DISABLING SUBSETS OF QUERY CONDITIONS IN AN ABSTRACT QUERY ENVIRONMENT

• US 20090138456A1
• Filed: 02/05/2009
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Workday Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DETTINGER, RICHARD D., KULACK, FREDERICK A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for temporarily disabling conditions in abstract queries. In one embodiment, a query interface is configured to present an abstract query, and to allow a user to select conditions of the abstract query to be temporarily disabled. By executing an abstract query having disabled conditions, the user may be able to determine the effect of individual changes to the abstract query without having to re-compose the abstract query after each change. The conditions to be disabled may be selected individually, by field, or by value. Each disabled element may be displayed with a visual indicator communicating that it is disabled. The user may then select specific disabled conditions to be re-enabled.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

presenting, in a query interface, an abstract query comprising a plurality of conditional expressions arranged within multiple nested logical levels separated by one or more logical operators;

receiving a selection of a first conditional expression of the plurality of conditional expressions and a command type;

identifying, based on a first logical field included in the first conditional expression and the command type, a subset of one or more conditional expressions, of the plurality of conditional expressions; and

presenting the abstract query in the query interface, wherein the subset of one or more conditional expressions is presented with an indication communicating that each conditional expression in the subset is disabled, such that each of the one or more disabled conditional expressions is maintained in a respective original location of the user interface.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing the abstract query excluding the one or more disabled conditional expressions; and

returning a set of results of executing the abstract query to the query interface.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the command type indicates to disable conditions in the abstract query based on a specified user role.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the command type indicates to disable each conditional expression in the abstract query which includes the first logical field.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the command type further indicates to disable each conditional expression based on a matching conditional value specified for the first logical field.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the command type indicates to disable the first conditional expression and at least a second conditional expression, wherein the second conditional expression references a second logical field, related to the first logical field.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the first conditional expression and the second conditional expression each map to a common underlying physical database structure when the abstract query is executed.

8. A computer-readable storage medium containing a program, which when executed, performs an operation for selectively disabling query conditions in an abstract query, the operation comprising:

presenting, in a query interface, an abstract query comprising a plurality of conditional expressions arranged within multiple nested logical levels separated by one or more logical operators;

receiving a selection of a first conditional expression of the plurality of conditional expressions and a command type;

identifying, based on a first logical field included in the first conditional expression and the command type, a subset of one or more conditional expressions, of the plurality of conditional expressions; and

presenting the abstract query in the query interface, wherein the subset of one or more conditional expressions is presented with an indication communicating that each conditional expression in the subset is disabled, such that each of the one or more disabled conditional expressions is maintained in a respective original location of the user interface.

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

executing the abstract query excluding the one or more disabled conditional expressions; and

returning a set of results of executing the abstract query to the query interface.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the command type indicates to disable conditions in the abstract query based on a specified user role.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the command type indicates to disable each conditional expression in the abstract query which includes the first logical field.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the command type further indicates to disable each conditional expression based on a matching conditional value specified for the first logical field.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the command type indicates to disable the first conditional expression and at least a second conditional expression, wherein the second conditional expression references a second logical field, related to the first logical field.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the first conditional expression and the second conditional expression each map to a common underlying physical database structure when the abstract query is executed.

15. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing a program, which when executed on the processor, performs an operation for selectively disabling query conditions in an abstract query, the operation comprising;

presenting, in a query interface, an abstract query comprising a plurality of conditional expressions arranged within multiple nested logical levels separated by one or more logical operators;

receiving a selection of a first conditional expression of the plurality of conditional expressions and a command type;

identifying, based on a first logical field included in the first conditional expression and the command type, a subset of one or more conditional expressions, of the plurality of conditional expressions; and

presenting the abstract query in the query interface, wherein the subset of one or more conditional expressions is presented with an indication communicating that each conditional expression in the subset is disabled, such that each of the one or more disabled conditional expressions is maintained in a respective original location of the user interface.

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

executing the abstract query excluding the one or more disabled conditional expressions; and

returning a set of results of executing the abstract query to the query interface.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the command type indicates to disable conditions in the abstract query based on a specified user role.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the command type indicates to disable each conditional expression in the abstract query which includes the first logical field.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the command type further indicates to disable each conditional expression based on a matching conditional value specified for the first logical field.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the command type indicates to disable the first conditional expression and at least a second conditional expression, wherein the second conditional expression references a second logical field, related to the first logical field.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first conditional expression and the second conditional expression each map to a common underlying physical database structure when the abstract query is executed.