Abstract: Techniques related to binary encoding of hierarchical data objects to support efficient path navigation of the hierarchical data objects are disclosed. A hierarchical data object may include field names that are associated with field values. A method may involve generating a plurality of hash codes, each hash code corresponding to a respective field name. The method may involve generating a hash-code mapping that maps each hash code to a respective field-name identifier. The method may involve generating a field-name mapping that maps each field name to a respective field-name identifier. The method may involve generating a hierarchical tree of nodes that includes non-leaf nodes and leaf nodes. A particular non-leaf node may include a child node mapping that maps the particular non-leaf node to one or more child nodes and may include a field-name-identifier-to-child mapping that maps a respective field-name identifier to each of the one or more child nodes.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for de-normalizing semi-structured hierarchical data into a virtual table. At least a portion of semi-structured data document collection is denormalized for improving the execution of queries that involves a traversal of the semi-structured data hierarchy of the semi-structured data document collection, in an embodiment. Based on the extracted schema of the semi-structured data, a de-normalized arrangement is generated, in which the hierarchical relationship of the semi-structured data is converted into a set of columns. The denormalized arrangement is materialized by applying the de-normalized arrangement onto the semi-structured data. The materialized arrangement, the virtual table, may be stored on a persistent storage or kept in volatile memory. The virtual table may be stored in one format on the persistent storage and in another format in the volatile memory.

Abstract: A data guide is dynamically generated. The data guide describes the structures of hierarchical data objects added to a collection of hierarchical data objects. Examples of hierarchical data objects are documents that conform to XML (Extensible Mark-up Language) or data objects that conform to JSON (JavaScript Object Notation). The data guide may be created and/or updated as hierarchical data objects are added to the collection.

Abstract: Hierarchical data objects are indexed using an index referred to herein as a hierarchy-value index. A hierarchy-value index has, as index keys, tokens (tag name, a word in node string value) that are extracted from hierarchical data objects. Each token is mapped to the locations that correspond to the data for the token in hierarchical data objects. A token can represent a non-leaf node, such as an XML element or a JSON field. A location can be a region covering and subsuming child nodes. For a token that represents a non-leaf node, a location to which the token is mapped contains the location of any token corresponding to a descendant node of the non-leaf node. Thus, token containment based on the locations of tokens within a hierarchical data object may be used to determine containment relationships between nodes in a hierarchical data object.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for de-normalizing semi-structured hierarchical data into a virtual table. At least a portion of semi-structured data document collection is denormalized for improving the execution of queries that involves a traversal of the semi-structured data hierarchy of the semi-structured data document collection, in an embodiment. Based on the extracted schema of the semi-structured data, a de-normalized arrangement is generated, in which the hierarchical relationship of the semi-structured data is converted into a set of columns. The denormalized arrangement is materialized by applying the de-normalized arrangement onto the semi-structured data. The materialized arrangement, the virtual table, may be stored on a persistent storage or kept in volatile memory. The virtual table may be stored in one format on the persistent storage and in another format in the volatile memory.

Abstract: Techniques related to binary encoding of hierarchical data objects to support efficient path navigation of the hierarchical data objects are disclosed. A hierarchical data object may include field names that are associated with field values. A method may involve generating a plurality of hash codes, each hash code corresponding to a respective field name. The method may involve generating a hash-code mapping that maps each hash code to a respective field-name identifier. The method may involve generating a field-name mapping that maps each field name to a respective field-name identifier. The method may involve generating a hierarchical tree of nodes that includes non-leaf nodes and leaf nodes. A particular non-leaf node may include a child node mapping that maps the particular non-leaf node to one or more child nodes and may include a field-name-identifier-to-child mapping that maps a respective field-name identifier to each of the one or more child nodes.

Abstract: A data guide is dynamically generated. The data guide describes the structures of hierarchical data objects added to a collection of hierarchical data objects. Examples of hierarchical data objects are documents that conform to XML (Extensible Mark-up Language) or data objects that conform to JSON (JavaScript Object Notation). The data guide may be created and/or updated as hierarchical data objects are added to the collection.

Abstract: Hierarchical data objects are indexed using an index referred to herein as a hierarchy-value index. A hierarchy-value index has, as index keys, tokens (tag name, a word in node string value) that are extracted from hierarchical data objects. Each token is mapped to the locations that correspond to the data for the token in hierarchical data objects. A token can represent a non-leaf node, such as an XML element or a JSON field. A location can be a region covering and subsuming child nodes. For a token that represents a non-leaf node, a location to which the token is mapped contains the location of any token corresponding to a descendant node of the non-leaf node. Thus, token containment based on the locations of tokens within a hierarchical data object may be used to determine containment relationships between nodes in a hierarchical data object.

Abstract: Files of software to be installed in a computer are packaged as follows. A source file is prepared to contain at least a declaration of an array of sufficient space to accommodate the files to be packaged. The source file is compiled into an executable file. Thereafter, the array in the executable file is overwritten with data from each file being packaged. Depending on the embodiment, the address of where each file begins in the executable file and each file's name may be stored in the same executable file or in a different file. The stored file names are used to identify an address of a file from its name, when the named file is first accessed. In several embodiments, the operating system loads the executable file as a library that is automatically shared by multiple instances of the application (or by multiple applications), to efficiently use physical memory.

Abstract: A method and mechanism are provided for accessing data. Values are stored for a set of context attributes associated with a session between a database user and a database server. The database system includes an attribute setting mechanism that selectively restricts access to the set of context attributes based on a policy. During the session, the database server executes a query that contains a reference to one or more of the context attributes. For example, the query may contain a predicate that requires a comparison between a context attribute value and a constant. The database server processes the query based on current values of the one or more of the context attributes referenced in the query. A mechanism is also provided for dynamically attaching predicates to queries, where the predicates are attached based on a policy. For example, the database system detects that a query is issued against a database object.