Method of representing an XML schema definition and data within a relational database management system using a reusable custom-defined nestable compound data type
Representing an XML Schema Definition and Data within a Relational Database Management System using a Reusable Custom-Defined Nestable Compound Data Type. These Data Types provide a natural representation and storage of an XML schema definition and the corresponding XML data. Data Types are created in a RDBMS to store the hierarchical data of a XML data file. Hierarchical data may be imported into a RDBMS by populating the Data Type Fields with the values of data held in the XML data file. The data contained in the RDBMS may also be published to an XML data file.
1. A method for mapping data from a hierarchical data file to a database comprising:
obtaining the hierarchical data file wherein said hierarchical data file includes hierarchical source data and;
determining a nested hierarchy of the hierarchical data file to generate a hierarchy of tuples to represent the relations described in a data description file;
determining a schema for said hierarchical source data;
creating a tuple definition associated with the database, the tuple definition specifying a set of related fields for a tuple record wherein at least one field is a nested field, wherein a tuple is a reusable object-oriented object comprising the set of related fields and is nested to form hierarchical one-to-many relationships with other tuples;
generating the nested hierarchy of tuples to represent the relations described in the data description file;
creating a table for the database, wherein an entry in a first field in the table contains a linked list of pointers to instances of tuple records;
based on the entry in the first field, creating a tuple record to store data for each of the set of related fields;
associating said hierarchical source data with the tuple record; and
populating said tuple record with data values from said hierarchical source data.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein a field in the tuple record comprises an entry that creates a relation between the field in the tuple record and another tuple.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said first field entry indicates that the tuple is multi-valued.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining said schema step further comprises obtaining a schema definition.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
publishing said data values, comprising:
obtaining said first field entry from said table;
obtaining a publishing structure, said publishing structure comprising a publishing element name;
associating said first field entry with said publishing element name; and
generating a publishing hierarchical data file including said data values.
6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor perform method, said method comprising:
obtaining a hierarchical data file wherein said hierarchical data file includes hierarchical source data;
determining a nested hierarchy of the hierarchical data file to generate a hierarchy of tuples to represent the relations described in a data description file;
determining a schema for said hierarchical source data;
creating a tuple definition associated with the database, the tuple definition specifying a set of related fields for a tuple record wherein at least one field is a nested field, wherein a tuple is a reusable object-oriented object comprising the set of related fields and is nested to form hierarchical one-to-many relationships with other tuples;
generating the nested hierarchy of tuples to represent the relations described in the data description file;
creating a table for the database, wherein an entry in a first field in the table contains a linked list of pointers to instances of tuple records, wherein a linked list comprises a group of nodes which together represent a sequence and each node comprises a datum and a link to a next node in the sequence;
based on the entry in the first field, creating a tuple record to store data for each of the set of related fields;
associating said hierarchical source data with the tuple record; and
populating said tuple record with data values from said hierarchical source data.
7. The medium of claim 1 wherein a field in the tuple record comprises an entry that creates a relation between the field in the tuple record and another tuple.
8. The medium of claim 6 wherein said first field entry indicates that the tuple is multi-valued.
9. The medium of claim 6 wherein said determining said schema step further comprises obtaining a schema definition.
10. The medium of claim 6 , where execution of the instructions further result in:
publishing said data values, comprising:
obtaining said first field entry from said table;
obtaining a publishing structure, said publishing structure comprising a publishing element name;
associating said first field entry with said publishing element name; and
generating a publishing hierarchical data file including said data values.