-trigger is activated, performing the steps of:
determining an activation count that indicates how many times said one or more sub-triggers of said second super-trigger have been activated;
based on said activation count, determining whether said condition is satisfied; and
in response to determining that said condition is satisfied, performing said action;
the second super-trigger is a sub-trigger of the first super-trigger.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
said condition is one of a plurality of conditions specified for said super-trigger in said metadata; and
said plurality of conditions is defined using case-then-else constructs.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining an activation count includes retrieving information from a log.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining whether said condition is satisfied includes evaluating a threshold value based on one or more of said one or more sub-triggers against a fixed value.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing said action includes sending an email.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing said action includes writing data corresponding to any activated sub-trigger to a file.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activation count is based, at least in part, on how many times a particular sub-trigger of said super-trigger was activated.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the metadata for said super-trigger specifies:
a plurality of conditions, and
a plurality of actions that correspond to the plurality of conditions;
the step of determining whether said condition is satisfied, includes determining which condition of the plurality of conditions are satisfied; and performing said action includes performing the action that corresponds to the condition, of the plurality of conditions, that is satisfied.
11. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
creating a super-trigger by storing metadata that (a) establishes activation of one or more triggers as one or more sub-triggers of said super-trigger, (b) specifies a condition, and (c) specifies an action;
when said super-trigger is activated, performing the steps of:
determining an activation count that indicates how many times said one or more sub-triggers of said super-trigger have been activated;
based on said activation count exceeding a threshold value, determining whether said condition is satisfied; and
in response to determining that said condition is satisfied, performing said action;
wherein said threshold value is defined using a key word defined in multidimensional expression syntax.
12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein said metadata establishes a plurality of triggers as sub-triggers of said super-trigger.
13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein:
the super-trigger is a first super-trigger;
the computer-readable storage medium further comprising instructions for:
creating a second super-trigger by storing metadata that (a) establishes one or more triggers as one or more sub-triggers of said second super-trigger, (b) specifies a condition, and (c) specifies an action;
when said second super-trigger is activated, performing the steps of;
determining an activation count that indicates how many times said one or more sub-triggers of said second super-trigger have been activated;
based on said activation count, determining whether said condition is satisfied; and
in response to determining that said condition is satisfied, performing said action;
the second super-trigger is a sub-trigger of the first super-trigger.
14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein:
said condition is one of a plurality of conditions specified for said super-trigger in said metadata; and
said plurality of conditions is defined using case-then-else constructs.
15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein determining an activation count includes retrieving information from a log.
16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein determining whether said condition is satisfied includes evaluating a threshold value based on one or more of said one or more sub-triggers against a fixed value.
17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein performing said action includes sending an email.
18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein performing said action includes writing data corresponding to any activated sub-trigger to a file.
19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the activation count is based, at least in part, on how many times a particular sub-trigger of said super-trigger was activated.
20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein:
the metadata for said super-trigger specifies:
a plurality of conditions, and
a plurality of actions that correspond to the plurality of conditions;
the step of determining whether said condition is satisfied, includes determining which condition of the plurality of conditions are satisfied; and
performing said action includes performing the action that corresponds to the condition, of the plurality of conditions, that is satisfied.