Records filter
First Claim
1. A method for eliminating records from a list of records, the method comprising the steps of:
- retrieving the list of records from a database source file;
receiving a general filter criteria;
receiving a specific filter criteria;
eliminating a first record from the list of records, in accordance with the specific filter criteria;
eliminating a second record from the list of records, in accordance with the general filter criteria; and
creating an output list, the output list comprising the list of records;
wherein the specific criteria and the general criteria are received as input to a single graphical user interface.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A records filter filters database records based on general and/or specific filter criteria. The records filter is effectively utilized in the context of a mail merge process in a document editor, such as a word processor application. The records filter can be provided to a user in the form of a graphical user interface that allows the user to intuitively set and modify filters to process the database records from a database source file. The graphical user interface permits a user to implement general and specific filters to process the records of a database. Specific filters can be designed to exclude specific records from the list of database records. Specific record exclusion can be performed by enabling a user to select or de-select a checkbox associated with each database record. General database record filtration is performed by processing general filter criteria input from the user. The user can input general filter criteria by clicking on a criteria button to expose a criteria list containing all of the unique values in the column. By selecting a value in the criteria list, the user indicates that the record filter'"'"'s output should include only records containing the selected value in the selected column.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for eliminating records from a list of records, the method comprising the steps of:
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retrieving the list of records from a database source file;
receiving a general filter criteria;
receiving a specific filter criteria;
eliminating a first record from the list of records, in accordance with the specific filter criteria;
eliminating a second record from the list of records, in accordance with the general filter criteria; and
creating an output list, the output list comprising the list of records;
wherein the specific criteria and the general criteria are received as input to a single graphical user interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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12. A method for enabling the input and processing of specific filter criteria and of general filter criteria within a single graphical user interface for eliminating records from a records list, the method comprising the steps of:
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displaying the records list;
displaying a checkbox associated with a first record in the records list;
displaying a criteria button associated with a first field of a second record in the record list, the criteria button being operative to select a field value;
determining whether the checkbox has been de-selected;
determining whether the first field of the second record includes the selected field value;
removing the first record from the records list, in response to a determination that the checkbox has been de-selected; and
removing the second record from the records list, in response to a determination that the first field of the second record does not include the selected field value.
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20. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method for enabling the input of specific filter criteria and of general filter criteria for eliminating records from a records list, the method comprising the steps of:
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copying the contents of the records list into a view list and displaying the view list;
displaying a checkbox associated with a first record in the records list;
displaying a criteria button associated with a field of a second record in the record list, the criteria button being operative to select a field value;
determining whether the checkbox has been de-selected;
determining whether the second record includes the selected field value;
removing the first record from the records list, in response to a determination that the checkbox has been de-selected; and
removing the second record from the records list and from the view list, in response to a determination that the second record includes the selected field value.
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Specification