Database insertion and retrieval system and method

Abstract

A database processing system and method for inserting into a database and retrieving from database documents formatted in accordance with a markup language.

1 . A method for processing information from a document using a database, comprising the steps of:
 associating a tag with one of a plurality of identifiers;   generating a hash table comprising a plurality of levels, wherein each one of said plurality of levels is hierarchically related to another one of said plurality of levels, and wherein each one of said plurality of levels is associated with one of said plurality of identifiers;   receiving the document comprising text formatted in accordance with a first markup language;   determining each occurrence of one of the plurality of identifiers within the text by searching the text for a text stream that matches the identifier using a stylesheet; and   generating a hash table index comprising at least one key, wherein the at least one key comprises at least one of the plurality of identifiers.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 retrieving the tag associated with one of the plurality of identifiers at one or more of the plurality of levels.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein retrieving the tag further comprises:
 retrieving the tag from a local memory of the database if the tag is stored therein; and   retrieving the tag from a hard disk of the database if the tag is not stored in the local memory.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tag comprises text formatted in accordance with the first markup language. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first markup language is extensible markup language (XML). 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 selecting the at least one identifier; and   modifying the stylesheet to use the at least one selected identifier.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of levels comprises one or more top levels and at least one sublevel associated with each one of the top levels. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 associating the document with one of the top levels.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 performing data compression on the document text to form a compressed document.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 inserting the document text into the local memory and the hard disk of the database according to an insertion page comprising database insertion instructions provided in accordance with a second markup language.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining whether or not the local memory size has exceeded a target threshold size; and   removing, if the target threshold size has been exceeded, the oldest information from the local memory to maintain the local memory size below the target threshold size.   
   
   
       12 . A system for processing information using a database, comprising:
 an information storage and retrieval application configured to receive markup language information and database requests from a client device and further comprising a translator portion configured to generate a key based on each occurrence of a selected attribute occurring in a file, the selected attribute being specified using a first stylesheet; and   a database coupled to the information storage and retrieval application and further comprising a memory manager.   
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the memory manager further comprises:
 a local memory including a hash table index and a hash table;   wherein the translator portion is configured to form the key using at least one identifier associated with the selected attribute and to add one or more keys to the hash table index in accordance with a second stylesheet.   
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one identifier comprises a top-level identifier and at least one sub-level identifier, and wherein the at least one sub-level identifier and the top-level identifier are hierarchically related. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the top-level identifier is associated with a document comprising input information, and wherein each of the at least one sub-level identifiers is identified with a portion of the input information. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the translator portion is further configured to insert input information into the database in accordance with an insertion instruction page, and to transform information received from the database in accordance with a third stylesheet. 
   
   
       17 . A computer-readable medium upon which is embodied a sequence of programmable instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform functions comprising:
 receiving a document comprising text formatted in accordance with a first markup language;   associating a tag with one of a plurality of identifiers, wherein the tag comprises document text;   generating a hash table comprising a plurality of levels, wherein each one of said plurality of levels is hierarchically related to another one of said plurality of levels, and wherein each one of said plurality of levels is associated with one of said plurality of identifiers;   determining each occurrence of one of the plurality of identifiers within the text by searching the text for a text stream that matches the identifier using a stylesheet;   generating a hash table index comprising at least one key, wherein the at least one key comprises at least one of the plurality of identifiers;   retrieving the tag associated with one of the plurality of identifiers at one or more of the plurality of levels, further comprising retrieving the tag from a local memory of a database if the tag is stored therein and retrieving the tag from a hard disk of the database if the tag is not stored in the local memory;   associating the document with one of the top levels;   performing data compression on the document text to form compressed document text; and   inserting the compressed document text into the local memory and the hard disk of the database according to an insertion page comprising database insertion instructions provided in accordance with a second markup language.   
   
   
       18 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions further comprise:
 determining whether or not the local memory size has exceeded a target threshold size; and   removing, if the target threshold size has been exceeded, the oldest information from the local memory to maintain the local memory size below the target threshold size.   
   
   
       19 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of levels comprises one or more top levels and at least one sublevel associated with each one of the top levels. 
   
   
       20 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the tag comprises text formatted in accordance with the first markup language, and wherein the first markup language is extensible markup language (XML).