Method and system for providing a field configurable guide

• US 20060271913A1
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Callidus Software, Inc. (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Callidus Software, Inc. (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Erf, Franklin K.
• Application Number:
  US11/141,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20060271913A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/120
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and system for providing a field customizable guide are described. The method and system include receiving a selection of at least one object type by an end-user and allowing addition by the end-user of contents relating to each of the at least one object type. Each of the at least one object includes a plurality of attributes. The contents also include at least one field. The method and system may also include allowing entry by the end-user of validation information for each of the at least one object type and allowing selection by the end-user of a plurality prompts. The method and system further include automatically generating the guide based on the at least one object type, the contents, and where applicable, the validation information, and the plurality of prompts provided by the end-user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a guide for a manager application comprising:

receiving at least one selection of at least one object type by an end-user, each of the at least one object type including a plurality of attributes;

allowing addition by the end-user of contents relating to each of the at least one object type; and

automatically generating the guide based on the at least one object type and the contents;

thereby providing the guide that is field customizable.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

allowing entry by the end-user of validation information for each of the at least one object type; and

wherein the automatically generating further includes automatically generating the guide based on the at least one object type, the contents, and the validation information.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

allowing selection by the end-user of a plurality prompts relating to the at least one object type, the contents, and/or the validation information; and

wherein the automatically generating further includes automatically generating the guide based on the at least one object type, the contents, and the plurality of prompts provided by the end-user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the addition of contents allowing further includes:

allowing the end-user to define a name for at least one page corresponding to a portion of the plurality of objects for each of the at least one object;

allowing a user to specify at least one field for data entry.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the guide includes a plurality of pages and where the addition of contents allowing further includes grouping a plurality of pages.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the validation information entering step further includes:

selecting at least one method for validating data provided by the user.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the validation information entering step further includes:

selecting a plurality of values for the validation information.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the object type includes at least one of participants, positions, titles, relationships, position groups, categories, products, customers, postal codes, custom classifiers, plans, rules, formulas, variables, territories, rate tables, fixed values, quotas, lookup tables, pipeline runs, models, orders, transactions, credits, measurements, incentives, commissions, deposits, payments, earning codes, earning groups, event types, reason codes, users, roles, logs, unit types, calendars, business units, and processing units.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically generating further includes:

saving the at least one object type, the contents, the validation information, and the plurality of prompts.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the saving further includes saving the at least one object type, the contents, the validation information, and the plurality of prompts in a flat file.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically generating further includes:

automatically generating the guide using an XML descriptor.

12. A method for providing a guide for a manager application comprising:

receiving at least one selection of at least one object type by an end-user, each of the at least one object including a plurality of attributes;

allowing addition by the end-user of contents relating to each of the at least one object type, the contents including at least one field;

allowing entry by the end-user of validation information for each of the at least one object type;

allowing selection by the end-user of a plurality prompts relating to the at least one object type, the contents, and/or the validation information; and

automatically generating the guide based on the at least one object type, the contents, the validation information, and the plurality of prompts provided by the end-user;

thereby providing the guide that is field customizable.

13. A computer-readable medium having a program for providing a guide, the program including instructions for:

receiving at least one selection of at least one object type by an end-user, each of the at least one object including a plurality of attributes;

allowing addition by the end-user of contents relating to each of the at least one object type; and

automatically generating the guide based on the at least one object type and the contents;

thereby providing the guide that is field customizable.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the program further includes instructions for:

allowing entry by the end-user of validation information for each of the at least one object type; and

wherein the automatically generating further includes automatically generating the guide based on the at least one object type, the contents, and the validation information.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the program further includes instructions for:

allowing selection by the end-user of a plurality prompts relating to the at least one object type, the contents, and the validation information; and

wherein the automatically generating further includes automatically generating the guide based on the at least one object type, the contents, and/or the plurality of prompts provided by the end-user.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the addition of contents allowing further includes:

allowing the end-user to define a name for at least one page corresponding to a portion of the plurality of objects for each of the at least one object;

allowing a user to specify at least one field for data entry.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the guide includes a plurality of pages and where the addition of contents allowing further includes grouping a plurality of pages.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the validation information entering instructions further include:

selecting at least one method for validating the data provided by the user.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the validation information entering instructions further include:

selecting a plurality of values for the validation information.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the object type includes at least one of participants, positions, titles, relationships, position groups, categories, products, customers, postal codes, custom classifiers, plans, rules, formulas, variables, territories, rate tables, fixed values, quotas, lookup tables, pipeline runs, models, orders, transactions, credits, measurements, incentives, commissions, deposits, payments, earning codes, earning groups, event types, reason codes, users, roles, logs, unit types, calendars, business units, and processing units.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the automatically generating further includes:

saving the at least one object type, the contents, the validation information, and the plurality of prompts.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein saving further includes:

saving the at least one object type, the contents, the validation information, and the plurality of prompts in a flat file.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the automatically generating further includes:

automatically generating an XML guide.

24. A system for providing a guide for a manager application comprising:

a user interface for receiving at least one selection of at least one object type by an end-user and addition by the end-user of contents relating to each of the at least one object type, each of the at least one object including a plurality of attributes;

a guide builder tool coupled with the user interface, the guide builder tool for automatically generating the guide based on the at least one object type and the contents;

a guide engine, coupled with the user interface and the guide builder tool, for displaying the guide to the end-user;

thereby providing the guide that is field customizable.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the user interface allows entry by the end-user of validation information for each of the at least one object type;

and

wherein the guide builder tool automatically generates the guide based on the at least one object type, the contents, and the validation information.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the user interface further allows selection by the end-user of a plurality prompts relating to the at least one object type, the contents, and/or the validation information;

and

wherein the guide builder tool automatically generates the guide based on the at least one object type, the contents, and the plurality of prompts provided by the end-user.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein the guide builder tool generates the guide in XML.

28. The system of claim 27 further comprising:

a configuration data, coupled with the guide builder tool and the guide engine, for managing XML files.

29. The system of claim 24 further comprising:

a repository for storing a plurality of object types from which the at least one object type is selected.

30. The system of claim 24 wherein the addition of contents further includes the contents providing at least one field for data entry.

31. The system of claim 24 wherein the guide includes a plurality of pages and where the addition of contents allowing further includes grouping a plurality of pages.

32. The system of claim 24 wherein the validation information includes at least one method for validating data provided by the user.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the validation information further includes a plurality of values for the validation information.

34. The system of claim 24 wherein the object type includes at least one of participants, positions, titles, relationships, position groups, categories, products, customers, postal codes, custom classifiers, plans, rules, formulas, variables, territories, rate tables, fixed values, quotas, lookup tables, pipeline runs, models, orders, transactions, credits, measurements, incentives, commissions, deposits, payments, earning codes, earning groups, event types, reason codes, users, roles, logs, unit types, calendars, business units, and processing units.

35. The system of claim 24 wherein the guide builder saves the at least one object type, the contents, the validation information, and the plurality of prompts.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the guide builder engine saves the at least one object type, the contents, the validation information, and the plurality of prompts in a flat file.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the guide builder automatically generates an XML guide.