System and Method for Generating Automatic User Interface for Arbitrarily Complex or Large Databases

• US 20080046462A1
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Philip Kaufman
• Original Assignee: Michael Philip Kaufman
• Inventors: Kaufman, Michael, Silverman, Micah
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/912 Applications of a database

Abstract

A software system automatically and dynamically generates a fully functional user interface (UI) based upon, and connected directly to, an underlying data model (as instantiated within a relational database management system (RDBMS)). The UI derives from an automated interrogation of the RDBMS, and comprises all mode displays (e.g., browse, search, edit, add) for all tables, and a full complement of mechanisms—integrated directly into the mode displays—for representing, navigating, and managing relationships across tables, regardless of the complexity of the underlying RDBMS schema. It utilizes a hierarchical “context stack” for suspending the working state of a particular table while “drilling down” to work with related-table information and return relevant changes to the base table. The embodiment further provides methods to enhance and extend the internal representation of table structures, constraints, relationships, and—special requirements (“business rules”) for improved revelation of the schema structure through external interrogation.

Claims

1. A method for automatically generating an end-user interface for working with the data within a relational database, wherein said relational database comprises a plurality of tables, constraints and relationships in accordance with a data model comprising said tables and their column-complements and datatypes, said constraints, and the relationships across said tables, and wherein said relational database may be of any arbitrary size or complexity, said method comprising

(a) providing a user interface paradigm comprising a set of modes for interacting with a given database table, said modes comprising create, retrieve, update and delete, and a corresponding display format for each mode;

(b) scanning said database and applying a body of rules to determine the table structures, constraints and relationships of said data model, and storing representations thereof, and

(c) using said representations to construct a corresponding client application, wherein said client application provides a connection to said database, provides displays of the table contents of said database for each of said modes in accordance with the display formats of said paradigm, integrates into each said mode display processes for representing, navigating, and managing said relationships across tables, for selecting among said modes, and for navigating across said tables and interacting in accordance the selected mode with the data in the tables that are reached by said navigation, while observing and enforcing relational interdependencies among data across said tables.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising incorporating within said client application components for revealing and enforcing non-relational constraints defined within said database for each individual table-column.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said relational interdependencies are embodied in referential-integrity constraints within the underlying database.

4. A computer-implemented system for automatically generating an end-user interface for working with the data within a relational database, wherein said relational database comprises a plurality of tables, constraints and relationships in accordance with a data model comprising said tables and their column-complements and datatypes, said constraints, and the relationships across said tables, and wherein said relational database may be of any arbitrary size or complexity, said system comprising:

(a) means for providing a user interface paradigm comprising a set of modes for interacting with a given database table, said modes comprising create, retrieve, update and delete, and a corresponding display format for each mode;

(b) means for scanning said database and applying a body of rules to determine the table structures, constraints and relationships of said data model, and for storing representations thereof, and

(c) means for using said representations to construct a corresponding client application, wherein said client application provides a connection to said database, provides displays of the table contents of said database for each of said modes in accordance with the display formats of said paradigm, integrates into each said mode display processes for representing, navigating, and managing said relationships across tables, for selecting among said modes, and for navigating across said tables and interacting in accordance the selected mode with the data in the tables that are reached by said navigation, while observing and enforcing relational interdependencies among data across said tables.

5. The computer-implemented system of claim 4, further comprising an RDBMS with which said system is integrated.

6. A computer-readable storage medium containing a set of instructions for a general purpose computer, for automatically generating an end-user interface for working with the data within a relational database, wherein said relational database comprises a plurality of tables, constraints and relationships in accordance with a data model comprising said tables and their column-complements and datatypes, said constraints, and the relationships across said tables, and wherein said relational database may be of any arbitrary size or complexity, said set of instructions comprising:

(a) a routine for providing a user interface paradigm comprising a set of modes for interacting with a given database table, said modes comprising create, retrieve, update and delete, and a corresponding display format for each mode;

(b) a routine for scanning said database and applying a body of rules to determine the table structures, constraints and relationships of said data model, and for storing representations thereof, and

(c) a routine for using said representations to construct a corresponding client application, wherein said client application provides a connection to said database, provides displays of the table contents of said database for each of said modes in accordance with the display formats of said paradigm, integrates into each said mode display processes for representing, navigating, and managing said relationships across tables, for selecting among said modes, and for navigating across said tables and interacting in accordance the selected mode with the data in the tables that are reached by said navigation, while observing and enforcing relational interdependencies among data across said tables.