Abstract: A range covering integers of an input list is divided into subsets according to a predetermined pattern. The encoding produces coding data including, for each subset containing at least one integer of the input list, data representing the position of this subset in the pattern, and data representing the position of each integer of the input list within this subset. This encoding process may be iterated in several coding layers. It supports very efficient methods for combining the coded integer lists.

Abstract: A range covering integers of an input list is divided into subsets according to a predetermined pattern. The encoding produces coding data including, for each subset containing at least one integer of the input list, data representing the position of this subset in the pattern, and data representing the position of each integer of the input list within this subset. This encoding process may be iterated in several coding layers. It supports very efficient methods for combining the coded integer lists.

Abstract: A reference table has columns associated with data attributes and rows containing related words assigned to those attributes in a collection of data, those words coming from different data tables having independent numbers of records. The stored data include word thesauruses associated with the attributes, and reference table row identifier lists respectively associated with thesaurus entries. Each word thesaurus associated with an attribute has a respective entry for each word assigned to this data attribute in the collection of data. The reference table, which may be a virtual table, defines a unified algebraic framework for the entries of all the thesauruses. Query criteria can be examined with reference to the relevant thesauruses to obtain a row-ID list or bitmap vector which represents all the reference table rows matching the query criteria, if any. The results can then be delivered through the original data tables or, preferably, by means of the thesauruses.

Abstract: A reference table, which may not be stored, has columns associated with data attributes and rows containing related words assigned to those attributes in a collection of data. The stored data include at least one macroword thesaurus associated with an attribute and with a prefix length shorter than a word length of said attribute, and reference table row identifier lists respectively associated with thesaurus entries. Each macroword thesaurus associated with an attribute and with a prefix length has a respective entry for each prefix value having this prefix length and matching a corresponding prefix of at least one word assigned to this data attribute in the collection of data.

Abstract: A reference table, which may not be stored, has columns associated with data attributes and rows containing related words assigned to those attributes in a collection of data. The stored data include thesauruses associated with the attributes, and reference table row identifier lists respectively associated with thesaurus entries. Each thesaurus is defined with reference to a partition into subsets of the words which can be assigned to the associated attribute, and has a respective entry for each subset including an assigned word, the row identifier list associated with this entry including any identifier allocated to a row of the reference table having a word of the subset assigned to the associated attribute. A matching reference table row identifier list is determined from the data representing the row identifier lists associated with thesaurus entries relevant to the query.

Abstract: A reference table, which may not be stored, has columns associated with data attributes and rows containing related words assigned to those attributes in a collection of data. The stored data include at least one macroword thesaurus associated with an attribute and with a prefix length shorter than a word length of said attribute, and reference table row identifier lists respectively associated with thesaurus entries. Each macroword thesaurus associated with an attribute and with a prefix length has a respective entry for each prefix value having this prefix length and matching a corresponding prefix of at least one word assigned to this data attribute in the collection of data.

Abstract: A reference table, which may not be stored, has columns associated with data attributes and rows containing related words assigned to those attributes in a collection of data. The stored data include thesauruses associated with the attributes, and reference table row identifier lists respectively associated with thesaurus entries. Each thesaurus is defined with reference to a partition into subsets of the words which can be assigned to the associated attribute, and has a respective entry for each subset including an assigned word, the row identifier list associated with this entry including any identifier allocated to a row of the reference table having a word of the subset assigned to the associated attribute. A matching reference table row identifier list is determined from the data representing the row identifier lists associated with thesaurus entries relevant to the query.