Database Message Builder

• US 20110173238A1
• Filed: 01/13/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Griggs, Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 8,423,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/805
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data

Abstract

A database message builder presents a message building window on a user interface of a database application for retrieving structured data from one or more fields of a database record of the database and unstructured data (e.g., free form text) entered by a user of the database application. The message building window can be used to build database messages using a variety of structured and unstructured data. One or more tokens corresponding to the structured data in the database (e.g., database record fields) can be used in the window to build a database message. The user can publish the message to a target application or network resource (e.g., a social networking site). Prior to publication, the tokens can be replaced with corresponding structured data from the record fields. A current character count or character limit for the selected target application or network resource can be displayed in the user interface.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

presenting a user interface on a display device of a computer system, the user interface associated with a database;

presenting a window on the user interface;

retrieving structured data from a field of a database record of the database;

receiving unstructured data; and

displaying a message in the window, the message including a token representing the structured data,

where the method is performed by one or more processors.

2. The method of claim 1, where the unstructured data includes text entered by a user operating an input device of the computer system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first input specifying a target application or network resource;

receiving a second input specifying an intent to publish the message on the selected target application or network resource;

responsive to the second input, replacing the token with structured data retrieved from the field of the database record corresponding to the token; and

sending the message, including the structured and unstructured data, to the target application or network resource for publishing.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

displaying a current character count or character limit for the selected target application or network resource.

5. The method of claim 3, where the target network resource is a website.

6. The method of claim 3, where the target application is an email application.

7. The method of claim 1, where displaying a message in the window further comprises:

displaying a preset text string in the window;

receiving input specifying an edit to the preset text string; and

editing the preset string based on the input.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input specifying a field to be added to the window; and

displaying a token in the window representing the selected field.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

saving the structured and unstructured data on the computer system, where saving includes associating the structured and unstructured data with a data collection of the database.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

saving the token and unstructured data on the computer system as a preset text string, where saving includes associating the token and unstructured data with a data collection of the database.

11. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

presenting a user interface on a display device of a computer system, the user interface associated with a database;

presenting a message building window on the user interface;

retrieving structured data from a field of a database record of the database;

receiving unstructured data; and

displaying a message in the window, the message including a token representing the structured data,

where the method is performed by one or more processors.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, where the unstructured data includes text entered by a user operating an input device of the computer system.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a first input specifying a target application or network resource;

receiving a second input specifying an intent to publish the message on the selected target application or network resource;

responsive to the second input, replacing the token with structured data retrieved from the field of the database record corresponding to the token; and

sending the message, including the structured and unstructured data, to the target application or network resource for publishing.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying a current character count or character limit for the selected target application or network resource.

15. The computer-readable medium method of claim 13, where the target network resource is a website.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, where the target application is an email application.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, where displaying a message in the message building window further comprises:

displaying a preset text string in the window;

receiving input specifying an edit to the preset text string; and

editing the preset text string based on the input.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving input specifying a field to be added to the message building window; and

displaying a token in the message building window representing the selected field.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

saving the structured and unstructured data on the computer system, where saving includes associating the structured and unstructured data with a data collection of the database.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

saving the token and unstructured data on the computer system as a preset text string, where saving includes associating the token and unstructured data with a data collection of the database.

21. A database message building system, comprising:

a processor;

memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising;

presenting a user interface on a display device of a computer system, the user interface associated with a database;

presenting a message building window on the user interface;

retrieving structured data from a field of a database record of the database;

receiving unstructured data; and

displaying a message in the message building window, the message including a token representing the structured data,

where the method is performed by one or more processors.

22. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

presenting a message building window on a user interface of a database application;

receiving text input from a user through the user interface;

retrieving tokens specified by the user, the tokens representing structured data associated with one or more records of a database;

displaying a string in the message building window, the string including a combination of the text and the tokens,

where the method is performed by one or more processors.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving input through the user interface specifying publication of the message displayed in the message building window; and

responsive to the input, publishing the message to a user specified target application or network resource.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

displaying a current character count or character limit in the user interface for the specified target application or network resource.