Command user interface for displaying selectable functionality controls in a database applicaiton

• US 20070055943A1
• Filed: 04/10/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dickinson, Richard, Bryant, Christopher, McCormack, Michael, Covington, Clinton, Selca, Vitore, Krout, Kelly, Woodall, Zachary, Kenney, Adam, Hough, Dan, Coggins, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,689,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/746
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

An improved user interface is provided for displaying selectable software functionality controls of a database application. When a task-based functionality tab is selected from the user interface, selectable functionality controls provided by the associated database application for performing aspects of a task related to the selected tab are presented in a ribbon-shaped user interface above a workspace in which a user is entering or editing data. Upon selection of a different task-based functionality tab, the presentation of functionality controls associated with the first task is removed, and selectable functionality controls associated with the second selected task-based functionality tab are presented in the user interface. The selectable functionality controls presented in the user interface are grouped into logical groupings for more efficient utilization. An extensibility model is provided for allowing users to develop and use customized user interfaces and to allow utilization of legacy user interfaces.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method for providing functionality from a database application via an improved user interface, comprising:

providing a plurality of functionalities available from the database application;

organizing the plurality of functionalities according to one or more tasks that may be performed with the database application;

providing in the user interface a user interface tab for each of the one or more tasks; and

upon receiving an indication of a selection of a first user interface tab, providing in the user interface one or more selectable controls for selecting one or more functionalities organized under a first task associated with the selected first user interface tab.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising upon receiving an indication of a selection of one of the one or more selectable controls, applying functionality associated with the selected one of the one or more selectable controls to a selected document object.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising upon receiving an indication of a selection of a second user interface tab, providing in the user interface one or more selectable controls for selecting one or more functionalities organized under a second task associated with the selected second user interface tab.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising grouping the one or more selectable controls into one or more logical groupings of selectable controls where each of the one or more logical groupings is associated with a subset of functionalities of the database application associated with the selected user interface tab.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

upon receiving an indication of a focus on a second user interface tab, providing in the user interface one or more selectable controls for selecting one or more functionalities organized under a second task associated with the second user interface tab; and

upon cessation of the focus on the second user interface tab, providing in the user interface the one or more selectable controls for selecting one or more functionalities organized under the first task associated with the first user interface tab.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 5, further comprising:

after providing in the user interface one or more selectable controls for selecting one or more functionalities organized under a second task, receiving an indication of a selection of one of the one or more selectable controls for selecting one or more functionalities organized under a second task;

applying functionality associated with the selected control to a selected object; and

if the second user interface tab is not selected for persisting a provision in the user interface of one or more selectable controls for selecting one or more functionalities organized under a second task, providing in the user interface the one or more selectable controls for selecting one or more functionalities organized under the first task associated with the selected first user interface tab.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a selection of a data object for editing via the database application; and

upon receiving the indication of the selection of the data object for editing, replacing the one or more selectable controls in the user interface for selecting one or more functionalities organized under a first task with one or more selectable controls representing a first subset of a plurality of functionalities provided by the database application that may be used for editing the selected object.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, prior to replacing the one or more selectable controls in the user interface for selecting one or more functionalities organized under a first task with one or more selectable controls representing a first subset of a plurality of functionalities provided by the database application that may be used for editing the selected object, further comprising providing in the user interface a contextual user interface tab for each of one or more tasks that may be performed with the subset of the plurality of functionalities.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising upon receiving an indication of the selection of the contextual user interface tab, providing in the user interface the one or more selectable controls in the user interface for selecting one or more functionalities organized under a first task with one or more selectable controls representing a first subset of a plurality of functionalities provided by the database application that may be used for editing the selected object.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising grouping the one or more selectable controls representing a first subset of a plurality of functionalities provided by the database application that may be used for editing the selected object into one or more logical groupings of selectable controls whereby each of the one or more logical groupings is associated with a subset of the one or more selectable controls representing a first subset of a plurality of functionalities provided by the database application that may be used for editing the selected object.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein receiving an indication of a selection of a data object for editing via the database application, includes receiving an indication of a selection of a database form for editing via the database application.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein receiving an indication of a selection of a data object for editing via the database application, includes receiving an indication of a selection of a database report for editing via the database application.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein receiving an indication of a selection of a data object for editing via the database application, includes receiving an indication of a selection of a database table for editing via the database application.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein receiving an indication of a selection of a data object for editing via the database application, includes receiving an indication of a selection of a database pivot chart for editing via the database application.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein receiving an indication of a selection of a data object for editing via the database application, includes receiving an indication of a selection of a database pivot table for editing via the database application.

16. An improved user interface for providing functionality from a database application, comprising:

one or more tabs disposed in an upper row of the user interface, each of said one or more tabs identifying a mode of operation of the database application that may be utilized with the database application, and each of said one or more tabs being operative upon selection to cause a display in the user interface of one or more selectable functionality controls associated with an associated mode;

said one or more selectable functionality controls being disposed in a row underneath the disposition of the one or more tabs, each of said one or more functionality controls being operative to cause an application of an associated functionality of the software application to a selected object; and

said one or more selectable functionality controls being organized and displayed in the user interface in one or more logical groupings, whereby each of said one or more logical groupings is associated with a subset of functionalities available from the database application that may be applied to a selected object according to a portion of a mode of operation of the database application associated with a selected tab.

17. A method of customizing deployment of a database application user interface, comprising:

storing a customized database user interface for a database;

receiving an API method call that specifies the requested customized database user interface;

in response to receiving an API method call that specifies the requested customized database user interface, retrieving the customized database user interface; and

replacing a native database user interface with the customized user interface.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein storing a customized database user interface for a database includes storing a customized database user interface for a specified database object.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein storing a customized database user interface for a database includes storing Extensible Markup Language markup representing the customized database user interface.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a unique name for the customized database user interface;

wherein receiving the API method call that specifies the requested customized database user interface includes receiving an API method call that specifies the unique name for the customized database user interface;

creating a user interface cookie for the unique name; and

providing the unique name in a selectable menu of customized database user interfaces for allowing selection of the unique name for initiating the API method call that specifies the requested customized database user interface.