Patent ID: 8832081

Claim:
A method, comprising: storing, using a processor of a computer, structural metadata describing a first structure and a second structure that each define a different format of structured content, wherein the structured content is a subset of Large Object (LOB) data, wherein the first structure has a first set of columns, and wherein the second structure has a second set of columns; using the structural metadata to create a result set that is empty with the first set of columns and the second set of columns; for each row of data in the database table that includes the LOB data, in response to control data identifying the LOB data as having the first structure, mapping the structured content within the LOB data in that row of data to the first set of columns in the result set by generating queries using the structural metadata describing the first structure; and in response to the control data identifying the LOB data has having the second structure, mapping the structured content within the LOB data in that row of data to the second set of columns in the result set by generating queries using the structure metadata describing the second structure; and returning the result set.