Different data sources for regions in geographical hierarchies

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a non-transitory machine-readable medium that stores a program. The program receives an input specifying a location field of a dataset. In response to the input, the program further retrieves a set of geographical hierarchy definitions. The program also retrieves, from the data source specified for a level in the geographical hierarchy defined by a geographical hierarchy definition in the set of geographical hierarchy definitions, a subset of a set of geometries representing a set of geographical regions belonging to the level in the geographical hierarchy. For each geometry in the subset of the set of geometries, at least one record in the dataset has a spatial point in a location field that falls within the geometry. The program further provides the subset of the set of geometries in a view of a map.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a program executable by at least one processing unit of a device, the program comprising sets of instructions for:
 receiving an input specifying a location field of a dataset, the dataset comprising a set of records, each record in the set of records comprising the location field and a set of fields, the location field configured to store a spatial point;   in response to the input, retrieving a set of geographical hierarchy definitions, each geographical hierarchy definition in the set of hierarchy definitions comprising a number of levels in a geographical hierarchy and a data source for each level in the geographical hierarchy;   retrieving, from the data source specified for a level in the geographical hierarchy defined by a geographical hierarchy definition in the set of geographical hierarchy definitions, a subset of a set of geometries representing a set of geographical regions belonging to the level in the geographical hierarchy, wherein, for each geometry in the subset of the set of geometries, at least one record in the dataset has a spatial point in the location field that falls within the geometry; and   providing the subset of the set of geometries in a view of a map.   
     
     
         2 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the set of geometries representing the set of geographical regions is a first set of geometries representing a first set of geographical regions, wherein the program further comprises sets of instructions for:
 receiving a selection of a second level in the geographical hierarchy defined by the geographical hierarchy definition; and   in response to the selection of the second level, retrieving, from the data source specified for the second level in the geographical hierarchy, a subset of a second set of geometries representing a second set of geographical regions belonging to the second level in the geographical hierarchy, wherein each geometry in the subset of the second set of geometries has at least one record in the dataset with a spatial point in the location field that falls within the geometry.   
     
     
         3 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 2 , wherein the data source specified for the second level in the geographical hierarchy and the data source specified for the first level in the geographical hierarchy are different data sources. 
     
     
         4 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the geographical hierarchy defined by the geographical hierarchy definition in the set of geographical hierarchy definitions is a first geographical hierarchy defined by a first geographical hierarchy definition in the set of geographical hierarchy definitions, wherein the set of geometries representing the set of geographical regions is a first set of geometries representing a first set of geographical regions, wherein the program further comprises sets of instructions for:
 receiving a selection of a second geographical hierarchy defined by a second geographical hierarchy definition in the set of geographical hierarchy definitions; and   in response to the selection of the second geographical hierarchy definition, retrieving, from the data source specified for a level in the second geographical hierarchy, a subset of a second set of geometries representing a second set of geographical regions belonging to the level in the second geographical hierarchy, wherein each geometry in the subset of the second set of geometries has at least one record in the dataset with a spatial point in the location field that falls within the geometry.   
     
     
         5 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 4 , wherein the data source specified for the second level in the second geographical hierarchy and the data source specified for the first level in the first geographical hierarchy are different data sources. 
     
     
         6 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein retrieving the set of geographical hierarchy definitions comprises:
 generating a query for the set of geographical hierarchy definitions;   sending the query to a computing system for execution; and   receiving the set of geographical hierarchy definitions from the computing system.   
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein retrieving the set of geographical hierarchy definitions comprises:
 generating a query for the set of geographical hierarchy definitions;   executing the query on a database of the device; and   receiving the set of geographical hierarchy definitions from the database.   
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 receiving an input specifying a location field of a dataset, the dataset comprising a set of records, each record in the set of records comprising the location field and a set of fields, the location field configured to store a spatial point;   in response to the input, retrieving a set of geographical hierarchy definitions, each geographical hierarchy definition in the set of hierarchy definitions comprising a number of levels in a geographical hierarchy and a data source for each level in the geographical hierarchy;   retrieving, from the data source specified for a level in the geographical hierarchy defined by a geographical hierarchy definition in the set of geographical hierarchy definitions, a subset of a set of geometries representing a set of geographical regions belonging to the level in the geographical hierarchy, wherein, for each geometry in the subset of the set of geometries, at least one record in the dataset has a spatial point in the location field that falls within the geometry; and   providing the subset of the set of geometries in a view of a map.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the set of geometries representing the set of geographical regions is a first set of geometries representing a first set of geographical regions, wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving a selection of a second level in the geographical hierarchy defined by the geographical hierarchy definition; and   in response to the selection of the second level, retrieving, from the data source specified for the second level in the geographical hierarchy, a subset of a second set of geometries representing a second set of geographical regions belonging to the second level in the geographical hierarchy, wherein each geometry in the subset of the second set of geometries has at least one record in the dataset with a spatial point in the location field that falls within the geometry.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the data source specified for the second level in the geographical hierarchy and the data source specified for the first level in the geographical hierarchy are different data sources. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the geographical hierarchy defined by the geographical hierarchy definition in the set of geographical hierarchy definitions is a first geographical hierarchy defined by a first geographical hierarchy definition in the set of geographical hierarchy definitions, wherein the set of geometries representing the set of geographical regions is a first set of geometries representing a first set of geographical regions, wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving a selection of a second geographical hierarchy defined by a second geographical hierarchy definition in the set of geographical hierarchy definitions; and   in response to the selection of the second geographical hierarchy definition, retrieving, from the data source specified for a level in the second geographical hierarchy, a subset of a second set of geometries representing a second set of geographical regions belonging to the level in the second geographical hierarchy, wherein each geometry in the subset of the second set of geometries has at least one record in the dataset with a spatial point in the location field that falls within the geometry.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the data source specified for the second level in the second geographical hierarchy and the data source specified for the first level in the first geographical hierarchy are different data sources. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein retrieving the set of geographical hierarchy definitions comprises:
 generating a query for the set of geographical hierarchy definitions;   sending the query to a computing system for execution; and   receiving the set of geographical hierarchy definitions from the computing system.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein retrieving the set of geographical hierarchy definitions comprises:
 generating a query for the set of geographical hierarchy definitions;   executing the query on a database of the device; and   receiving the set of geographical hierarchy definitions from the database.   
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 a set of processing units; and   a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by at least one processing unit in the set of processing units cause the at least one processing unit to:   receive an input specifying a location field of a dataset, the dataset comprising a set of records, each record in the set of records comprising the location field and a set of fields, the location field configured to store a spatial point;   in response to the input, retrieve a set of geographical hierarchy definitions, each geographical hierarchy definition in the set of hierarchy definitions comprising a number of levels in a geographical hierarchy and a data source for each level in the geographical hierarchy;   retrieve, from the data source specified for a level in the geographical hierarchy defined by a geographical hierarchy definition in the set of geographical hierarchy definitions, a subset of a set of geometries representing a set of geographical regions belonging to the level in the geographical hierarchy, wherein, for each geometry in the subset of the set of geometries, at least one record in the dataset has a spatial point in the location field that falls within the geometry; and   provide the subset of the set of geometries in a view of a map.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the set of geometries representing the set of geographical regions is a first set of geometries representing a first set of geographical regions, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processing unit to:
 receive a selection of a second level in the geographical hierarchy defined by the geographical hierarchy definition; and   in response to the selection of the second level, retrieve, from the data source specified for the second level in the geographical hierarchy, a subset of a second set of geometries representing a second set of geographical regions belonging to the second level in the geographical hierarchy, wherein each geometry in the subset of the second set of geometries has at least one record in the dataset with a spatial point in the location field that falls within the geometry.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the data source specified for the second level in the geographical hierarchy and the data source specified for the first level in the geographical hierarchy are different data sources. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the geographical hierarchy defined by the geographical hierarchy definition in the set of geographical hierarchy definitions is a first geographical hierarchy defined by a first geographical hierarchy definition in the set of geographical hierarchy definitions, wherein the set of geometries representing the set of geographical regions is a first set of geometries representing a first set of geographical regions, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processing unit to:
 receive a selection of a second geographical hierarchy defined by a second geographical hierarchy definition in the set of geographical hierarchy definitions; and   in response to the selection of the second geographical hierarchy definition, retrieve, from the data source specified for a level in the second geographical hierarchy, a subset of a second set of geometries representing a second set of geographical regions belonging to the level in the second geographical hierarchy, wherein each geometry in the subset of the second set of geometries has at least one record in the dataset with a spatial point in the location field that falls within the geometry.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the data source specified for the second level in the second geographical hierarchy and the data source specified for the first level in the first geographical hierarchy are different data sources. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein retrieving the set of geographical hierarchy definitions comprises:
 generating a query for the set of geographical hierarchy definitions;   sending the query to a computing system for execution; and   receiving the set of geographical hierarchy definitions from the computing system.