GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE FOR EXPLORING DATABASES

• US 20060004693A1
• Filed: 05/18/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Gupta, Chanchal, Ramanathan, Sujatha
• Application Number:
  US10/709,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20060004693A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

In a computer system, a method of searching through metadata from a plurality of data tables concurrently, the data tables being defined by a schema and stored in a database(s) is provided. The method comprises generating a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface having at least one item including a predefined instruction label which is associated with a corresponding SQL query for defining a search through the metadata from the plurality of data tables; receiving user input, through the graphical user interface, selecting the schema and selecting the item having the predefined instruction label; and processing the received user input so as to conduct a concurrent search through metadata from the plurality of tables, the type of search being based on the selected item having the predefined instruction label.

Claims

1. In a computer system, a method of searching through metadata from a plurality of data tables concurrently, the data tables being defined by a schema and stored in a database(s), the method comprising:

generating a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface having at least one item including a predefined instruction label which is associated with a corresponding SQL query for defining a search through the metadata from the plurality of data tables;

receiving user input, through the graphical user interface, selecting the schema and selecting the item having the predefined instruction label; and

processing the received user input so as to conduct a concurrent search through metadata from the plurality of tables, the type of search being based on the selected item having the predefined instruction label.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein each of the tables includes at least one column and the concurrent search through metadata from the plurality of tables involves concurrently searching for column names of the plurality of tables defined by the schema.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface includes a user select menu allowing selection of the item having the predefined instruction label associated with the corresponding SQL query from among a list having at least one other item having another predefined instruction label associated with another SQL query.

4. A method of claim 1, further comprising outputting data obtained as a result of the search in a dynamic chart.

5. A method of claim 1, wherein the SQL query associated with the predefined instruction label of the selected item is displayed in a window defined by the graphical user interface, the SQL query being modifiable through change(s) input through the window or through a separate SQL query modification window also defined by the graphical user interface.

6. In a computer system including a first database having a first data platform format and a second database having a second data platform format which is different than the first data platform format, a method comprising:

generating a graphical user interface including a user input portion for enabling user selection of one of the first and second databases and allowing the user to switch access between the first and second databases;

receiving a user selection of one of the first and second databases through the user input portion of the graphical user interface;

updating the graphical user interface upon receipt of at least the user selection of one of the first and second databases so that the graphical user interface presents a plurality of schemas defining organization of a plurality of tables in the selected database and at least one item including a predefined instruction label associated with a corresponding SQL query for defining a search through metadata from a plurality of tables defined by a particular schema;

receiving user input, through the graphical user interface, selecting one of the schemas and selecting the item having the predefined instruction label for defining a search through metadata from a plurality of tables defined by the selected schema; and

processing the received user input so as to conduct a concurrent search through metadata from the plurality of tables, the type of search being based on the selected schema and the selected item.

7. A method of claim 6, wherein each of the tables includes at least one column and the concurrent search through metadata from the plurality of tables defined by the schema involves concurrently searching for column names of the plurality of tables defined by the schema.

8. A method of claim 6, wherein the updated graphical user interface includes a user select menu allowing selection of the item having the predefined instruction label associated with the corresponding SQL query from among a list having at least one other item having another predefined instruction label associated with another SQL query.

9. A method of claim 6, further comprising outputting data obtained as a result of the search in a dynamic chart.

10. A method of claim 6, wherein the SQL query associated with the selected predefined instruction label of the selected item is displayed in a window defined by the updated graphical user interface, the SQL query being modifiable through change(s) input through the window or through a separate SQL query modification window defined by the updated graphical user interface.

11. A computerized graphical user interface capable of searching through metadata from a plurality of data tables defined by a schema and stored in a database, the graphical user interface comprising:

a user selection menu including a list of items having respective predefined instruction labels associated with respective SQL queries each of which defines a search through the metadata from the plurality of data tables defined by the schema; and

a display window displaying the results of a processed SQL query that corresponds to the predefined instruction label of the item that is selected by the user utilizing the user selection menu from among the list of items, the processing of the SQL query including conducting a concurrent search through metadata from the plurality of tables, the type of concurrent search being based on the selected item.

12. A computerized graphical user interface of claim 11, wherein the concurrent search through metadata from the plurality of tables involves concurrently searching for column names of the plurality of tables.

13. A computerized graphical user of claim 11 further comprising a user selectable button for enabling generation of a dynamic chart reflecting the results of the processed SQL query.

14. A computerized graphical user interface of claim 11 further comprising a query window displaying the SQL query associated with the predefined instruction label of the selected item, the SQL query being modifiable through change(s) input through the query window or through a separate SQL query modification window defined by the graphical user interface.