CONTEXT DRIVEN HELP FUNCTION

• US 20100050079A1
• Filed: 08/18/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Business Objects Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Business Objects Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: THOMPSON, MICHAEL
• Granted Patent: US 8,850,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/708
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and systems for generating dynamic context aware help for operations supported by at least one reporting system. The methods and systems relate to receiving a help request for an operation from a client computer including at least one report file, analyzing the at least one report file to generate context data, dynamically generating help data according to the context data and the operation and sending the generated help data to the client computer.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating a dynamic context aware help data for operations supported by at least one reporting system, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a help request for an operation from a client computer, the help request comprising at least one report file, wherein the operation is used to analyze data in the at least one report file;

analyzing the at least one report file to generate a context data;

dynamically generating help data according to the context data and the operation, wherein the help data is generated by matching the context data with functions and operators used in the operations of other client computers in a context similar to the context data of the report file; and

sending the generated help data to the client computer.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the help data comprises one or more examples and at least one template for the operation based on the context data.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the template comprises a description of an output written in natural language.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the context data of the at least one report file comprises information on one or more objects corresponding to a content of the at least one report file and/or semantics on the at least one report file.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein dynamically generating the help data comprises:

dynamically generating a first drop down list for the help data comprising one or more objects from the at least one report file usable within a template; and

dynamically generating a second drop down list for the help data comprising one or more operators for the operation usable within the template.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein dynamically generating the help data comprises:

receiving from the client computer a selected focus for the report file; and

dynamically generating one or more examples according to the selected focus.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein dynamically generating the help data comprises:

receiving one or more operations and storing the one or more operations in the context data, wherein the one or more operations are performed before receiving the help request; and

dynamically generating the help data based on the context data and on the one or more operations performed.

8. A computer system for generating a dynamic context aware help data for operations supported by at least one reporting system, the computer system comprising:

an input device operable to receive a help request for an operation from a client computer comprising at least one report file, wherein the operation can be used to analyze data in the at least one report file;

a processing unit operable to analyze the at least one report file to generate a context data;

a hard disk to store computer readable instructions, data structures and program modules, the data structures including relevant data of implementation for generating dynamic context aware help data; and

an output device operable to render generated help data to the client computer.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the input device comprises a client user interface.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the client user interface is operable to:

send a help request for an operation to a server computer, wherein the operation can be used to analyze at least one report file; and

receive help data for the operation,

wherein the help data is dynamically generated according to a context data and the operation, the context data being generated by analyzing the at least one report file, the help data is generated by matching the context data with functions and/or operators used in operations other users have applied in a context similar to the context data of the at least one report file, and

wherein the help data includes one or more examples and at least one template for the operation based on the context data.

11. The computer system of claim 8 wherein the data structures stored in the hard disk are further operable to:

dynamically generate a first drop down list for the help data including one or more objects from the report file usable within a template; and

dynamically generate a second drop down list for the help data including one or more operators for the operation that is usable within the template.

12. The computer system of claim 8 wherein the data structures stored in the hard disk are further operable to:

receive from the client computer a selected focus for the report file; and

dynamically generate the one or more examples according to the selected focus.

13. The computer system of claim 8 wherein the data structures stored in the hard disk are further operable to:

receive one or more operations and store the one or more operations in the context data, wherein the one or more operations are performed before receiving the help request; and

dynamically generate the help data based on the context data and on the performed operations.

14. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the template comprises a description of an output written in natural language.

15. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a machine readable storage medium comprising instructions which when executed by a machine cause the machine to perform operations comprising;

sending a help request for an operation to a server computer, wherein the operation can be used to analyze data in at least one report file; and

receiving a help data for the operation, wherein the help data is dynamically generated according to a context data and the operation, the context data being generated by analyzing the at least one report file, the help data is generated by matching the context data with functions and/or operators used in the operations of other client computers in a context similar to the context data of the at least one report file.

16. The article of manufacture in claim 15, wherein the help data comprises one or more examples and at least one template for the operation based on the context data.

17. The article of manufacture in claim 15, wherein dynamically generating the help data comprises:

dynamically generating a first drop down list for the help data comprising one or more objects from the report file usable within a template; and

dynamically generating a second drop down list for the help data comprising one or more operators for the operation usable within the template.

18. The article of manufacture in claim 15, wherein dynamically generating the help data according to the context data comprises:

receiving from the client computer a selected focus for the report file; and

dynamically generating one or more examples according to the selected focus.

19. The article of manufacture in claim 15, wherein the context data of the at least one report file comprises one or more objects corresponding to a content of the one report file and/or semantics of the one report file.