Electronic Form User Interfaces

• US 20110173560A1
• Filed: 03/18/2011
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Narendran, Arungundram, Bath, Kamaljit S., Levenkov, Alexei, Shur, Andrey, Sikchi, Prakash, Larcheveque, Jean-Marie H., Selim, Nora S., Catorcini, Alessandro, Ardeleanu, Adriana
• Granted Patent: US 9,229,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/780
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/566 Dynamic detection, i.e. detection performed at run-time, e.g. emulation, suspicious activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/221 Parsing markup language streams streaming G06F40/149
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/226 Validation

Abstract

A system and method validating entry of data into a structured data file in real-time is described. The system and method also described a real-time validation tool that enables a developer to create custom validation rules. These custom validation rules can include preset validation rules, which the real-time validation tool enables a developer to create in an easy-to-use way.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable storage media embodying computer-readable instructions which, when executed, implement a system comprising:

a validation tool having a user interface configured to;

enable selection of a node of a data file, the node being associated with a data-entry field in an electronic form;

receive selection of the node;

enable selection of a preset validation rule for the node;

receive selection of the preset validation rule; and

the validation tool being configured to associate the preset validation rule with the node.

2. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the user interface is further configured to:

enable selection of information to be presented if the preset validation rule is violated; and

the validation tool being configured to associate the information with the node.

3. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the user interface is further configured to:

enable selection of graphics to be presented if the preset validation rule is violated; and

the validation tool being configured to associate the graphics with the node.

4. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the user interface is further configured to enable selection of the preset validation rule by presenting a list of validation rules.

5. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the user interface is further configured to enable selection of the preset validation rule by presenting a list of validation rules, the list including a type of present validation rule requiring data to be within a certain range.

6. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the user interface is further configured to enable selection of the preset validation rule by presenting a list of validation rules including a type of present validation rule requiring data to be numerical or textual.

7. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the user interface is further configured to enable selection of the preset validation rule by presenting a list of validation rules including a type of present validation rule referencing another node in the data file.

8. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the user interface is further configured to enable selection of the node by presenting an icon representing the node of the data file.

9. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the user interface is further configured to enable selection of the node by presenting a data-entry field associated with the node of the data file.

10. One or more computer-readable storage media embodying computer-readable instructions which, when executed, implement a system comprising:

a validation tool having a user interface configured to;

enable selection of a node of a data file, the node being associated with a data-entry field in an electronic form;

receive selection of the node;

enable input of a script-based validation rule for the node;

receive the script-based validation rule; and

the validation tool being configured to associate the script-based validation rule with the node.

11. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein the user interface is configured to enable selection of the node by presenting an icon representing the node of the data file.

12. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein the user interface is configured to enable selection of the node by presenting a data-entry field associated with the node of the data file.

13. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein the user interface is configured to enable input of the script-based validation rule by presenting a pre-constructed framework of script related to the node.

14. One or more computer-readable storage media embodying instructions which, when executed, implement a user interface comprising:

an electronic form containing data-entry fields;

an interface to enable a developer to select a data-entry field; and

a validation screen containing validation options for the selected data-entry field,

wherein the interface enables the developer to select one of the validation options.

15. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the validation options enable selection of a preset validation rule and a script-based validation rule.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the user interface further comprises:

an event area to enable the developer to select when a script-based validation rule will be used to validate data by a real-time validation tool.

17. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the user interface further comprises:

a script entry area to enable the developer to input a script-based validation rule.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the validation options include a list of preset validation rules.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the validation options include a validation field to enable the developer to input criteria for the selected preset validation rule.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the user interface further comprises:

an information alert option area including one or more fields to enable the developer to input alert information for a preset validation rule selected from the validation options.