JPH04111166A - Data retrieving device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To preserve information with timber construction relation to be utilized for retrieval by narrowing down a retrieval object while utilizing a tree structure retrieval condition and further narrowing down the retrieval object while utilizing an attribute retrieval condition from among attribute information. CONSTITUTION:A tree structure retrieval condition and an attribute retrieval condition are inputted while utilizing a tree structure retrieval condition input means 1 and an attribute retrieval condition input means 4 on the screen of a retrieval result display means 7. When condition input is terminated, the tree structure retrieval execution by a tree structure retrieval means 3 and the attribute retrieval execution by an attribute retrieval means 6 are performed in order. On the tree structure retrieval, when the tree structure information of retrieval candidate preserved in a tree structure preservation means 2 includes the tree structure retrieval condition, the object for the retrieval is matched with the condition.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a data retrieval device that can perform data retrieval using not only attribute information of a search target but also tree structure information.

[Conventional technology]

With the liberalization and popularization of computer use, user demands are becoming increasingly diverse and complex. In response to these circumstances, database technology has also greatly developed.

Conventionally, methods to meet such demands include relational data database (hereinafter referred to as RDB) and interactive infrastructure QBE (mouth query database), as shown in Figures 12 to 15.
-BY-Example) has been proposed. These figures 12, 14, and 15 are “
Relational Data Heath System (Kinda Kagakusha, written by Takayuki Hirao)
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of RDB and QBE shown in FIG. In FIG. 13, reference numeral 4 denotes attribute search condition input means for inputting attribute search conditions for a search target, and in this example, QBE 22 is used. As shown in FIG. 14, the QBE 22 is a means for instructing by setting attribute search conditions in the corresponding columns while looking at the framework of the displayed table.

Reference numeral 5 denotes an attribute storage means for storing attribute information, and in this example, the attribute information 23 to be searched is stored in a table format as shown in FIG. Reference numeral 6 denotes an attribute retrieval means, which searches the table-format attribute information 23 stored in the attribute storage means 5 for a descriptor that meets the attribute retrieval conditions. Reference numeral 7 denotes a search result display means, which displays and outputs the data of the results searched by the attribute search means 6 in a table format.

Data search value using conventional RDB and QBE
E22 is used to specify attribute search conditions and the format of the search result table. Accordingly, the search result display means 7 displays and outputs a table of search results.

Problems to be solved by invention C] The conventional data search device is configured as described above,
Since the attributes related to the search target are expressed in a table format as shown in FIG. 15, it is not possible to use tree structure relationships (up/down, order, inclusion relationships, etc.) between attributes as search conditions. In order to express these tree structure relationships in a table format, it would be necessary to prepare countless special attributes, which is not realistic.

The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and in addition to the conventional tabular attributes, information with a tree structure relationship can also be stored and used for searching.
To provide a data retrieval device that allows a tree-structured retrieval condition to be entered using a very intuitive and easy-to-understand operation.

[Means to solve the problem]

The data search device according to the present invention includes a tree structure search condition input means 1 for inputting tree structure search conditions for searching tree structure information, and a tree structure storage means 2 for saving all the tree structure information to be searched. , a tree structure search means 3 that narrows down the search target from the stored tree structure information using the tree structure search conditions; an attribute search condition input means 4 that inputs the attribute search conditions of the search target; an attribute storage means 5 for storing all attribute information; an attribute search means 6 for further narrowing down search targets from among the stored attribute information using the attribute search conditions; the tree structure search means 3 and the attribute search and search result display means 7 for displaying the search targets finally narrowed down by means 6 as search results.

[Effect]

Tree structure search condition input means 1 inputs tree structure search conditions for searching tree structure information. The tree structure storage means 2 stores all tree structure information to be searched. The tree structure search means 3 narrows down search targets from the stored tree structure information using the above tree structure search conditions. Attribute search condition input means 4 inputs attribute search conditions for a search target. The attribute storage means 5 stores all attribute information to be searched. The attribute search means 6 further narrows down the search target from the stored attribute information using the attribute search conditions.

The search result display means 7 displays and outputs the search targets finally narrowed down by the tree structure search means 3 and the attribute search means 6 as search results.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a data search device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a tree structure search condition input means for inputting tree structure search conditions for searching tree structure information; 2 is a tree structure storage means for saving tree structure information of all possible search targets; 3 is a tree structure search means for extracting and narrowing down a search target from the stored tree structure information using the tree structure search condition (selecting a corresponding search target from the tree structure search condition and the tree structure information); Reference numeral 4 denotes an attribute search condition input means for inputting attribute search conditions for a search target; 5 an attribute storage means for storing all attribute information for a search target; and 6 a means for using the above attribute search conditions from among the stored attribute information. 7 is a tree structure search means 3;
This search result display means displays the search targets finally narrowed down (selected) by the search results and the attribute search means 6 in a table format as search results.

FIG. 2 is a screen image diagram used by the tree structure search condition input means 1 and attribute search condition input means 4 in FIG. 1. As shown in Figure 2, tree structure information can be easily constructed using the mouse cursor while visualizing the image of the tree structure.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining tree structure search processing in this embodiment. This tree structure search process is
As shown in FIG. 4, the tree structure search conditions (included in the tree structure information) input interactively by the tree structure search condition input means 1 are applied to each of the search targets stored by the tree structure storage means 2. This is done by comparing with tree structure information. At this time, the attributes attached to each node of the tree structure can also be verified at the same time. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing tree structure information in this embodiment.

This tree structure information is stored in a file called a tree structure pattern table in this embodiment. The tree structure information (buttons) for each search target is as shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining tree structure search processing in this embodiment.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. First, start this data retrieval device,
A tree structure search condition and an attribute search condition are input on the screen of the search result display means 7 using the tree structure search condition input means 1 and the attribute search condition input means 4 (Step 1). The input at this time uses the screen shown in FIG. 2, and in this embodiment, as can be seen from FIG. 2, data representing a house in a tree structure is used. The attributes of this data are the attributes of each node in the tree (
(e.g. house, garage, etc.). These attributes can be specified by clicking each note with the mouse cursor.

When the above condition input is completed (step s2), the tree structure search means 3 executes a tree structure search (step S3), and the attribute search means 6 executes an attribute search (step S4) in this order. Regarding the tree structure search, as shown in FIG. 6, when the tree structure information of the search target stored in the tree structure storage means 2 includes the tree structure search condition, the search target matches the condition. do. Attribute searches are handled in the same way as conventional table formats. Next, a search result list of the above two searches is output to the search result display means 7 (step 35). In this embodiment, each image to be searched is further stored separately in the tree structure storage means 2. Therefore, when one is specified from the list of search results (step S6), the image of the specified target (
(substantive data) is output on the screen of the search result display means 7 (step S7). When the output of the entity data is finished (step S8) and the search is finished (step S9), this process is stopped.

According to the above embodiment, it becomes easy to describe the vertical, order, and inclusion relationships between attributes, which was difficult with attributes alone, and the size (number of nodes) of the tree structure information to be handled can be set to the maximum value from the beginning. There is no need to fix it. Here, we will discuss the reason why it is not necessary to fix the maximum value from the beginning for the size of the tree structure to be handled.

First, we will try to express tree-structured data as shown in FIG. 7 using only attributes (for example, RDB).

There is no need to define the size (number of notes) and type of tree-structured data from the beginning. In the above tree structure data, there are a total of seven technical and sono constituent elements: A, B, C, D, and IEFF. If this is expressed using RDB, it will be as shown in FIG. 8, for example. When the RD 80 table is defined as shown in FIG. 8, if you try to register tree structure information with 10 components in the table, it cannot be registered using the definition in JL. Also, consider the table shown in FIG. 9 as another expression. In this table, tree structure information whose component types are A, B, C, and DEF cannot be registered. That is, in the method of defining a table in advance and applying a search target to it, a limit is placed on the number or types of constituent elements at the definition stage.

On the other hand, in the method of storing tree-structured data as is, as in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the tree-structured data is simply arranged and saved, which limits the number and types of constituent elements. There is no need to make such a definition first.

Above and below, order between attributes.

It is easy to describe inclusion relationships. In RDB, each attribute is a search target attribute, and there is no relationship between each attribute. If the example of the tree structure data in FIG. 7 is represented by RDB, the attributes shown in FIG. 11 are added to the table in FIG. 8, for example. 1st
In the table shown in Figure 1, attributes representing relationships between elements must be prepared for the number of combinations of constituent elements. It is difficult to express relationships between such attributes naturally using a flat table. However, in the table shown in FIG. 10, the vertical, order, and inclusion relationships between attributes are naturally expressed. Therefore, there is no need to fix the maximum value of the size (number of nodes) of the tree structure information (tree structure pig) to be handled from the beginning.

In the above embodiment, the structure of a house is expressed as a tree structure data as a search target, but the search target may be anything as long as it is naturally expressed as a tree structure.

For example, (1) Map information A tree structure that represents the relationship between important points on a map.

(2) Clothing design information The components of clothing are expressed in a tree structure (hierarchical relationship). (3) Molecular structure information The molecular structure of a chemical formula can be used to search for items expressed in a tree structure. .

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the search target is narrowed down using the tree structure search condition from the saved tree structure information, and the search target is further narrowed down using the attribute search condition from the saved attribute information. Since the configuration has been configured to narrow down and finally display and output the narrowed down search targets as search results, in addition to the conventional tabular attributes, information with a tree structure relationship can also be saved and used for searches, and the tree structure can also be used for searching. When inputting search conditions for a structure, an effect can be obtained in that input can be performed using a very intuitive and easy-to-understand operation. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it becomes easier to describe the vertical order and inclusion relationship between attributes, which was difficult to do with attributes alone, and the maximum value of the size (number of nodes) of the tree structure information to be handled is fixed from the beginning. It also has the effect of eliminating the need for it.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a data search device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a screen image diagram used in the tree structure search condition input means and attribute search condition input means in FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of this embodiment, FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining tree structure search processing in this embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing tree structure information in this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the tree structure search process in this embodiment, and FIGS. 7 to 11 show the effect that the size of tree structure information handled in this embodiment does not need to be fixed at the maximum value from the beginning. 12 is a configuration diagram of a conventional data search device, FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional data search device, and FIG. 14 is a QBH used as a condition input means in the conventional example. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of tabular data in a conventional example. l...Tree structure search condition input means, 2...Tree structure storage means, 3...Tree structure search means, 4...Attribute search condition input means, 5...Attribute storage means, 6... - Attribute search means, 7...Search result display means. Agent Patent Attorney Jun Miyazono Figure 5 Figure 6 %12

Claims (1)

[Claims] A tree structure search condition input means for inputting tree structure search conditions for searching tree structure information; a tree structure storage means for saving all the tree structure information to be searched; and a tree structure storage means for saving all tree structure information to be searched; a tree structure search means for extracting search targets that match the tree structure search conditions; an attribute search condition input means for inputting attribute search conditions for the search targets; and attribute storage means for storing all attribute information for the search targets; an attribute search means for further extracting search targets matching the attribute search conditions from the stored attribute information; and search targets finally extracted and narrowed down by the tree structure search means and the attribute search means. A data retrieval device comprising: a search result display means for displaying and outputting a search result as a search result.