Abstract: This invention is directed to relational extenders for a computer-based relational database. Each relational extender includes at least one column, in a first, business, table containing a user defined application database, dedicated to object handles for defining the complex data type of an object; a second, attribute, table containing at least one column defining a unique characteristic associated with the one object and one column dedicated to containing the object handle; and a third, metadata, table containing at least one column defining a common characteristic associated with all objects defined within the business table and one column dedicated to containing the object handle and at least one column dedicated to containing a reference to object data associated with the object.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 7, 1995
Date of Patent:
June 20, 2000
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation
Inventors:
Matthew Paul Anderson, Siyi Terry Donn, David Couttie Fallside, Tri Quac Ha, Douglas Michael Hembry, Jean C. Ho, Jing-Song Jang, Nelson Mattos, Carlton Wayne Niblack, Dragutin Petkovic, Frank Chin Tung, Peter Paval Uhrowczik, Mimi Phuong-Thao Thi Vo, Gerald Johann Wilmot, Peter C. Yanker, Josephine Min-Kung Cheng