Abstract: A system and method for translating a universal query language UQL into a relational query language such as SQL. The method first determines whether there are any UQL rule properties. If so, the rule is substituted for the rule property. Next, for each resource and resource property, a relational table is assigned and given an ID. Assigned tables are placed into a table list. Following this step, for each resource property, implied conditions are generated and placed into a condition list and, if needed, additional tables are generated and assigned ids. Then, for each UQL primitive property, a table and column is identified according to a table.column format and placed into a column list. Finally, any predicates are resolved into explicit conditions and the conditions are placed into the condition list. From the column list, the table list and the condition list an SQL statement is formed for querying the relational database.

Abstract: An information deposit and retrieval system based on a resource-property data modeling. An exemplary usage of this system is to describe the properties of documents, pictures, web pages, etc. including their locations in the information deposit and retrieval system. Each document is modeled as a resource. Each resource can be associated with unlimited number of properties. A user can create a resource in the information deposit and retrieval system when he creates a document or comes across a web page by describing the properties of the resource. Later, when the user wants to locate the document, the user issues a query with specifying properties and values to the system. A typical query is to get the “location” property and other property of a resource by giving the values of name, author, and keyword properties. After the matching process, the system returns the matching resources and their location properties.