Iterative data analysis enabled through query result abstraction

Abstract

The present invention is generally directed to a system, method and article of manufacture for accessing data represented abstractly through an abstraction model. In one embodiment, a data repository abstraction layer provides a logical view of an underlying data repository that is independent of the particular manner of data representation. For each successive query, the data repository abstraction layer is replaced or redefined to provide a restricted logical view of the underlying data repository.

1 . A computer readable storage medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation, comprising:
 displaying a logical view of data in a user interface, wherein the logical view includes a plurality of logical fields defined by a first data abstraction model, comprising:
 a plurality of logical field definitions for each of the plurality of logical fields, wherein at least some of the plurality of logical field definitions include a logical field name and a reference to an access method for retrieving data from at least one physical field of the data, whereby the retrieved data is exposed as a value of the respective logical field name; and 
   iteratively restricting the logical view of the data for each successive abstract query, based on at least one result criterion of an immediately previous abstract query; wherein the at least one result criterion specifies one or more fields for which a query result was returned for the immediately previous abstract query, and wherein the immediately previous abstract query further includes selection criteria specifying one or more conditions to be satisfied by the query result; wherein iteratively restricting the logical view of the data comprises making a portion of the exposed by the plurality of logical fields unavailable through the logical view.   
   
   
       2 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein iteratively restricting the logical view comprises removing a portion of the first data abstraction model and mapping a remaining portion of the first data abstraction model to the query_result of the immediately previous abstract query. 
   
   
       3 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein iteratively restricting the logical view comprises subsetting the plurality of logical fields relative to the immediately previous abstract query. 
   
   
       4 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the data comprises a plurality of tables in a database. 
   
   
       5 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the result criterion is a logical field. 
   
   
       6 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein iteratively restricting the logical view comprises removing elements of the first data abstraction model and preserving only those elements of the first data abstraction model corresponding to the at least one result criterion of the immediately previous abstract query. 
   
   
       7 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein iteratively restricting the logical view comprises generating a second data abstraction model without elements of the first data abstraction model. 
   
   
       8 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 7 , wherein generating the second data abstraction model comprises mapping logical fields defined by the second data abstraction model to the query result of the immediately previous abstract query. 
   
   
       9 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein iteratively restricting the logical view comprises generating a second data abstraction model with only a portion of the plurality of logical field definitions contained in the first data abstraction model. 
   
   
       10 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein generating the second data abstraction model comprises mapping the portion of the plurality of logical fields to the query result of the immediately previous abstract query.