Automated Generation of Dynamic Data Entry User Interface for Relational Database Management Systems

• US 20090031230A1
• Filed: 07/14/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Advanced Dynamic Interfaces, LLC
• Original Assignee: Innovation Management Sciences, LLC
• Inventors: Kesler, John N.
• Application Number:
  US12/172,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20090031230A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/954 Relational
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Computer software for, computer apparatus for, and a method of automatically generating a user interface for a relational database comprising extracting schema information from the relational database and automatically generating corresponding schema and user interface metadata, storing the metadata in a repository, and automatically developing from the metadata a user interface appropriate to the relational database.

Claims

1. Computer software for automatically generating a graphical user interface for a relational database, said software embodied in a computer readable medium having a set of computer instructions encoded thereon and comprising:

utility software extracting schema information from the relational database and automatically generating corresponding schema and graphical user interface metadata comprising entity fields stored in a repository; and

user interface software at runtime automatically, and without compilation of code before runtime, developing from the metadata a graphical user interface for the relational database.

2. The computer software of claim 1 wherein said utility software assigns to each entity field a type attribute based on attributes of a corresponding table field in the relational database.

3. The computer software of claim 2 wherein said utility software assigns to an entity field a numeric format type if the corresponding table field is a primary key.

4. The computer software of claim 3 wherein said utility software assigns to an entity field a numeric format type if the corresponding table field is a primary key and marks that entity field as read-only so that it is not alterable by an end user.

5. The computer software of claim 2 wherein said utility software assigns to an entity field a dropdown list type if the corresponding table field is a foreign key.

6. The computer software of claim 5 wherein said utility software assigns to an entity field a dropdown list type permitting display of values from more than one field if the corresponding table field is a foreign key.

7. The computer software of claim 2 wherein said utility software assigns to an entity field one of a predetermined set of types if the corresponding table field is neither a primary nor a foreign key.

8. Computer apparatus for automatically generating a graphical user interface for a relational database, said apparatus comprising:

means embodied in a computer readable medium having a set of computer instructions encoded thereon for extracting schema information from the relational database and automatically generating corresponding schema and graphical user interface metadata comprising entity fields;

repository means for containing said metadata; and

means embodied in a computer readable medium having a set of computer instructions encoded thereon for at runtime automatically, and without compilation of code before runtime, developing from the metadata a graphical user interface for the relational database.

9. The computer apparatus of claim 8 wherein each entity field in said repository has a type attribute based on attributes of a corresponding table field in the relational database.

10. The computer apparatus of claim 9 wherein an entity field in said repository has a numeric format type if the corresponding table field is a primary key.

11. The computer apparatus of claim 10 wherein an entity field in said repository has a numeric format type if the corresponding table field is a primary key and is marked as read-only so that it is not alterable by an end user.

12. The computer apparatus of claim 9 wherein an entity field in said repository has a dropdown list type if the corresponding table field is a foreign key.

13. The computer apparatus of claim 12 wherein an entity field in said repository has a dropdown list type permitting display of values from more than one field if the corresponding table field is a foreign key.

14. The computer apparatus of claim 9 wherein an entity field in said repository has one of a predetermined set of types if the corresponding table field is neither a primary nor a foreign key.

15. A method of automatically generating a graphical user interface for a relational database, the method comprising the steps of:

extracting schema information from the relational database and automatically generating corresponding schema and graphical user interface metadata comprising entity fields;

storing the metadata in a repository; and

at runtime automatically, and without compilation of code before runtime, developing from the metadata a graphical user interface for the relational database.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein each entity field in said repository has a type attribute based on attributes of a corresponding table field in the relational database.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein an entity field in said repository has a numeric format type if the corresponding table field is a primary key.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein an entity field in said repository has a numeric format type if the corresponding table field is a primary key and is marked as read-only so that it is not alterable by an end user.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein an entity field in said repository has a dropdown list type if the corresponding table field is a foreign key.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein an entity field in said repository has a dropdown list type permitting display of values from more than one field if the corresponding table field is a foreign key.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein an entity field in said repository has one of a predetermined set of types if the corresponding table field is neither a primary nor a foreign key.