Patent ID: 8825632

Claim:
A method of interrogating or modifying a database that includes a plurality of tables, each with fields, and relationships between the fields of various tables, the method comprising the steps of: creating an initial query in an initial format that includes solely: a single privileged table, at least one input field in another table, different from said privileged table, for which data are sought or to be modified, and at least one input filter pertaining to a field of another table, different from said privileged table, for selection of the data sought or to be modified, the at least one input filter including an identification of at least one field; converting said initial query into a full SQL request in an appropriate SQL format by, based on knowledge of the relationships between the fields of the various tables in the database established from a data model of the database, performing the sub-steps of: identifying, using the at least one input field and the at least one field associated with the at least one input filter, tables in the database containing these fields, identifying, using the at least one input field and the at least one field associated with the at least one input filter, relationships in the database between these fields, and formulating, from said initial query, said identified tables, and said identified relationships, a full SQL query to the database by stating in full: fields for which data are sought or to be modified, one or more filters, including said at least one input field and/or field(s) associated with the at least one input filter, and including said identified tables containing these fields in accordance with said identified relationships, and joins representative of said identified relationships between the fields of various tables; and applying said full SQL query to the database.