By Eugene Wong, T. C. Chiang
Communications of the ACM,
September 1971,
Vol. 14 No. 9, Pages 593-597
10.1145/362663.362735
Comments
A new file structure for attribute based retrieval is proposed in this paper. It allows queries involving arbitrary Boolean functions of the attribute-value pairs to be processed without taking intersections of lists. The structure is highly dependent on the way in which the file is to be used and is uniquely determined by the specification of the allowed queries. Thus, for example, the structure for retrieval on the basis of ranges of values on a given attribute would be very different from one where only retrieval on the basis of a single value is permitted.
The file organization being proposed is based on the atoms of a Boolean algebra generated by the queries. The desirable properties claimed for this structure are proved, and file maintenance questions are discussed.
The full text of this article is premium content
No entries found
Log in to Read the Full Article
Need Access?
Please select one of the options below for access to premium content and features.
Create a Web Account
If you are already an ACM member, Communications subscriber, or Digital Library subscriber, please set up a web account to access premium content on this site.
Join the ACM
Become a member to take full advantage of ACM's outstanding computing information resources, networking opportunities, and other benefits.
Subscribe to Communications of the ACM Magazine
Get full access to 50+ years of CACM content and receive the print version of the magazine monthly.
Purchase the Article
Non-members can purchase this article or a copy of the magazine in which it appears.