MULTI-PART LOOKED-UP TABLE FIELD AND ITS USE TO IN DATA PROCESSING OPERATIONS INVOLVING MULTIPLE TABLES OF A RELATIONAL DATABASE

In accordance with a first aspect, a software component is equipped to identify looked-up table fields in a data processing statement, and automatically includes with a SQL statement one or more appropriate JOIN clauses joining one or more target tables from which the table fields are to be looked up with a basis table. In one embodiment, the looked-up table fields are expressed in a multi-part form. In accordance with a second aspect, a software component is equipped to automatically expand table fields available for inclusion in a data processing operation to include table fields of a target table of a look-up table field, in response to the selection of the look-up table field. In one embodiment, the second aspect is practiced in conjunction with the automatic inclusion of appropriate JOIN clauses to a SQL statement of the first aspect.