Automatic logical navigation for relational databases
Paul E. Reimers, Soon Myoung Chung · 1993
Relational daabases have successfully removed the need for physical navigation.However, they have failed to provide automatic logical navigation that is, users must specify a logi~access path (also known as a join path) when fbrdatm g a query.This becomes di5cuh and ermr-prosw as the size and complexity of a dmabase smuctme increase, especially for the casual usex who may not be fiuniliar withtheshucture of thedambasethatheis attempting to qwry.AISO,software sqqdications, incMing artificial intelligence applications, involving relational databases often require Sosm automated ~of determining join paths in order to properly construct queries.In this paper, a solution based upon the concept of maximal objects is proposal to provide the automatic logical navigation.The solution consists of two pasts: The tit partisthe design ofdatabmesmctures for storing the rnetadataof the databaw supportd by this soiution.The second part is the design of a join path generator which utilizes the metadata to provide a join path for au incomplete user quesy.Tlw user specifies the target tables (dtttiOt@ in the "FROM" CkiUSeof an SQL qtmy, and the join path generator returns the complete 'FROM" C-and h dditiOtd "WRE" Cb staWIMltS necemary in order to properlyjoin the targettalk.