JPH07129565A - Information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To retrieve a database, to store data, etc., with a simple operation which is common to all applications by providing a retrieving function of the database for a Japanese input end front processor. CONSTITUTION:Existent databases (1 to 3) 11 to 13 are applied as the dictionary of the Japanese input end front processor (FEP) 16 and the FEP 16 is used as a data base retrieving engine. For example, at an application A14 (word processor software, e.g.), data in a database (2) (the database of an address book, e.g.) 12 is utilized by using FEP 16. At the time of input to FEP 16, if the input is the conversion of KANA (Japanese syllabary), KANA/KANJI (Chinese character) conversion processing is executed and the result is delivered to applications A14 and B15, and if the input means the retrieving of the data base (1 to 3) 11 to 13, which database is to be retrieved, is judged, the data base is retrieved, and the retrieved result is delivered to the applications A14 and B15.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

[Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to all information processing devices (personal computers, workstations, office processors, word processor specialized machines, electronic notebooks, etc.) having a Japanese input front-end processor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A Japanese input front-end processor is used for inputting Japanese in most computers currently having a keyboard input device used in Japan. On the other hand, most computers are provided with database software, many of which are running, and the storage devices of computers, such as electronic notebooks and word processors, store various information such as address books and schedules. Exists. The Japanese input front-end processor (hereinafter referred to as FEP) is indispensable for inputting Japanese, and in many cases, users use the same FEP for all applications. On the other hand, each database (including not only general-purpose database but also address book and schedule management software) provides its own search method, and information search methods are not unified even on the same machine. There are many. Furthermore, regarding the use of the information retrieved from the database in another application, it changes variously depending on the interrelationship between the application used and the database, and the user is obliged to learn many operation methods. Now, in many cases, users currently use the same FEP for multiple applications on the same computer or multiple computers, but use various operating methods for information retrieval, and use the retrieved information in applications. We are in a situation where we have to perform various operations to use it.

That is, many information processing devices have many application software and databases that can be used on them. The various operating methods of these applications and the operating methods of the database differ depending on the application and the database search engine, respectively. Consider that three different databases and database management software are used and the data contained in these three databases are used by two applications (Fig. 1). First, when data 1 is retrieved from the database 1, an operation called search 1 is required there. When using it in an application, the data 1 must be saved in a file, so the operation of save 1 is performed. When the application A uses the data, a file read operation (read A) is required. Similarly, when using the application B data, the read operation (read B) requested by the application B must be performed. Then, also in the databases 2 and 3, similarly to the database 1, the operations for searching and saving must be performed. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 1, when using data from three different databases in two applications,
You will have to do at least eight different operations.

[0004]

As described in the above-mentioned prior art, there are many databases and applications even in one computer, and in order to mutually use them, many operation methods must be learned and executed. I have to do it. However, usually, when a user inputs Japanese in various application software, 1
It uses various types of Japanese input front-end processors, and thus benefits from the unified operability of Japanese input. FEP is for converting an input kana sentence into a kanji kana mixed sentence, and searching a dictionary prepared in advance for a target word. Therefore, it includes the act of searching the database. In order to retrieve data using database management software with different operation methods and to use it, it is necessary to perform different operations in each application.

[0005]

According to the present invention, this series of operations is performed by a Japanese input front-end processor which can be commonly used in many applications. As a result, conventional "search" and "save"
FEP, which used to perform three types of operations, including "read"
It is only necessary to perform "search" by, and it becomes possible to perform common operations on many applications (Fig. 2).

In other words, the Japanese input front-end processor converts a kana sentence that is mainly input into a kanji kana mixed sentence using a dictionary in a storage device, which is called "information retrieval". The act is included. That is, FE that can be commonly used by multiple applications
If P is used as an engine for searching an existing database, the problems of unifying the operability of information search and simplifying the use of search data for applications can be solved at the same time.

Since the dictionary structure of FEP and the data structure of various databases are usually different, a mechanism for adapting the existing database to the dictionary structure of FEP is introduced without changing the data structure of the existing database. , FEP as a database search engine.

That is, the present invention mainly converts the input kana sentence into a kanji kana mixed sentence using a dictionary in a storage device, and can be commonly used by a plurality of applications. However, the present invention provides an information processing apparatus used as an engine for searching an existing database.

[0009]

As described above, when the data obtained as a result of searching the database is used in each application software, in the conventional technique, the operations of searching the database, saving the data, and reading the data on the application side are performed. It was necessary to do this for each database management software and each application software, but by providing the Japanese input front-end processor with the database search function, common and simple operations can be performed on any application. You can make it possible.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Focusing on each of the FEP and the database management software, it can be seen that the center of the logic is the search, and each input / output unit is associated with it. Therefore, by having the database search logic in parallel with the FEP search logic and making it correspond to the input and output of the FEP, the database search function having the operability of the FEP is realized (FIG. 4). First, the normal FEP will be described. The left side of FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the operation of FEP. Mainly (kana sentence) input →
It has three structures: kana-kanji conversion processing (including dictionary search) → output (kana-kanji mixed sentence) output. Similarly, the database search has three configurations: input (search key character) → database search → output (search result). And usually, they exist separately and independently (Fig. 3). Therefore, in an application (Fig. 1 * 8, * 9, for example, Japanese word processor, spreadsheet software, etc.), information of multiple databases (Fig. 1 * 1- * 3 is a database. For example, * 1 is created with an electronic notebook or the like. The telephone number book, * 2 is the English-Japanese dictionary of the translation software, * 3 is the record list created by the card-type database, etc. * 4 to * 6 are the information extracted from each of * 1 to * 3. For example, * 4 is Ichiro Yamada's phone number and fax number, * 5 is catacom
When you try to use the word "catacombs", which is a Japanese translation of b, * 6 is "information such as Beethoven Symphony No. 5 / conductor Karajan / performance Berlin Philharmonic"), perform a search operation for each database and You need to save them to a file (or to another medium, such as paper), and then read them back in your application (enter them if you wrote them on paper). At this time, FEP only converts the sentence input in the application into kanji.

However, the FEP and the database management software have a common point in that they input some character string and apply some processing to obtain some character string. The "some processing" part is the same in the FEP. It becomes the logic of Kana-Kanji conversion, and the database management software becomes the logic of searching the database.
Therefore, if the input / output part uses FEP, and if the database search process can be linked to the kana-kanji conversion process (dictionary search) part (FIG. 4), the inconvenience caused by the independence of FEP and database Can be avoided. In FIG. 2, application A
(* 14 For example, word processing software), database 2
(* 12 For example, an address book database)
It indicates that it is used by being used for EP. F
If the input to the EP is Kana-Kanji conversion, Kana-Kanji conversion processing is performed and the result is passed to the application. If it means a database search, which database should be searched is determined. The search result is passed to the application.

FIG. 6 shows an operation flowchart of the FEP incorporating the database search function. First, when there is an input to the FEP, it is first determined whether it is a character string to be converted into a normal kana-kanji character or a character string to be a key of a database. As a method, if the first character or several characters of the input character string is a specific character or character string, an algorithm that recognizes the character string after that as a key of the database can be considered. 7). Otherwise, it is regarded as a character string that should undergo normal Kana-Kanji conversion, and the normal conversion processing is performed, and the result is output. In the case of a database search, which database should be searched is determined, the search logic of each database is called to search, and the result is output. The algorithm for determining which database to search may be to insert information about which database to search in the one-character or several-character prefix that indicates a database search. (FIG. 8).

[0014]

According to the present invention, (1) simplification of operability when searching a database and using it in an application, and (2) whatever database management software or application software is used, FE
Using P makes it possible to obtain the effect that the operability is unified.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a conventional general information processing apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an example of the present invention.

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Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A Japanese input front-end processor which can convert a kana sentence mainly input into a kanji kana mixed sentence using a dictionary in a storage device and can be commonly used by a plurality of applications is available. Information processing apparatus characterized by being used as an engine for searching a database of a computer