FRAMEWORK FOR METADATA-DRIVEN DYNAMIC REPORTING SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20080288451A1
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Wieneke, Paul, Jiang, Yuan
• Granted Patent: US 8,140,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2443 Stored procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for dynamically reporting information stored in a repository. According to one embodiment, a method for dynamically reporting information stored in one or more data repositories can comprise retrieving report metadata from a report repository. The report metadata can define a format for the report and identify one or more queries for the report. Query metadata can be retrieved from a query repository. The query metadata can define one or more queries, for example, Structured Query Language (SQL) queries. Retrieving the query metadata can be based on the one or more queries identified in the report metadata. The one or more queries defined by the query metadata can be performed on the one or more data repositories and a results matrix can be populated with results of performing the one or more queries defined in the query metadata.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically reporting information stored in one or more data repositories, the method comprising:

retrieving report metadata from a report repository, the report metadata defining a format for the report and identifying one or more queries for the report;

retrieving query metadata from a query repository, the query metadata defining one or more queries, wherein retrieving the query metadata is based on the one or more queries identified in the report metadata;

performing the one or more queries defined by the query metadata on the one or more data repositories; and

populating a results matrix with results of performing the one or more queries defined in the query metadata.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to retrieving the report metadata, receiving a name of a report requested.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein retrieving the report metadata comprises retrieving the report metadata from a plurality of report metadata based on the name of the report requested.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the report metadata comprises a query name and wherein retrieving the query metadata from the query repository is based on the query name.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more queries comprise Structured Query Language (SQL) queries.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the report metadata comprises a column sequence definition.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein populating the results matrix with the results of performing the one or more queries is based on the column sequence definition.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

populating a table with column names defined by the report metadata; and

populating columns of the table with the results of performing the one or more queries from the results matrix.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining whether the results of performing the one or more queries comprises less than a predetermined size of the table.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to determining the results of performing the one or more queries comprises less than the predetermined size of the table, hiding unused columns of the table.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising outputting the table.

12. A system comprising:

a source data repository;

a report repository having stored therein report metadata, the report metadata defining a format for one or more reports and identifying one or more queries for each of the one or more reports;

a query repository having stored therein query metadata, the query metadata defining one or more queries; and

a dynamic data provider module communicatively coupled with the source data repository, the report repository, and the query repository, the dynamic data provider adapted to retrieve report metadata for a requested report from the report repository, retrieve query metadata from the query repository, wherein retrieving the query metadata is based on the one or more queries identified in the report metadata, perform the one or more queries defined by the query metadata on the source data repository, and populate a results matrix with results of performing the one or more queries defined in the query metadata.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more queries comprise Structured Query Language (SQL) queries.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the report metadata comprises a column sequence definition.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the dynamic data provider populates the results matrix with the results of performing the one or more queries based on the column sequence definition.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a dynamic report renderor and wherein the dynamic data provider is further adapted to provide the results matrix and column names defined by the report metadata to the dynamic data renderor.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the dynamic report renderor is adapted to receive the results matrix and the column names defined by the report metadata from the dynamic data provider, populate a table with the column names defined by the report metadata, and populate columns of the table with the results of performing the one or more queries from the results matrix.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the dynamic report renderor is further adapted to determine whether the results of performing the one or more queries comprises less than a predetermined size of the table.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the dynamic report renderor is further adapted to hide unused columns of the table in response to determining the results of performing the one or more queries comprises less than the predetermined size of the table.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the dynamic report renderor is further adapted to output the table.

21. The system of claim 12, further comprising a report designer tool communicatively coupled with the report repository and adapted to provide a user interface and utilities for generating and maintaining report metadata stored in the report repository.

22. The system of claim 12, further comprising a query repository builder tool communicatively coupled with the query repository and adapted to provide a user interface and utilities for generating and maintaining query metadata stored in the query repository.

23. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a series of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to report information stored in one or more data repositories by:

retrieving report metadata from a report repository, the report metadata defining a format for the report and identifying one or more queries for the report;

retrieving query metadata from a query repository, the query metadata defining one or more queries, wherein retrieving the query metadata is based on the one or more queries identified in the report metadata;

performing the one or more queries defined by the query metadata on the one or more data repositories; and

populating a results matrix with results of performing the one or more queries defined in the query metadata.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the report metadata comprises a column sequence definition.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein populating the results matrix with the results of performing the one or more queries is based on the column sequence definition.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, further comprising:

populating a table with column names defined by the report metadata; and

populating columns of the table with the results of performing the one or more queries from the results matrix.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 26, further comprising outputting the table.