Database report generation

• US 20050021516A1
• Filed: 04/29/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cognos Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Potter, Charles M., Seeds, Glen M., Cazemier, Henk
• Granted Patent: US 7,293,008 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2457 with adaptation to user needs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

The invention provides for a method for producing reports for business intelligence that adapt automatically to a context, defied by a locale variable. A parameter map is defined, based on locale key and field names, and a report layout is produced that contains one or more macrotized database language expressions that include partial expressions built using the parameter map. Later, once a user selects a locale, the partial expression resulting from a lookup in the parameter map using the locale is used to modify one or more macrotized database language expressions. Finally, the resulting valid database language expressions are applied to the database to produce a report.

Claims

1. A method of producing a business report from data contained in a computer based business intelligence system using a report authoring tool, the method comprising the steps of:

producing a report layout containing one or more macrotized database language expressions;

defining a parameter map having at least one key and one or more field names;

accepting from a user one or more parameters and storing the parameters as input parameters;

modifying the one or more macrotized database language expressions in dependence upon the one or more input parameters and the parameter map to produce one or more valid database language expressions containing at least one of the one or more field names; and

applying the one or more valid database language expressions to the database to produce the business report.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein one key of the parameter map is a locale.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

selecting the locale based on user input; and

combining the locale with the parameter map to further modify the one or more macrotized database language expressions.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the database language is Structured Query Language.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of selecting 4 locale includes providing a default locale.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the producing step includes substituting a partial expression delineated by special characters with the macrotized database language expressions.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the producing step includes modifying the macrotized database language expression by replacing the partial expression delineated by the special characters with a partial expression built by accessing the parameter map with a lookup function.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein accessing the parameter map includes indexing with the locale.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein indexing with the locale results in the selection of a set of field names appropriate to the locale.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein wherein indexing with the locale results in the selection of a set of field names in the language of the specified locale.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the database comprises a data warehouse contain data from one or more databases.

12. A computer based system for the production of business intelligence reports from data contained in a computer based business intelligence system using a report authoring tool, including:

means for producing a report layout containing one or more macrotized database language expressions;

means for defining a parameter map having at least one key and one or more field names;

means for accepting from a user one or more parameters and storing the parameters as input parameters;

means for modifying the one or more macrotized database language expressions in dependence upon the one or more input parameters and the parameter map to produce one or more valid database language expressions containing at least one of the one or more field names; and

means for applying the one or more valid database language expressions to the database to produce the business report.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein one key of the parameter map is a locale.

14. The system of claim 13 further including.

means for selecting the locale based on user input;

and

means for combining the locale with the parameter map to further modify the one or more macrolized database language expressions.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the database language is Structured Query Language.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the means for selecting a locale includes providing a default locale.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the producing means includes means for substituting a partial expression delineated by special characters within the macrotized database language expressions.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the producing means includes means for modifying the macrotized database language expression by replacing the partial expression delineated by the special characters with a partial expression built by accessing the parameter map with a lookup function.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the means for accessing the parameter map includes means for indexing with the locale.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the means for indexing with the locale results in the selection of a set of field names appropriate to the locale.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein wherein the means for indexing with the locale results in the selection of a set of field names in the language of the specified locale.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein the database comprises a data warehouse containing data fom one or more databases.

23. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for producing a business report from data contained in a database, comprising;

code for producing a report layout containing one or more macrotized database language expressions;

code for defining a parameter map having at least one key and one or more field names;

code for accepting from a user one or more parameters and storing the parameters as input parameters;

code for modifying the one or more macrotized database language expressions in dependence upon the one or more input parameters and the parameter map to produce one or more valid database language expressions containing at least one of the one or sore field names; and

code for applying the one or more valid database language expressions to the database to produce the business report.