Method and means using order of occurrence of entries and of events within entries for creating a data base and/or for finding a predetermined degree of match between the order of occurrence of events and entries in a request and a stored data base and/or for recreating an input in the original order of occurrence from a data base representing the order of occurrence of entries and events.

A data structure for use in a document processing system corresponds to a document comprised of one or more Pages. Each Page is subdivided into one or more nonoverlapping Areas, each Area in turn being comprised of one or more types of Layers. Each Layer type is expressive of a particular type of information such as text or graphics information. Different Layer types may be superimposed to comprise the contents of an Area.

In a data dictionary directory system, the definition information to be registered in a dictionary is registered being divided into several definition units. A data base system registers the definition information and confirms the coordination of the contents of definition among the definition units. The definition information is registered without confirming the coordination. The coordination is confirmed when it becomes necessary to confirm the coordination among the definition informations re...

A data base management system is disclosed in which data entities are records representing nodes in an entity-relationship directed graph. The body of each node represents one of the physical entities to be utilized while the edges of each node represent relationships between that physical entity and other physical entities. Some of the edges are hyperedges to permit the identification of simultaneous relationships with more than one other node. An application of this system to the assignment of...

A system for linking elements representing stored information in a data base comprising a link structure formed in a section of the data base independent of the elements, a pointer in the link structure indicating the location of a first element, and a second pointer in the link structure indicating the location of a second element. The data base contains items comprising textual data and a plurality of categories into which the items may be categorized such that each item may be linked to more ...

The data elements for a column of a table are fetched from irregular address locations in memory and stored as vector data with a regular address increment. Vector designating data is also generated which includes at least the first element address of the stored vector data and the increment of the vector. The vector data is processed by a program routine which can perform the processing required by a selected command and which includes vector instructions each designating at least one set of ve...

A file management system removes an object from the file management system by first deleting a link to the first object. When a link to the first object is deleted the file management system determines whether there are any links to the first object remaining. If there are no links remaining, the first object is destroyed by removing data files associated with the first object.

An implementation of referential integrity in which descriptions of referential constraints are compiled into meta-data descriptions of the constraint rules and specifications. The meta-data descriptions of the constraints are stored in the form of objects called relationship descriptors. Each relationship descriptor contains a complete description of a referential constraint, either directly or by means of pointers to other objects such as record and index descriptors which contain information ...

An improved database management system (DBMS) stores, retrieves and manipulates directed graph data structures in a relational database. Each directed graph data structure contains one or more records of data which are interconnected by pointers. Data is stored in the database in the form of two dimensional tables, also known as flat files. The improved DBMS defines a schema for each table in the database. The schema defines the name and data type of each column in a database table. In tables us...

A computer system for processing information representative of complex business transactions. The system enables a user to define business logic within a dynamic information management system model. The system may include a plurality of editors which enable a user to dynamically create, analyze and modify design data. The system further includes graphical displays which enable a user to affect the operations to be performed on that design data.