Nested Dimensions Presentation Structures

• US 20100125813A1
• Filed: 11/19/2008
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Choudhury, Akhil
• Granted Patent: US 8,671,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2246 Trees, e.g. B+trees

Abstract

A method and apparatus for rendering data on a display is provided. A configurable number of dimensions are rendered on the display in a manner that depicts a sequential relationship between the configurable number of dimensions. Each rendered dimension on the display depicts one or more dimension instances. For the rendered dimension having the lowest sequential position in the sequential relationship between the configurable number of dimensions (hereafter the “lowest sequential dimension”), a determination is made as to whether hierarchical data is associated with a particular dimension instance of the lowest sequential dimension, and if so, at least a top level node of a tree of nodes is rendered in association with the particular dimension instance of the lowest sequential dimension on the display. Each node of the tree of nodes may, but need not, comprise a row of data.

Claims

1. A method for rendering data on a display, comprising:

rendering two or more dimensions on said display in a manner that depicts a sequential relationship between said two or more dimensions, wherein each rendered dimension on said display depicts one or more dimension instances, wherein each dimension instance is an instance of a dimension; and

for a particular dimension, rendered on said display, having the lowest position in said sequential relationship, performing;

upon determining that hierarchical data is associated with a particular dimension instance of said particular dimension, rendering at least a top level node of a tree of nodes in association with said particular dimension instance on said display, wherein said tree of nodes contains said hierarchical data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said rendering said two or more dimensions further comprises:

upon determining that a certain dimension instance of a certain dimension of said two or more dimensions is not associated with any hierarchical data, rendering said certain dimension on said display without rendering said certain dimension instance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said tree of nodes further includes one or more child nodes of said top level node, and wherein only said top level node of said tree of nodes is initially rendered on said display, and wherein the method further comprises:

in response to receiving user input, causing all of said one or more child nodes to be rendered on said display in a manner that graphically depicts each of said one or more child nodes to be child nodes of said top level node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said tree of nodes further includes one or more child nodes of said top level node, and wherein only said top level node of said tree of nodes is initially rendered on said display, and wherein the method further comprises:

in response to receiving user input that selects said top level node, performing the steps of;

retrieving child data corresponding to said one or more child nodes of said top level node, wherein said retrieving said child data is not performed until after said user input is received, and

updating said display to render said one or more child nodes on said display using said child data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a particular node of said tree of nodes contains a link to a web page that contains additional information about said particular node.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input the specifies how many of said two or more dimensions to render on said display.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said tree of nodes is part of a tree table, and wherein each node of said tree of nodes comprises a row of data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rendering a second tree of nodes in association with a second dimension instance of said particular dimension on said display, wherein said second dimension instance is not said particular dimension instance.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said tree of nodes further includes one or more child nodes of said top level node, and wherein only said top level node of said tree of nodes is initially rendered on said display, and wherein the method further comprises:

in response to receiving user input that selects said top level node, performing the step of;

updating said display to render said one or more child nodes on said display using child data, wherein said child data was retrieved prior to receipt of said user input.

10. A machine-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for rendering data on a display, which when executed, cause:

rendering two or more dimensions on said display in a manner that depicts a sequential relationship between said two or more dimensions, wherein each rendered dimension on said display depicts one or more dimension instances, wherein each dimension instance is an instance of a dimension; and

for a particular dimension, rendered on said display, having the lowest position in said sequential relationship, performing;

upon determining that hierarchical data is associated with a particular dimension instance of said particular dimension, rendering at least a top level node of a tree of nodes in association with said particular dimension instance on said display, wherein said tree of nodes contains said hierarchical data.

11. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein said rendering said two or more dimensions further comprises:

upon determining that a certain dimension instance of a certain dimension of said two or more dimensions is not associated with any hierarchical data, rendering said certain dimension on said display without rendering said certain dimension instance.

12. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein said tree of nodes further includes one or more child nodes of said top level node, and wherein only said top level node of said tree of nodes is initially rendered on said display, and wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes:

in response to receiving user input, causing all of said one or more child nodes to be rendered on said display in a manner that graphically depicts each of said one or more child nodes to be child nodes of said top level node.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein said tree of nodes further includes one or more child nodes of said top level node, and wherein only said top level node of said tree of nodes is initially rendered on said display, and wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes:

in response to receiving user input that selects said top level node, performing the steps of;

retrieving child data corresponding to said one or more child nodes of said top level node, wherein said retrieving said child data is not performed until after said user input is received, and

updating said display to render said one or more child nodes on said display using said child data.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein a particular node of said tree of nodes contains a link to a web page that contains additional information about said particular node.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes:

receiving user input the specifies how many of said two or more dimensions to render on said display.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein said tree of nodes is part of a tree table, and wherein each node of said tree of nodes comprises a row of data.

17. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes:

rendering a second tree of nodes in association with a second dimension instance of said particular dimension on said display, wherein said second dimension instance is not said particular dimension instance.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein said tree of nodes further includes one or more child nodes of said top level node, and wherein only said top level node of said tree of nodes is initially rendered on said display, and wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes:

in response to receiving user input that selects said top level node, performing the step of;

updating said display to render said one or more child nodes on said display using child data, wherein said child data was retrieved prior to receipt of said user input.

19. A method for rendering data on a display, comprising:

rendering a configurable number of dimensions on said display in a manner that depicts a sequential relationship between said configurable number of dimensions, wherein each rendered dimension on said display depicts one or more dimension instances, and wherein each dimension instance is an instance of a dimension; and

for a particular dimension, rendered on said display, having the lowest sequential position in said sequential relationship, performing;

upon determining that hierarchical data is associated with a particular dimension instance of said particular dimension, rendering at least a top level node of a tree of nodes in association with said particular dimension instance on said display.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein each node of said tree of nodes comprises a row of data.