Patent ID: 6651047
Filing Date: 2003-11-18
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of providing referential integrity in a data architecture, the data architecture including a plurality of data elements, wherein certain of the data elements are linked to other of the data elements, the method comprising:providing the ability for a first data element to depend from and be linked to a second data element; providing the ability for the first data element to also depend from and be linked to a third data element; when a given data element is to be deleted, checking to see if the given data element has other data elements depending from the given data element; if the given data element has other data elements depending therefrom, deleting the dependent data elements if the dependent data elements are not dependent on other data elements; and if the given data element has other data elements depending therefrom and the dependent data elements are dependent on other data elements, determining if the dependent nature of the dependent data element to the given data elements is a true bind or is a link reference; wherein the first data element is only stored in one location, the storage being associated with the second data element, with only a referential link between the first data element and the third data element.