Patent ID: 7801921

Claim:
A method comprising: (a) linking, with a computer, a child table and a plurality of parent tables in a database such that, for each of the plurality of parent tables, the child table has a linked child column that is linked to a linked parent column; (b) receiving a query for information corresponding to at least one of the plurality of parent tables; (c) receiving a request to delete a requested child row from the child table; (d) determine a first condition, the first condition being that the query corresponds to each of the plurality of a parent table and each of the plurality of parent tables has a row with a linked parent column that has a same value as a linked child column in the requested child row from the child table; (e) deleting the requested child row from the child table upon the first condition being met; and (f) determining a second condition, the second condition being that the query corresponds to only one of the plurality of parent tables that has a row with a linked parent column that has a same value as a linked child column in the requested row from the child table and, for each remaining parent table, no row has a linked column has a same value as a linked column in the requested row from the child table; and (g) deleting the requested child row from the child upon the second condition being met.