Systems and methods for flexible report designs including table, matrix and hybrid designs

• US 20050289455A1
• Filed: 06/23/2004
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hays, Christopher Alan, Carlson, Jason David
• Granted Patent: US 7,707,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/228
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

Columns and/or rows of a report can be declaratively defined as either dynamic or static. The declarative definition can be represented by any marking. If a column or row is declaratively designated as dynamic, it can be expanded into a plurality of columns or rows. If a column or row is designated as static, it remains as a single column or row to represent only the specified column or row data. Subgroups of columns and rows can also be declaratively defined as dynamic or static. A static column or row may contain no sub-columns/rows, or it may contain a plurality of static columns/rows, a plurality of dynamic columns/rows, or any combination of both. Similarly, a dynamic column or row may also contain the above combinations.

Claims

1. A method for designing a report, comprising:

declaring, in a report design, data to be placed in at least one column, wherein said declaring comprises a declarative marking to indicate whether or not the at least one column can be expanded into a plurality of columns as necessary to accommodate data for the report;

declaring, in the report design, data to be placed in at least one row, wherein said declaring comprises a declarative marking to indicate whether or not the at least one row can be expanded into a plurality of rows as necessary to accommodate data for the report; and

declaring, in the report design, data to be placed in at least one nested row, wherein said declaring comprises a declarative marking to indicate whether or not the at least one nested row can be expanded into a plurality of nested rows as necessary to accommodate data for the report.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said declaring data to be placed in at least one column and said declaring data to be placed in at least one row comprises entering data via a graphic user interface (GUI) that graphically represents the report design.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said declaring data to be placed in at least one column and said declaring data to be placed in at least one row comprises an Extensible Markup Language (XML) declaration.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said declarative marking comprises a standard marking defined in an XML schema document.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising declaring, in the report design, data to be placed in at least one nested column, wherein said declaring comprises a declarative marking to indicate whether or not the at least one nested column can be expanded into a plurality of nested columns as necessary to accommodate data for the report.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a limit on an expansion of columns into a plurality of columns by specifying a range of data that will be represented in said plurality of columns.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a limit on an expansion of rows into a plurality of rows by specifying a range of data that will be represented in said plurality of rows.

8. A computer readable medium bearing instructions for processing reports, said instructions comprising:

instructions for reading a report design;

instructions for recognizing a declarative marking in said report design, wherein said declarative marking is associated with at least one column, and wherein said declarative marking indicates whether the at least one column can be expanded into a plurality of columns as necessary to accommodate data for the report;

instructions for generating a plurality of columns as necessary to accommodate data for the report when the declarative marking associated with said at least one column is recognized;

instructions for recognizing a declarative marking associated with at least one nested column, wherein said declarative marking indicates whether the at least one nested column can be expanded into a plurality of nested columns as necessary to accommodate data for the report;

instructions for generating said plurality of nested columns as necessary to accommodate data for the report when the declarative marking associated with said at least one nested column is recognized;

instructions for recognizing a declarative marking in said report design, wherein said declarative marking is associated with at least one row, and wherein said declarative marking indicates whether the at least one row can be expanded into a plurality of rows as necessary to accommodate data for the report; and

instructions for generating a plurality of rows as necessary to accommodate data for the report when the declarative marking associated with said at least one row is recognized.

9. A computer readable medium according to claim 8, further comprising instructions for retrieving data specified in the report design from a data source.

10. A computer readable medium according to claim 8, further comprising instructions for generating a report.

11. A computer readable medium according to claim 8, further comprising instructions for providing a GUI which allows for entry of declarative markings in a report design that is visually represented on the GUI.

12. A computer readable medium according to claim 8, further comprising instructions for recognizing a declarative marking associated with at least one nested row, wherein said declarative marking indicates whether the at least one nested row can be expanded into a plurality of nested rows as necessary to accommodate data for the report, and instructions for generating said plurality of nested rows.

13. A computer readable medium according to claim 8, wherein said report design comprises an XML file.

14. A computer readable medium according to claim 8, further comprising instructions for recognizing a limit on an expansion of columns, wherein if such a limit is recognized, said generating a plurality of columns as necessary comprises only generating columns to accommodate the data specified in the limit on an expansion of columns.

15. A computer readable medium according to claim 8, further comprising instructions for recognizing a limit on an expansion of rows, wherein if such a limit is recognized, said generating a plurality of rows as necessary comprises only generating rows to accommodate the data specified in the limit on an expansion of rows.

16. A means for designing reports using declarative markings to indicate dynamic and static columns and rows, comprising:

means creating a report design;

means for marking a column in said report design, wherein when marked, said column is declared to be a dynamic column, and a dynamic column can be expanded into a plurality of columns by report processing software;

means for marking a nested column in said report design, wherein when marked, said nested column is declared to be a dynamic nested column, and a dynamic nested column can be expanded into a plurality of nested columns by report processing software; and

means for marking a row in said report design, wherein when marked, said row is declared to be a dynamic row, and a dynamic row can be expanded into a plurality of rows by report processing software.

17. A means for designing reports according to claim 16, wherein said means for creating a report design comprises a computer readable medium bearing computer executable instructions.

18. A means for designing reports according to claim 16, wherein said means for creating a report design further comprises means for displaying a graphical user interface which presents a visual report design to a report designer.

19. A means for designing reports according to claim 16, further comprising means for generating an XML file corresponding to said report design.

20. A means for designing reports according to claim 19, wherein said means for marking comprises a standard marking defined in an XML schema document.

21. A means for designing reports according to claim 16, further comprising means for marking a nested row in said report design, wherein when marked, said nested row is declared to be a dynamic nested row, and a dynamic nested row can be expanded into a plurality of nested rows by report processing software.

22. A means for designing reports according to claim 16, further comprising means for providing a limit on an expansion of columns into a plurality of columns.

23. A means for designing reports according to claim 16, further comprising means for providing a limit on an expansion of rows into a plurality of rows.

24. A means for designing reports according to claim 16, further comprising means for retrieving data specified in the report design from a data source.

25. A means for designing reports according to claim 16, further comprising means for generating a report.