Abstract
Chiql is a novel Chinese relational database query language for Chinese users. It supports procedural query style in which users can specify a complex database request in multiple simple statements. This facility renders Chiql simple-to-use and easy-to-remember. However, direct executation of multi-statement Chiql queries (i.e. statement by statement) is often inefficient as potential index-based operations (e.g. join) are by-passed. Furthermore, it often incurs additional database operations, such as scan and projection. To improve this situation, the SMA (Statement Merging Algorithm) is proposed. The goal of SMA is to merge as many dependent statements within a Chiql query as possible to form a more efficient Chiql query. The ability in achieving improved efficiency without sacrificing the simplicity of the language is the major advantage of this algorithm.
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This paper is partially supported by Key National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the RGC 94/95 Earmarked Research Grant (CUHK 256/94E).
Meng Xiaofeng received his M.S. degree in computer application in July 1993 from Renmin University of China. Presently he is a Ph.D. candidate at Institute of Computing Technology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research interest include design and implementation of database systems, naural language interface to database systems, parallel database.
Wong Kam-Fai obtaned his PhD from Edinburgh University in 1987. At present he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research interest centers on Chinese computing and parallel database and information systems.
Vincent Lum obtained his Ph. D. degree from the University of Illinois in 1966. Since 1991 he has been with the Chinese University of Hong Kong where he is a Professor and the founding Chairman of the Systems Engineering and Engineering Management Department. His research interests include database systems, Chinese processing or integrating local culture into software systems.
Wang Shan receiced her M.S. degree in computer application from Renmin University of China in 1982. Now she is a Professor at the same university. From 1984 to 1986 she was an invited researcher at Maryland University. Her reserach interests include database systems and information systems.
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Meng, X., Wong, KF., Yip, S.M. et al. The processing and improvement of multi-statement queries in Chiql. J. of Comput. Sci. & Technol. 13, 161–173 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02946604
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02946604