EXPANDING THE SCOPE OF AN ANNOTATION TO AN ENTITY LEVEL

• US 20080126328A1
• Filed: 02/04/2008
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cale T. Rath, Richard D. Dettinger, Richard J. Stevens
• Original Assignee: Cale T. Rath, Richard D. Dettinger, Richard J. Stevens
• Inventors: DETTINGER, RICHARD D., Rath, Cale T., Stevens, Richard J.
• Application Number:
  US12/025,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20080126328A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata

Abstract

Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for creating and sharing an annotation associated with a data object other than the particular data object described by the annotation are provided. The annotation may be associated with an entity, even though the annotation may describe only a particular data object encompassed by the entity. By associating the annotation with the entity, the annotation may be made available to other users viewing information related to the entity, even if the particular data object described by the annotation is not displayed in the information being viewed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of accessing data, comprising:

displaying query results in response to issuing a query;

retrieving at least one annotation associated with an entity encompassing at least a portion of the query results; and

providing an indication of the annotation associated with the entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotation describes a data object that is not contained in the displayed query results.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the query contains an explicit reference to the entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving at least one annotation associated with the entity comprises:

looking up a primary key associated with one or more data objects contained in the query results; and

searching for annotations referring to the primary key.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

providing an indication of the annotation associated with the entity comprises displaying an annotation icon; and

the method further comprises displaying the annotation, in response to input from the user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein displaying the annotation further comprises providing an indication of data described by the annotation.

7. A computer-readable storage medium which, when executed by a processor, performs an operation for accessing data, the operation comprising:

displaying query results in response to issuing a query;

retrieving at least one annotation associated with an entity encompassing at least a portion of the query results; and

providing an indication of the annotation associated with the entity.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the annotation describes a data object that is not contained in the displayed query results.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the query contains an explicit reference to the entity.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein retrieving at least one annotation associated with the entity comprises:

looking up a primary key associated with one or more data objects contained in the query results; and

searching for annotations referring to the primary key.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein:

providing an indication of the annotation associated with the entity comprises displaying an annotation icon; and

the method further comprises displaying the annotation, in response to input from the user.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein displaying the annotation further comprises providing an indication of data described by the annotation.

13. A computer system, comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium containing an annotation program; and

a processor which, when executing the annotation program, performs an operation for accessing data, comprising;

displaying query results in response to issuing a query;

retrieving at least one annotation associated with an entity encompassing at least a portion of the query results; and

providing an indication of the annotation associated with the entity.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the annotation describes a data object that is not contained in the displayed query results.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the query contains an explicit reference to the entity.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein retrieving at least one annotation associated with the entity comprises:

looking up a primary key associated with one or more data objects contained in the query results; and

searching for annotations referring to the primary key.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein:

providing an indication of the annotation associated with the entity comprises displaying an annotation icon; and

the method further comprises displaying the annotation, in response to input from the user.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein displaying the annotation further comprises providing an indication of data described by the annotation.