SUMMARIZING DATA REMOVED FROM A QUERY RESULT SET BASED ON A DATA QUALITY STANDARD

• US 20090083224A1
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kulack, Frederick Allyn, Wenzel, Shannon Everett, Dettinger, Richard D., Paterson, Kevin Glynn
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2458 Special types of queries, e.g. statistical queries, fuzzy queries or distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A method, article of manufacture and apparatus for graphically summarizing the data in an initial query result set, including when rows are removed from the result set by applying a data quality standard is disclosed. When a user selects to change the data quality standard, a group of target rows are identified and removed from the user'"'"'s display. A bitmap is generated to graphically represent the location of each row in the initial result set, including removed rows. A bitmap to summarize the data values for one or more columns in the initial result set may also be created. Thus, a user may quickly obtain an intuitive view of what the data looks like, without the need for complex analysis or graphing packages.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of graphically summarizing data in a query result, comprising:

receiving a query result set, wherein the query result set includes a plurality of rows and a value for a data quality standard assigned to each row;

receiving a request to remove rows containing data that fails to satisfy a specified value for the data quality standard;

removing one or more rows from the query result, wherein the assigned value for each removed row fails to satisfy the specified value for the data quality standard;

generating a summarization bitmap, wherein the summarization bitmap includes a plurality of blocks each representing one or more rows of the query result set and wherein a color of each block indicates whether the corresponding one or more rows are displayed or were removed from the query result set based on the data quality standard; and

displaying the summarization bitmap.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each block represents a plurality of rows, and wherein the color of a given block represents a relative percentage of rows in the given block removed from the query result set to rows in the given block not removed from the query result set.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving categorization data used to assign a discrete categorization value to each row of the query result set;

generating a second summarization bitmap, wherein the second summarization bitmap includes a plurality of blocks each representing one or more rows of the query result and wherein the color of a given block indicates the discrete categorization values assigned to the one or more rows corresponding to the given block; and

displaying the query results as an initial result set on one or more pages.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each block of the second summarization bitmap represents a plurality of rows, and wherein the color of a given block represents a relative percentage of rows in the given block assigned a given one of the discrete categorization values.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a graphical indicator that indicates the location of the rows of the query result being displayed to a user, relative to all rows of the target result.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a user may select a given block, and in response, the summarization bitmap is regenerated to represent only the rows in the given block.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a user may sort the rows of the query results based on values in a given column of the query result, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a selection of the column to use in sorting the rows of the query result set;

sorting the displayed rows of the query result, based on the selected column; and

regenerating the summarization bitmap, wherein the regenerated summarization bitmap reorders the block to reflect the same order of displayed rows sorted according to the selected column.

8. A computer-readable medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation for graphically summarizing data in a query result set, the operation comprising:

receiving a query result set, wherein the query result set includes a plurality of rows and a value for a data quality standard assigned to each row;

receiving a request to remove rows containing data that fails to satisfy a specified value for the data quality standard;

removing one or more rows from the query result, wherein the assigned value for each removed row fails to satisfy the specified value for the data quality standard;

generating a summarization bitmap, wherein the summarization bitmap includes a plurality of blocks each representing one or more rows of the query result set and wherein a color of each block indicates whether the corresponding one or more rows are displayed or were removed from the query result set based on the data quality standard; and

displaying the summarization bitmap.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein each block represents a plurality of rows, and wherein the color of a given block represents a relative percentage of rows in the given block removed from the query result set to rows in the given block not removed from the query result set.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the operation further comprises:

receiving categorization data used to assign a discrete categorization value to each row of the query result set;

generating a second summarization bitmap, wherein the second summarization bitmap includes a plurality of blocks each representing one or more rows of the query result and wherein the color of a given block indicates the discrete categorization values assigned to the one or more rows corresponding to the given block; and

displaying the query results as an initial result set on one or more pages.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein each block of the second summarization bitmap represents a plurality of rows, and wherein the color of a given block represents a relative percentage of rows in the given block assigned a given one of the discrete categorization values.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the operation further comprises, displaying a graphical indicator that indicates the location of the rows of the query result being displayed to a user, relative to all rows of the target result.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein a user may select a given block, and in response, the summarization bitmap is regenerated to represent only the rows in the given block.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein a user may sort the rows of the query results based on values in a given column of the query result, and wherein the operation further comprises:

receiving a selection of the column to use in sorting the rows of the query result set;

sorting the displayed rows of the query result, based on the selected column; and

regenerating the summarization bitmap, wherein the regenerated summarization bitmap reorders the block to reflect the same order of displayed rows sorted according to the selected column.

15. A system, comprising:

a database;

a processor; and

a memory containing a database program, which when executed on the processor, performs an operation for graphically summarizing data in a query result, the operation comprising;

receiving a query result set, wherein the query result set includes a plurality of rows and a value for a data quality standard assigned to each row;

receiving a request to remove rows containing data that fails to satisfy a specified value for the data quality standard;

removing one or more rows from the query result, wherein the assigned value for each removed row fails to satisfy the specified value for the data quality standard;

generating a summarization bitmap, wherein the summarization bitmap includes a plurality of blocks each representing one or more rows of the query result set and wherein a color of each block indicates whether the corresponding one or more rows are displayed or were removed from the query result set based on the data quality standard; and

displaying the summarization bitmap.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein each block represents a plurality of rows, and wherein the color of a given block represents a relative percentage of rows in the given block removed from the query result set to rows in the given block not removed from the query result set.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the operation further comprises:

receiving categorization data used to assign a discrete categorization value to each row of the query result set;

generating a second summarization bitmap, wherein the second summarization bitmap includes a plurality of blocks each representing one or more rows of the query result and wherein the color of a given block indicates the discrete categorization values assigned to the one or more rows corresponding to the given block; and

displaying the query results as an initial result set on one or more pages.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein each block of the second summarization bitmap represents a plurality of rows, and wherein the color of a given block represents a relative percentage of rows in the given block assigned a given one of the discrete categorization values.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the operation further comprises, displaying a graphical indicator that indicates the location of the rows of the query result being displayed to a user, relative to all rows of the target result.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein a user may select a given block, and in response, the summarization bitmap is regenerated to represent only the rows in the given block.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein a user may sort the rows of the query results based on values in a given column of the query result, and wherein the operation further comprises:

receiving a selection of the column to use in sorting the rows of the query result set;

sorting the displayed rows of the query result, based on the selected column; and

regenerating the summarization bitmap, wherein the regenerated summarization bitmap reorders the block.