1. A lubrication installation for a tilting power box (13\u201317), intended to rotate at least a driven body (22) driven about an axis of rotation (A\u2014A) that is itself designed to swivel about a tilting axis (B\u2014B), more or less perpendicular to said axis of rotation (A\u2014A) of said driven body (22), said power box including a tilting crankcase (23) mounted to tilt about said tilting axis (B\u2014B) on a non-tilting rigid support (30), the installation comprising:
at least one lubricating circuit (37a, 37b) under pressure for at least one device to be lubricated that is housed in the tilting crankcase (23), said lubricating circuit comprising a radial transfer stage (47a, 47b) for liquid lubricant under pressure, between two cylindrical journals (56, 57) facing each other, approximately coaxial about the tilting axis (B\u2014B), and of which one is a fixed journal (56) arranged on a fixed part (31) integral with said non-tilting support (30), and the other is a swiveling journal (57) mounted on a swiveling part (58) integral with the tilting crankcase (23),
said radial transfer stage (47a, 47b) comprising two annular seals (62a, 63a, 62b and 63b) having a prone U-shaped cross-section, with the concavity of each turned to face the other and spaced from one another along the tilting axis (B\u2014B), so that an annular chamber (64a, 64b) of pressurized liquid lubricant is contained between said two annular seals (62a, 63a, 62b and 63b) and the two journals (56, 57), said annular chamber (64a, 64b) being fed with liquid lubricant under pressure by an inlet hole (70a, 70b) emerging in the fixed journal (56) between said two annular seals (62a, 63a, 62b and 63b) and with the downstream end of at least one supply duct (46e, 46b) integrated into said fixed part (31) and whose upstream end is connected to at least one source (34a, 34b) of pressurized lubricant, and also, feeding the tilting crankcase (23) in liquid lubricant under pressure through an outlet hole (71a, 71b) emerging in the swiveling journal (57) between said two annular seals (62a, 63a, 62b and 63b) and at the upstream end at least one distribution pipe (48a, 48b) extending into the swiveling part (58) and emerging in the tilting crankcase (23).
2. An installation according to claim 1, wherein at least one said inlet hole (70a, 70b) and outlet hole (71a, 71b) opens into an area (69a, 69b) forming a circular arc centered on the tilting axis (B\u2014B), arranged between the two annular seals (62a, 63a; 62b, 63b) in corresponding said fixed journal (56) and said swiveling journal (57) with the angle of said circular arc corresponding to a swiveling arc of said tilting crankcase.
3. An installation according to claim 1, wherein each of the two annular seals (62a, 63a, 62b, 63b) is retained axially between said two journals (56, 57) and against the pressure in said annular chamber (64a, 64b) by a radial shoulder (66, 67) arranged on one of said two journals (56, 57) or by a shouldered ring (65) attached to one of the two journals (56, 57).
4. An installation according to claim 1, further comprising a drain circuit (52), ensuring the return of the liquid lubricant from the tilting crankcase (23) into the fixed part (31) through a facial transfer bearing (54) for the liquid lubricant between two radial faces (77, 78), with respect to the tilting axis (B\u2014B), and of which one is a swiveling radial face (77) arranged on said swiveling part (58) and the other is a fixed radial face (78), arranged in said fixed part (31), at least one drain channel (53a, 53b), arranged in said swiveling part (58), opening into a facial opening (79) forming a circle arc centered on the tilting axis (B\u2014B) and arranged in said swiveling radial face (77), opposite a drain orifice (80) opening into said fixed radial face (78) and the upstream end of a return pipe (55) integrated into said fixed part (31) to conduct the liquid lubricant into a tank (36).
5. An installation according to claim 4, wherein said facial opening (79) extends into said swiveling radial face (77) between two other annular seals (81, 82), more or less coaxial around said tilting axis (B\u2014B) and situated radially one (82) on the outside and the other (81) on the inside of said radial opening (79), each of the two other seals (81, 82) having a prone transversal U-shaped concave face turned towards said fixed part (31) and being mounted between said two cylindrical journals (56, 57; 83, 84) more or less coaxial about the tilting axis (B\u2014B) and of which one is a swiveling journal (57, 84) arranged on said swiveling part (58), and the other a fixed journal (56, 83) arranged on said fixed part (31), so that each said other seal (81, 82) delimit with said fixed part (31) an annular chamber (85, 86) offering radial sealing and communicating between the two radial faces (77, 78), with the facial opening (79) and drain hole (80), and filled with liquid lubricant.
6. An installation according to claim 5, further comprising at least one leak detector (90, 90\u2032), sensitive to the presence of liquid lubricant in a volume (91) formed between a first seal (81) associated with the facial transfer journal (54) and a second seal (63b) on the radial transfer journal (47b) of a lubricating circuit (27b), the first and second seals (81, 63b) being mounted between the cylindrical journals (56, 57).
7. An installation according to claim 4, wherein the drain circuit (52) includes a first drain channel (53a), emerging downstream into said facial opening (79), and, upstream, into a bottom (24) of said tilting crankcase (23) in which the liquid lubricant is collected by gravity in at least a first position of said tilting crankcase (23) about the tilting axis (B\u2014B), and a second drain channel (53b), emerging into said facial opening (79) by its downstream end and channeling pressurized liquid lubricant through at least one pressurization stage (93) for the lubricant collected in at least one part of said tilting crankcase (23), in at least a second position of the tilting crankcase (23) about the tilting axis (B\u2014B).
8. An installation according to claim 7, wherein said at least one pressurization stage (93) is a drain pump, driven in rotation in part of said tilting crankcase (23) in which the liquid lubricant is collected in at least said second position of tilting crankcase (23) about said tilting axis (B\u2014B), said drain pump feeding the second drain channel (53b).
9. An installation according to claim 7, wherein said at least one pressurization stage (93) is an Archimedean screw, driven in rotation in a chute (94) extending inside and along a wall of said tilting crankcase (23), said chute (94) being drilled with holes (95) to collect the liquid lubricant at various levels in said tilting crankcase (23), in at least said second position of the latter about the tilting axis (B\u2014B), said Archimedean screw feeding second drain channel (53b).
10. An installation according to claim 1, comprising two of said lubricating circuits, including a main circuit (37a) and an emergency circuit (37b), arranged so that their radial transfer journals (47a, 47b), have much the same radius about the tilting axis (B\u2014B), and are offset with respect to one another about the tilting axis (B\u2014B), and in a circumferential direction about the tilting axis (B\u2014B) for their inlet (70a, 70b) and outlet (71a, 71b) openings and, if necessary, their arc of a circle opening (69a, 69b), and the draining (52) of the lubricant is ensured by a drain circuit common to both said lubricating circuits (37a, 37b).
11. An installation according to claim 10, further comprising at least one leak detector (75), sensitive to the presence of pressurized liquid lubricant (47a, 47b) in the volume formed between the radial transfer bearings of the two lubricating circuits (37a, 37b), said radial transfer bearings (47a, 47b) being axially offset between these fixed (56) and swiveling (57) cylindrical journals.
12. An installation according to claim 10, further comprising at least one supply duct (46a, 46b) that is integrated into said fixed part (31) of each of said lubricating circuits (37a, 37b) and is fed from a tank (36) of liquid lubricant in which at least one lubricating pump (34a, 34b) is immersed for each said lubricating circuit (37a, 37b).
13. An installation according to claim 12, wherein each said lubricating pump (34a, 34b) is driven by a driving gear (11) of a first reducing unit (1\u20135) housed at least partly in a non-tilting crankcase (32) integral with said support (30), said first reducing unit (1\u20135) meshing through a driving gear (8) mounted to rotate about said tilting axis (B\u2014B), with a second reducing unit (13\u201317) housed in said tilting crankcase (23) and swiveling with it.
14. An installation according to claim 1, wherein said lubricating circuit (37a, 37b) comprises at least one annular distribution channel (49a, 49b), approximately centered on said axis of rotation (A\u2014A) of the driven device (22) and connected to said annular chamber (64a, 64b) of the corresponding said radial transfer stage (47a, 47b) by said distribution pipe (48a, 48b).
15. An installation according to claim 14, wherein said annular distribution channel (49a, 49b) is arranged within a diaphragm (72) more or less transversal with respect to said tilting crankcase (23) and supporting similarly a guide roller (29) of at least one shaft (16) of at least one driving gear (15, 18) of the power box (13\u201317) andor said driven device (22) driving in rotation, each said annular distribution channel (49a, 49b) feeding liquid lubricant to lubricating pipes (50a, 50b) ending in lubricating jets (51a, 51b) turned towards the devices to be lubricated.
16. A convertible aircraft comprising said lubricating installation according to claim 1.
17. An installation according to claim 2, wherein each of the two seals (62a, 63a, 62b, 63b) is retained axially between two journals (56, 57) and against the pressure in said annular chamber (64a, 64b) by a radial shoulder (66, 67) arranged on one of two journals (56, 57) or by a shouldered ring (65) attached to one of the two journals (56, 57).
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A computer system for manipulating data in an object relational source database, the source database having data tables and a defined table type hierarchy with an associated tree structure, the system comprising,
means for transforming data from the source database into a flat file data transfer file, comprising rows and columns, the means for transforming the source database comprising
means for traversing the tree structure of the table type hierarchy using a tree traversal order,
means for defining the columns in the data transfer file to correspond to the type definitions in the table type hierarchy for the source database,
the means for defining the columns further comprising means for defining subcolumns corresponding to attributes defined in a respective type definition for a given column,
the means for defining the columns further comprising means for defining a type identifier column corresponding to a type identifier determined during the traversal of the tree structure, the type identifier column values corresponding to defined types in the table type hierarchy and determined by the tree traversal order,
the means for transforming data from the source database into the data transfer file further comprising means for copying rows of data from the tables in the source database into the data transfer file, each row in the data transfer file having a type identifier column value corresponding to the table in the table type hierarchy of the source database which is the source of the data in the row in the data transfer file.
2. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising input means for transforming data in the data transfer file to a target object relational database, the target object relational database having a table type hierarchy corresponding to the table type hierarchy of the source database, the input means comprising means for copying each row of data in the data transfer file to a target table in the target database, the target table being identified by the type identifier column value for the row of data in the data transfer file, the data for each column in the row of data in the data transfer file being copied to the column in the target table as defined by the tree traversal order.
3. The computer system of claim 1 in which the tree traversal order is user-definable and is constrained to be a pre-order, depth-first traversal.
4. The computer system of claim 1 in which the default tree traversal order is a pre-order, depth-first traversal in which sibling selection is based on creation time of the type for the node in the tree.
5. The computer system of claim of claim 1 in which characteristics defining the table type hierarchy for the source database are stored in the data transfer file.
6. The computer system of claim 5 in which the characteristics defining the table type hierarchy for the source database comprise a type identifier control table.
7. The computer system of claim 2 in which hierarchy characteristics defining the table type hierarchy for the source database are stored in the data transfer file and which further comprises means for creating the table type hierarchy for the target database from the hierarchy characteristics.
8. The computer system of claim 7 in which the hierarchy characteristics comprise a type identifier control table.
9. The computer system of claim 2 in which the input means further comprises means for accepting an attribute list from a user, the attribute list corresponding to specified columns in the data transfer file and means for inputting only the specified columns of data from the data transfer file to the target database.
10. The computer system of claim 1 in which the data transfer file has a format selected from one of PCIXF, worksheet, delimited ASCII and non-delimited ASCII, formats.
11. A computer program product for use with a computer comprising a central processing unit and random access memory, said computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable code means embodied in said medium for manipulating data in an object relational source, the source database having data tables and a defined table type hierarchy with an associate tree structure, said computer program product comprising:
computer readable program code means for causing a computer to transform data from the source database into a flat file data transfer file having rows and columns, comprising
means for traversing the tree structure of the table type hierarchy using a tree traversal order,
means for defining the columns in the data transfer file to correspond to the type definitions in the table type hierarchy for the source database,
the means for defining the columns further comprising means for defining subcolumns corresponding to attributes defined in a respective type definition for a given column,
the means for defining the columns further comprising means for defining a type identifier column corresponding to a type identifier determined during the traversal of the tree structure, the type identifier column values corresponding to defined types in the table type hierarchy and determined by the tree traversal order,
the computer readable program code means for causing a computer to transform data from the source database into the data transfer file further comprising means for copying rows of data from the tables in the source database into the data transfer file, each row in the data transfer file having a type identifier column value corresponding to the table in the table type hierarchy of the source database which is the source of the data in the row in the data transfer file.
12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising input means for transforming data in the data transfer file to a target object relational database, the target object relational database having a table type hierarchy corresponding to the table type hierarchy of the source database, the input means comprising means for copying each row of data in the data transfer file to a target table in the target database, the target table being identified by the type identifier column value for the row of data in the data transfer file, the data for each column in the row of data in the data transfer file being copied to the column in the target table as defined by the tree traversal order.
13. A method for manipulating data in an object relational source database, the source database having data tables and a defined table type hierarchy with an associated tree structure, the method comprising the steps of
transforming data from the source database into a flat file data transfer file, comprising rows and columns, step of transforming the source database comprising the further steps of
traversing the tree structure of the table type hierarchy using a tree traversal order,
defining the columns in the data transfer file to correspond to the type definitions in the table type hierarchy for the source database,
defining subcolumns corresponding to attributes defined in a respective type definition for a given column,
defining a type identifier column corresponding to a type identifier determined during the traversal of the tree structure, the type identifier column values corresponding to defined types in the table type hierarchy and determined by the tree traversal order,
copying rows of data from the tables in the source database into the data transfer file, each row in the data transfer file having a type identifier column value corresponding to the table in the table type hierarchy of the source database which is the source of the data in the row in the data transfer file.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising input steps for transforming data in the data transfer file to a target object relational database, the target object relational database having a table type hierarchy corresponding to the table type hierarchy of the source database, the input steps comprising copying each row of data in the data transfer file to a target table in the target database, the target table being identified by the type identifier column value for the row of data in the data transfer file, the data for each column in the row of data in the data transfer file being copied to the column in the target table as defined by the tree traversal order.
15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of accepting from the user a the tree traversal order definition and constraining the traversal order to be a depth-first, pre-order traversal.
16. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of storing characteristics defining the table type hierarchy for the source database in the data transfer file.
17. The method of claim 16 in which the characteristics defining the table type hierarchy for the source database comprise a type identifier control table.
18. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of storing hierarchy characteristics defining the table type hierarchy for the source database in the data transfer file and which further comprises the step of creating the table type hierarchy for the target database from the hierarchy characteristics.
19. The method of claim 18 in which the hierarchy characteristics comprise a type identifier control table.
20. The method of claim 14 in which the input step further comprises the step of accepting an attribute list from a user, the attribute list corresponding to specified columns in the data transfer file and inputting only the specified columns of data from the data transfer file to the target database.
21. A computer program product tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform the method steps of claim 13.
22. A computer program product tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform the method steps of claim 14.
23. A computer program product tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform the method steps of claim 19.
24. A computer system for manipulating data in an object relational source database, the source database having data tables and a defined table type hierarchy with an associated tree structure, the system comprising,
means for transforming data from the source database into a flat file data transfer file, comprising rows and columns, the means for transforming the source database comprising
means for traversing the tree structure of the table type hierarchy using a tree traversal order, and
means for defining the columns in the data transfer file to correspond to the type definitions in the table type hierarchy for the source database.
25. The computer system of claim 24, wherein the means for defining the columns further comprises means for defining subcolumns corresponding to attributes defined in a respective type definition for a given column, and wherein the means for defining the columns further comprises means for defining a type identifier column corresponding to a type identifier determined during the traversal of the tree structure, the type identifier column values corresponding to defined types in the table type hierarchy and determined by the tree traversal order.
26. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the means for transforming data from the source database into the data transfer file further comprises means for copying rows of data from the tables in the source database into the data transfer file, each row in the data transfer file having a type identifier column value corresponding to the table in the table type hierarchy of the source database which is the source of the data in the row in the data transfer file.
27. The computer system of claim 24, further comprising input means for transforming data in the data transfer file to a target object relational database, the target object relational database having a table type hierarchy corresponding to the table type hierarchy of the source database, the input means comprising means for copying each row of data in the data transfer file to a target table in the target database, the data for each column in the row of data in the data transfer file being copied to the column in the target table as defined by the tree traversal order.
28. The system of claim 27, wherein the means for defining the columns further comprises means for defining a type identifier column corresponding to a type identifier determined during the traversal of the tree structure, wherein each row in the data transfer file having a type identifier column value corresponding to the table in the table type hierarchy of the source database which is the source of the data in the row in the data transfer file, and wherein the target table is identified by the type identifier column value for the row of data in the data transfer file.
29. The computer system of claim 24 in which the tree traversal order is user-definable and is constrained to be a pre-order, depth-first traversal.
30. The computer system of claim 24 in which the default tree traversal order is a pre-order, depth-first traversal in which sibling selection is based on creation time of the type for the node in the tree.
31. The computer system of claim of claim 24 in which characteristics defining the table type hierarchy for the source database are stored in the data transfer file.
32. The computer system of claim 31 in which the characteristics defining the table type hierarchy for the source database comprise a type identifier control table.
33. The computer system of claim 27 in which hierarchy characteristics defining the table type hierarchy for the source database are stored in the data transfer file and which further comprises means for creating the table type hierarchy for the target database from the hierarchy characteristics.
34. The computer system of claim 33 in which the hierarchy characteristics comprise a type identifier control table.
35. The computer system of claim 27 in which the input means further comprises means for accepting an attribute list from a user, the attribute list corresponding to specified columns in the data transfer file and means for inputting only the specified columns of data from the data transfer file to the target database.
36. The computer system of claim 24 in which the data transfer file has a format selected from one of PCIXF, worksheet, delimited ASCII and non-delimited ASCII, formats.
37. A computer program product for use with a computer comprising a central processing unit and random access memory, said computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable code means embodied in said medium for manipulating data in an object relational source, the source database having data tables and a defined table type hierarchy with an associate tree structure, said computer program product comprising:
computer readable program code means for causing a computer to transform data from the source database into a flat file data transfer file having rows and columns, comprising
means for traversing the tree structure of the table type hierarchy using a tree traversal order, and
means for defining the columns in the data transfer file to correspond to the type definitions in the table type hierarchy for the source database.
38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the means for defining the columns further comprise means for defining subcolumns corresponding to attributes defined in a respective type definition for a given column, and the means for defining the columns further comprise means for defining a type identifier column corresponding to a type identifier determined during the traversal of the tree structure, the type identifier column values corresponding to defined types in the table type hierarchy and determined by the tree traversal order.
39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the computer readable program code means for causing a computer to transform data from the source database into the data transfer file further comprises means for copying rows of data from the tables in the source database into the data transfer file, each row in the data transfer file having a type identifier column value corresponding to the table in the table type hierarchy of the source database which is the source of the data in the row in the data transfer file.
40. The computer program product of claim 37, further comprising input means for transforming data in the data transfer file to a target object relational database, the target object relational database having a table type hierarchy corresponding to the table type hierarchy of the source database, the input means comprising means for copying each row of data in the data transfer file to a target table in the target database, the data for each column in the row of data in the data transfer file being copied to the column in the target table as defined by the tree traversal order.
41. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein the means for defining the columns further comprises means for defining a type identifier column corresponding to a type identifier determined during the traversal of the tree structure, wherein each row in the data transfer file having a type identifier column value corresponding to the table in the table type hierarchy of the source database which is the source of the data in the row in the data transfer file, and wherein the target table is identified by the type identifier column value for the row of data in the data transfer file.
42. A method for manipulating data in an object relational source database, the source database having data tables and a defined table type hierarchy with an associated tree structure, the method comprising the steps of
transforming data from the source database into a flat file data transfer file, comprising rows and columns, step of transforming the source database comprising the further steps of
traversing the tree structure of the table type hierarchy using a tree traversal order, and
defining the columns in the data transfer file to correspond to the type definitions in the table type hierarchy for the source database.
43. The method of claim 42, further comprising the steps of:
defining subcolumns corresponding to attributes defined in a respective type definition for a given column, and
defining a type identifier column corresponding to a type identifier determined during the traversal of the tree structure, the type identifier column values corresponding to defined types in the table type hierarchy and determined by the tree traversal order.
44. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of copying rows of data from the tables in the source database into the data transfer file, each row in the data transfer file having a type identifier column value corresponding to the table in the table type hierarchy of the source database which is the source of the data in the row in the data transfer file.
45. The method of claim 42, further comprising input steps for transforming data in the data transfer file to a target object relational database, the target object relational database having a table type hierarchy corresponding to the table type hierarchy of the source database, the input steps comprising copying each row of data in the data transfer file to a target table in the target database, the data for each column in the row of data in the data transfer file being copied to the column in the target table as defined by the tree traversal order.
46. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of:
defining a type identifier column corresponding to a type identifier determined during the traversal of the tree structure, the type identifier column values corresponding to defined types in the table type hierarchy and determined by the tree traversal order, wherein each row in the data transfer file has a type identifier column value corresponding to the table in the table type hierarchy of the source database which is the source of the data in the row in the data transfer file, and wherein the target table is identified by the type identifier column value for the row of data in the data transfer file.
47. The method of claim 42 further comprising the step of accepting from the user a the tree traversal order definition and constraining the traversal order to be a depth-first, pre-order traversal.
48. The method of claim 42 further comprising the step of storing characteristics defining the table type hierarchy for the source database in the data transfer file.
49. The method of claim 48 in which the characteristics defining the table type hierarchy for the source database comprise a type identifier control table.
50. The method of claim 45 further comprising the step of storing hierarchy characteristics defining the table type hierarchy for the source database in the data transfer file and which further comprises the step of creating the table type hierarchy for the target database from the hierarchy characteristics.
51. The method of claim 50 in which the hierarchy characteristics comprise a type identifier control table.
52. The method of claim 45 in which the input step further comprises the step of accepting an attribute list from a user, the attribute list corresponding to specified columns in the data transfer file and inputting only the specified columns of data from the data transfer file to the target database.
53. A computer program product tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a method for manipulating data in an object relational source database, the source database having data tables and a defined table type hierarchy with an associated tree structure, the method comprising the steps of
transforming data from the source database into a flat file data transfer file, comprising rows and columns, step of transforming the source database comprising the further steps of
traversing the tree structure of the table type hierarchy using a tree traversal order, and
defining the columns in the data transfer file to correspond to the type definitions in the table type hierarchy for the source database.
54. The method of claim 53, further comprising the steps of:
defining subcolumns corresponding to attributes defined in a respective type definition for a given column, and
defining a type identifier column corresponding to a type identifier determined during the traversal of the tree structure, the type identifier column values corresponding to defined types in the table type hierarchy and determined by the tree traversal order.
55. The method of claim 54, further comprising the step of copying rows of data from the tables in the source database into the data transfer file, each row in the data transfer file having a type identifier column value corresponding to the table in the table type hierarchy of the source database which is the source of the data in the row in the data transfer file.
56. The method of claim 53, further comprising input steps for transforming data in the data transfer file to a target object relational database, the target object relational database having a table type hierarchy corresponding to the table type hierarchy of the source database, the input steps comprising copying each row of data in the data transfer file to a target table in the target database, the data for each column in the row of data in the data transfer file being copied to the column in the target table as defined by the tree traversal order.
57. The method of claim 56, further comprising the step of:
defining a type identifier column corresponding to a type identifier determined during the traversal of the tree structure, the type identifier column values corresponding to defined types in the table type hierarchy and determined by the tree traversal order, wherein each row in the data transfer file has a type identifier column value corresponding to the table in the table type hierarchy of the source database which is the source of the data in the row in the data transfer file, and wherein the target table is identified by the type identifier column value for the row of data in the data transfer file.
58. The method of claim 53 further comprising the step of accepting from the user a the tree traversal order definition and constraining the traversal order to be a depth-first, pre-order traversal.
59. The method of claim 53 further comprising the step of storing characteristics defining the table type hierarchy for the source database in the data transfer file.
60. The method of claim 59 in which the characteristics defining the table type hierarchy for the source database comprise a type identifier control table.
61. The method of claim 56 further comprising the step of storing hierarchy characteristics defining the table type hierarchy for the source database in the data transfer file and which further comprises the step of creating the table type hierarchy for the target database from the hierarchy characteristics.
62. The method of claim 61 in which the hierarchy characteristics comprise a type identifier control table.
63. The method of claim 56 in which the input step further comprises the step of accepting an attribute list from a user, the attribute list corresponding to specified columns in the data transfer file and inputting only the specified columns of data from the data transfer file to the target database.