Patent ID: RE41901

Claim:
When table-format data is represented as an array of records consisting of a plurality of fields containing field values for each field, a A method of extracting from said table-format data the a field value corresponding to a specific field and a specific record from table- format data represented as an array of records consisting of a plurality of fields containing field values for each field , said method being characterized in comprising the steps of: keeping in a storage device , for each individual field, a value control table containing field values for that field corresponding to a field value number that uniquely identifies said field value, which is a field value number that is common to the various fields and has a stipulated order from an initial value, and a field value number-specifying information array containing in a storage device, wherein the field values contained in the value control table correspond to field value numbers that uniquely identify the respective field values and have a stipulated order from an initial value, and the field value numbers are common to various fields such that the field value numbers having the stipulated order are assigned to the values of each field in a manner common to the various fields, and wherein the field value number- specifying information array contains information that specifies said field value numbers in the order of said records, acquiring from said field value number-specifying information array the field value number corresponding to said specific record, and obtaining from the field values stored in said value control table the field value corresponding to the acquired field value number acquired as above from the field values contained in the value control table .