Mary Ann Nix

US Patent:

53177304, May 31, 1994

Filed:

Jan 11, 1991

Appl. No.:

7/641021

Inventors:

Richard E. Moore - Marietta GA
Mary K. Nix - Alpharetta GA
Floyd W. Shackelford - Buford GA

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 15403
G06F 15415

US Classification:

395600

Abstract:

A system and method for dynamic processing of unbounded data streams. The system is adapted to operate on a data processing system including a display panel and a database stored on a non-volatile storage device. An input stream of data elements is received by the system from the database. The input stream of data elements is designated as a source data stream. An insert list of data elements is provided to maintain a first set of data elements arranged in sequence according to a corresponding sequence value; the first set of data elements is not contained in the source data stream. A delete list of data elements is provided to maintain a second set of data elements presently in the source data stream, and arranged in sequence according to a corresponding sequence value. A flagged list of data elements selected for further processing by a user, contains a third list of data elements arranged in sequence according to a corresponding sequence. In order to identify a data element to be returned to the display panel in response to a request for a current element in an apparent list of data elements, the system filters the source data stream through the insert list of data elements to obtain a candidate data element for the next element in the apparent list.