DATABASE DATA TYPE CREATION AND REUSE

• US 20090204635A1
• Filed: 04/02/2009
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gardner, Scott T., Coggins, Robert E., Bould, Jason A., McCormack, Michael J., Miller, Andrew R., McMinn, Ryan, Conger, David J., Chauhan, Sumit
• Granted Patent: US 9,152,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2291 User-Defined Types; Storage management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for creating and reusing custom data types in a database. A selection of a field or group of fields may be received from a database table in the database by a database software application executing on a computer system. Each selected field may include a set of field properties. The application may further receive a user input to initiate saving the selected field or group of fields as a custom data type. In response to receiving the input, the application may be configured to generate a dialog for receiving custom data type information for the selected field or group of fields and save the selected field or group of fields as a custom data type. The custom data type may then be reused by the application in the database.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for creating and reusing custom data types in a database, comprising:

receiving, by the computer, a selection of at least one field from a database table in the database, the at least one field comprising a set of field properties;

receiving an input to initiate saving the selected at least one field as a custom data type;

in response to receiving the input, generating a dialog for receiving custom data type information for the selected at least one field;

saving the selected at least one field as the custom data type; and

reusing the custom data type in the database.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising reusing the custom data type in at least one other database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein saving the selected at least one field as the custom data type comprises saving the set of field properties.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein saving the selected at least one field as the custom data type comprises saving at least one field specific event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein saving the selected at least one field as the custom data type comprises saving a group of fields as the custom data type.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein saving the group of fields as the custom data type comprises saving at least one index, the at least one index referencing only fields in the group of fields.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising attaching a field group layout template to at least one field in the group of fields, the field group layout template comprising instructions for displaying the group of fields within at least one of a form and a report comprising the group of fields.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising displaying the group of fields in a stacked configuration based on the field group layout template.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising displaying the group of fields in a tabular configuration based on the field group layout template.

10. A computer system for creating and reusing custom data types in a database, comprising:

a memory for storing executable program code; and

a processor, functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program code and operative to;

receive a selection of at least one field from a database table in the database, the at least one field comprising a set of field properties;

receive an input to initiate saving the selected at least one field as a custom data type;

in response to receiving the input, generate a dialog for receiving custom data type information for the selected at least one field;

save the selected at least one field as the custom data type; and

reuse the custom data type in the database.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operative to reuse the custom data type in at least one other database.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor. in saving the selected at least one field as the custom data type is operative to save the set of field properties.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor in saving the selected at least one field as the custom data type is operative to save at least one field specific event.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor in saving the selected at least one field as the custom data type is operative to save a group of fields as the custom data type.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor in saving the group of fields as the custom data type is operative to save at least one index, the at least one index referencing only fields in the group of fields.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further operative to attach a field group layout template to at least one field in the group of fields, the field group layout template comprising instructions for displaying the group of fields within at least one of a form and a report comprising the group of fields.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further operative to display the group of fields in a stacked configuration based on the field group layout template.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further operative to display the group of fields in a tabular configuration based on the field group layout template.

19. A computer-readable storage medium containing computer executable instructions which, when executed on a computer, will cause the computer to perform a method for creating and reusing custom data types in a database, comprising:

receiving a selection of a group of fields from a database table in the database, wherein each field in the group of fields comprises a set of field properties, the set of field properties comprising a validation rule for formatting a field in the group of fields;

receiving an input to initiate saving the selected group of fields as a custom data type;

in response to receiving the input, generating a dialog for receiving custom data type information for the selected group of fields;

saving the selected group of fields as the custom data type, wherein saving the selected group of fields as the custom data type comprises at least one of saving the set of field properties, saving at least one field specific event, and saving at least one index, wherein the at least one field specific event comprises a macro which automatically triggers an action associated with at least one field in the selected group of fields and wherein the at least one index references only fields within the group of fields;

reusing the custom data type in the database; and

attaching a field group layout template to at least one field in the group of fields, the field group layout template comprising instructions for displaying the group of fields within at least one of a form and a report comprising the group of fields in at least one of a stacked configuration and a tabular configuration,

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 further comprising reusing the custom data type in at least one other database.