Patent ID: 7437352

Claim:
A method for obtaining information from a relational database, comprising the steps of: formulating a text query to retrieve data from the relational database, where a first portion of the text query specifies the data to be retrieved and a second portion of the text query specifies a format for graphing the data; transmitting the text query to the relational database, wherein the first portion of the text query and the second portion of the text query are formulated in a structured query language (SQL); executing the text query; returning data from the relational database in accordance with the text query; interpreting the text query in accordance with the structured query language (SQL) having keywords and syntax for specifying said format, wherein said keywords are for a SQL data plotting extension and wherein said syntax recognizes said keywords for graphing the data; and presenting the data in accordance with said format, wherein the graphical image is one of a line graph, a horizontal bar chart, a vertical bar chart, a pie chart, a scatter plot, a contour plot, and a wafer map, in accordance with a keyword in the second portion of the text query.