Placeholder Control For Updating Database Object

• US 20090234881A1
• Filed: 03/15/2008
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Karimov, Pavel, McCormack, Michael J., Getsch, Timothy E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,979,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating

Abstract

Updating a graphical database object in a database via a placeholder control is provided. After a database recordset schema or schema is updated, a determination is made as to whether anew field is to be added to the graphical database object in response to the recordset schema or schema change. If a new field is to be added, the new field is automatically added to the graphical database object. The new field may be positioned to a place in the graphical database object as directed by a user or editor of the database object. The graphical database object may be displayed with the new field as positioned based on the recordset schema or schema change.

Claims

1. A method of updating a database object in a relational database, the method comprising:

updating a recordset schema associated with the database object;

loading or activating the database object;

finding a new field to be added to the database object in response to a change in the recordset schema, including;

determining whether a recordset schema has changed, the recordset schema being associated with the database object and being associated with a collection of records made available to the database object,

comparing the updated recordset schema to a previous recordset schema associated with the database object to determine whether the updated recordset schema includes a new field not in the previous recordset schema, and

comparing each field in the updated recordset schema to each field in the previous recordset schema to determine whether each field in the updated recordset schema has a matched field in the previous recordset schema, wherein a field in the updated recordset schema having no matched field indicates the field to be a new field not in the previous recordset schema;

positioning the new field to a determined place in the database object; and

displaying a database visualization in the database object associated with the new field.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the new field to a place determined by a placeholder control.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the new field to a place determined by a new control having special properties to specify where to add the new field.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the new field to a place determined by a layout control having a property to indicate where to add the new field.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically adding the new field to the database object.

6. A method of updating a graphical database object in a database, the method comprising:

updating a recordset schema in the database;

finding a new field to be added to the graphical database object in response to the updated recordset schema;

automatically adding the new field to the graphical database object;

positioning the new field to a determined place in the graphical database object; and

displaying the graphical database object with the new field.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising positioning the new field to a place determined by a placeholder control.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising positioning the new field to a place determined by a new control having special properties to specify where to add the new field.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising positioning the new field to a place determined by a layout control having a property to indicate where to add the new field.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing a user an option to determine whether to add the new field to the graphical database object.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the act of finding a new field to be added for the graphical database object comprises:

determining whether a recordset schema has changed;

comparing the updated recordset schema to a previous recordset schema to determine whether the updated recordset schema includes a new field not in the previous recordset schema; and

comparing each field in the updated recordset schema to each field in the previous recordset schema to determine whether each field in the updated recordset schema has a matched bound control in the previous recordset schema, wherein a field in the updated recordset schema having no matched bound control indicates the field to be a new field not in the previous recordset schema.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the graphical database object is selected from the group comprising:

a database object and a database report.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the recordset schema is a collection of records made available to the graphical database object.

14. A system for updating a graphical database object in a database, the system comprising:

a schema update module programmed to update a database schema in the database; and

a graphical database object update module programmed to update the graphical database object in response to detecting a database schema change.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the graphical database object update module comprises:

a find module programmed to find a new field to be added for the graphical database object due to the database schema change;

a positioning module programmed to position the new field to a place in the graphical database object;

a display module programmed to display the graphical database object with the new field;

a user option module programmed to provide a user an option to determine whether to add the new field to the graphical database object; and

an auto-update module programmed to automatically add the new field to the graphical database object.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the positioning module comprises a placeholder control to determine where to position the new field in the graphical database object.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the placeholder control is a label and text box pair with a keyword in a tag of the control.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the positioning module comprises a new control having special properties to specify where to add the new field in the graphical database object.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the positioning module comprises a layout control having a property to indicate where to add the new field in the graphical database object.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the graphical database object is selected from the group comprising:

a database form and a database report.