System and method for exposing a child list

• US 20050171925A1
• Filed: 01/30/2004
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cote, Antoine, Yuknewicz, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,610,258 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

An interface may be provided that enables the user to select a parent list, to view a set of available child lists corresponding to the selected parent list, and to select a particular child list from the set of available child lists. The set of available child lists may be automatically compiled in response to the selection of the parent list. Another interface may be provided that enables the user to select a particular portion of the parent list for which to view corresponding child data. The corresponding child data may be automatically identified and displayed in a running application.

Claims

1. A method for exposing a child list that is related to a parent list, the method comprising:

identifying a set of available child lists related to the parent list; and

providing a user interface that enables a user to select the child list from the set of available child lists.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface that enables the user to select the parent list.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the parent list is a list that is bound to an object in a designer in connection with which the user requests the child list.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the set of available child lists comprises examining a local schema to identify the set of available child lists.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying the set of available child lists comprises querying a remote data source schema to identify the set of available child lists.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining whether the schema for the selected child list is included in the local schema; and

if the schema for the selected child list is not included in the local schema, then;

retrieving the schema for the selected child list from a data source; and

merging the schema for the selected child list with the local schema.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface that enables the user to select a portion of the parent list for which to view a corresponding portion of the child list.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising identifying the corresponding portion of the child list.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying the corresponding portion of the child list comprises:

determining query parameters based on the selected portion of the parent list;

generating parameterized code including the query parameters; and

querying the child list with the parameterized code.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying the corresponding portion of the child list comprises:

defining the relationship between the parent list and the child list; and

identifying the corresponding portion of the child list based on the defined relationship.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising retrieving the corresponding portion of the child list from a data source.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying the corresponding portion of the child list in a running application.

13. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 1.

14. A method for exposing a child list that is related to a parent list, the method comprising:

providing a user interface that enables the user to select a portion of the parent list; and

identifying a portion of the child list that corresponds to the selected portion of the parent list.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying the portion of the child list comprises:

determining query parameters based on the selected portion of the parent list;

generating parameterized code including the query parameters; and

querying the child list with the parameterized code.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying the portion of the child list comprises:

defining the relationship between the parent list and the child list; and

identifying the corresponding portion of the child list based on the defined relationship.

17. The method of claim 14, comprising retrieving the portion of the child list from a data source.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising displaying the portion of the child list in a running application.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a user interface that enables the user to select a display type for the portion of the child list.

20. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 14.