Amorphous data preparation for efficient query formulation

1. A method for amorphous data preparation, the method comprising:

selecting a normalized form of representing a set of data cubes, wherein the set of data cubes includes a first data cube from a first data source and conforming to first data representation, and a second data cube from a second data source and conforming to a second data representation, and wherein the normalized form selects a third data representation to represent the data of each data cube in the set;

applying a transformation to the first data cube to represent the first data cube using the third data representation to create a normalized first data cube;

creating, responsive to creating the normalized first data cube, a set of metadata elements corresponding to the normalized first data cube, wherein an element in the set of metadata is configured to indicate a precision of a part of a query, the precision of the part of the query being an estimate of precision achievable using a data entity from the normalized first data cube in the query;

saving the normalized first data cube and the metadata of the normalized first data cube in a data store

receiving, from the first data source, a change to the first data cube, the change comprising changed data, the changed data forming a changed first data cube;

detecting the normalized first data cube in the data store;

creating an additional normalized first data cube using the changed data, such that the additional normalized first data cube conforms to the third data representation;

saving the additional normalized first data cube in the data store such that the data store includes both the normalized first data cube and the additional normalized first data cube; and

presenting a visual representation of the normalized first data cube and a visual representation of the metadata in a visual environment for constructing the query, wherein the query uses the normalized first data cube.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

modifying the normalized first data cube, to form a modified normalized first data cube, such that the changed data is transformed to conform to the third data representation; and

saving the modified normalized first data cube in the data store.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the saving occurs before the transformation has normalized all data of the first data cube, forming a partially complete normalized first data cube, further comprising:

setting an element in the set of metadata elements to indicate partial completeness of the normalized first data cube; and

allowing the query to use the partially complete normalized first data cube.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transformation proceeds according to a transformation rule, further comprising:

selecting the transformation rule from a set of transformation rules.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of metadata elements comprises:

an element to identify a manner of representing a portion of the first data cube in the normalized first data cube, wherein the manner of representing the portion is one of (i) as in the first data cube, (ii) modified from a value in the first data cube, and (iii) computed using a value from the first data cube.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of metadata elements comprises:

an element to indicate a level of completeness of the transformation, wherein the level of completeness corresponds to a portion of data of the first data cube that has been transformed into the normalized first data cube.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of metadata elements comprises:

an element to indicate an estimate of cost of using a data entity from the normalized first data cube in the query.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the query directed at the set of data cubes requires an output in the third data representation.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that another data cube outside the set of data cubes has been normalized using the third data representation; and

determining that the other data cube outside the set of data cubes is similar to the first data cube by at least a threshold degree.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that another data cube outside the set of data cubes has been normalized using the third data representation; and

determining that a cost of using the other data cube outside the set of data cubes as normalized using the third data representation is less than a cost of using the other data cube outside the set of data cubes as normalized using the second data representation.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third data representation is the same as the second data representation.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual representation of the normalized first data cube comprises a graphical indication of an amount of data present in the normalized first data cube, and wherein the visual representation of the metadata comprises a graphical depiction of a cost of the query when using the normalized first data cube.

13. A computer usable program product comprising a computer usable storage device including computer usable code for amorphous data preparation, the computer usable code comprising:

computer usable code for selecting a normalized form of representing a set of data cubes, wherein the set of data cubes includes a first data cube from a first data source and conforming to first data representation, and a second data cube from a second data source and conforming to a second data representation, and wherein the normalized form selects a third data representation to represent the data of each data cube in the set;

computer usable code for applying a transformation to the first data cube to represent the first data cube using the third data representation to create a normalized first data cube;

computer usable code for creating, responsive to creating the normalized first data cube, a set of metadata elements corresponding to the normalized first data cube, wherein an element in the set of metadata is configured to indicate a precision of a part of a query, the precision of the part of the query being an estimate of precision achievable using a data entity from the normalized first data cube in the query;

computer usable code for saving the normalized first data cube and the metadata of the normalized first data cube in a data store

computer usable code for receiving, from the first data source, a change to the first data cube, the change comprising changed data, the changed data forming a changed first data cube;

computer usable code for detecting the normalized first data cube in the data store;

computer usable code for creating an additional normalized first data cube using the changed data, such that the additional normalized first data cube conforms to the third data representation;

computer usable code for saving the additional normalized first data cube in the data store such that the data store includes both the normalized first data cube and the additional normalized first data cube; and

computer usable code for presenting a visual representation of the normalized first data cube and a visual representation of the metadata in a visual environment for constructing the query, wherein the query uses the normalized first data cube.

14. The computer usable program product of claim 13 , further comprising:

computer usable code for modifying the normalized first data cube, to form a modified normalized first data cube, such that the changed data is transformed to conform to the third data representation; and

computer usable code for saving the modified normalized first data cube in the data store.

15. The computer usable program product of claim 13 , wherein the computer usable code is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is transferred over a network from a remote data processing system.

16. The computer usable program product of claim 13 , wherein the computer usable code is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a server data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is downloaded over a network to a remote data processing system for use in a computer readable storage medium associated with the remote data processing system.

17. A data processing system for amorphous data preparation, the data processing system comprising:

a storage device including a storage medium, wherein the storage device stores computer usable program code; and

a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer usable program code, and wherein the computer usable program code comprises:

computer usable code for selecting a normalized form of representing a set of data cubes, wherein the set of data cubes includes a first data cube from a first data source and conforming to first data representation, and a second data cube from a second data source and conforming to a second data representation, and wherein the normalized form selects a third data representation to represent the data of each data cube in the set;

computer usable code for applying a transformation to the first data cube to represent the first data cube using the third data representation to create a normalized first data cube;

computer usable code for creating, responsive to creating the normalized first data cube, a set of metadata elements corresponding to the normalized first data cube, wherein an element in the set of metadata is configured to indicate a precision of a part of a query, the precision of the part of the query being an estimate of precision achievable using a data entity from the normalized first data cube in the query;

computer usable code for saving the normalized first data cube and the metadata of the normalized first data cube in a data store

computer usable code for receiving, from the first data source, a change to the first data cube, the change comprising changed data, the changed data forming a changed first data cube;

computer usable code for detecting the normalized first data cube in the data store;

computer usable code for creating an additional normalized first data cube using the changed data, such that the additional normalized first data cube conforms to the third data representation;

computer usable code for saving the additional normalized first data cube in the data store such that the data store includes both the normalized first data cube and the additional normalized first data cube; and

computer usable code for presenting a visual representation of the normalized first data cube and a visual representation of the metadata in a visual environment for constructing the query, wherein the query uses the normalized first data cube.