Method and apparatus for user function variable processing system and prompt

• US 20070180013A1
• Filed: 01/24/2005
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: PeopleSoft Inc (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Yung, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,559,028 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 708/446
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3672 initialising or reloading thereof

Abstract

A user inputs information, such as a mathematical function, composed of variable strings, functions, characters, expressions, etc., into an information input field connected to a function variable processing system. In one embodiment, the function variable processing system breaks down the information into tokens. The tokens are then processed to detect any undefined user definable tokens, e.g., tokens that the user may add and/or change the definitions associated therewith. The function variable processing system generates a display of the undefined user definable tokens along with any associated token definition input fields and/or menus of token definitions. The user may input token definitions using the token definition input fields and/or may select the token definitions from the menus. The function variable processing system associates the undefined user definable tokens with the definitions inputted by the user to convert the undefined user definable tokens to defined user definable tokens. The user definable tokens and associated user inputted definitions are stored and displayed to the user thereof.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving input from a user;

detecting a user definable token included in the user'"'"'s input;

outputting the user definable token to the user;

receiving a token definition from the user for the user definable token; and

associating the received token definition with the user definable token.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the user definable token comprises determining if the user definable token is undefined.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining if the user definable token is undefined comprises comparing the user'"'"'s input to a database of user definable tokens.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s input comprises user definable tokens, numbers, function calls, terminals, non-terminals, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting comprises displaying an undefined user definable token.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein displaying comprises providing a means for defining the undefined user definable token.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the token definition comprises providing the user with a graphical user interface to provide the token definition.

8. A system comprising:

an input component configured to receive input and at least one token definition from a user;

a detector configured to detect a user definable token included in the user'"'"'s input;

an output component configured to output the detected user definable token to the user; and

a function variable system configured to associate the at least one token definition with the user definable token.

9. The system of 8, wherein the input component comprises a first graphical user interface configured to accept the user'"'"'s input and a second graphical user interface configured to receive the at least one token definition from the user.

10. The system of 8, wherein the detector comprises a token detection tool configured to monitor the user'"'"'s input for an undefined user definable token.

11. The system of 8, wherein the output component comprises a first graphical user interface configured to display the user'"'"'s input and a second graphical interface configured to display the detected user definable token.

12. The system of 11, wherein the detected user definable token comprises an undefined user definable token.

13. The system of 8, wherein the function variable tool comprises a user interface generator configured to generate a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to facilitate the user to graphically associate the at least one token definition with the user definable token.

14. The system of 8, wherein the detected user definable token comprises an undefined user definable token.

15. A system comprising:

a means for receiving input and a token definition from the user;

a means for detecting a user definable token included in the user'"'"'s input;

a means for outputting the detected user definable token; and

a means for associating the detected user definable token with the token definition.

16. The system of 15, wherein the means for receiving a user'"'"'s input comprises a means for generating a graphical user interface configured to receive and display the user'"'"'s input and the token definition.

17. The system of 15, wherein the means for detecting user definable tokens comprises a token detection tool configured to detect any undefined user definable tokens included in the user'"'"'s input.

18. The system of 15, wherein the means for outputting the detected user definable token comprises a function variable tool configured to generate a display of the detected user definable token and the token definition.

19. The system of 18, wherein the detected user definable token comprises an undefined user definable token.

20. The system of 15, wherein the means for associating the detected user definable token with the definition comprises a function variable tool configured to associate the received token definition with the detected user definable token.

21. The system of 15, wherein the detected user definable token comprises an undefined user definable token.