DETECTION AND DISPLAY OF VOLATILE DATA

• US 20120072444A1
• Filed: 09/15/2011
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Winchester, Joseph R., Sharp, Kathleen, Stone, Colin C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,318,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2477 Temporal data queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for detecting and displaying potentially volatile data. A metadata store, which is attached to a data store, is used for storing metadata corresponding to the stored data. A data retrieval component is used for retrieving a first and a second subset of data from the data store. Furthermore, a metadata retrieval component is used for retrieving a first and a second subset of the metadata corresponding to the first and second subsets of data from the data store. In addition, a comparator is used for comparing the first and the second subsets of the metadata. Additionally, a display control component, responsive to the comparator, is used for varying an indicator associated on a display with the first subset of data or the second subset of data to indicate an inconsistency between the first subset of metadata and the second subset of metadata.

Claims

1. A method for detecting and displaying potentially volatile data, the method comprising:

storing metadata corresponding to data in a data store;

retrieving a first subset of data from said data store;

retrieving a first subset of said metadata corresponding to said first subset of data from said data store;

retrieving a second subset of data from said data store;

retrieving a second subset of said metadata corresponding to said second subset of data from said data store;

comparing said first and said second subsets of said metadata; and

responsive to said comparing, varying, by a processor, an indicator associated on a display with said first subset of data or said second subset of data to indicate an inconsistency between said first subset of metadata and said second subset of metadata.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said metadata comprises a last update time.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said inconsistency between said first subset of metadata and said second subset of metadata comprises a time difference.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said metadata comprises a data display refresh time.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said inconsistency between said first subset of metadata and said second subset of metadata comprises a time difference.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said indicator associated on said display with said first subset of data or said second subset of data comprises one of a color coding, a greyscale coding or a clock graphic.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to a user selection to perform a clear and refresh operation, resetting said metadata corresponding to said data in said data store.

8. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable storage medium for detecting and displaying potentially volatile data, the computer program product comprising the programming instructions for:

storing metadata corresponding to data in a data store;

retrieving a first subset of data from said data store;

retrieving a first subset of said metadata corresponding to said first subset of data from said data store;

retrieving a second subset of data from said data store;

retrieving a second subset of said metadata corresponding to said second subset of data from said data store;

comparing said first and said second subsets of said metadata; and

responsive to said comparing, varying an indicator associated on a display with said first subset of data or said second subset of data to indicate an inconsistency between said first subset of metadata and said second subset of metadata.

9. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein said metadata comprises a last update time.

10. The computer program product as recited in claim 9, wherein said inconsistency between said first subset of metadata and said second subset of metadata comprises a time difference.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein said metadata comprises a data display refresh time.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 11, wherein said inconsistency between said first subset of metadata and said second subset of metadata comprises a time difference.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein said indicator associated on said display with said first subset of data or said second subset of data comprises one of a color coding, a greyscale coding or a clock graphic.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 8 further comprising the programming instructions for:

responsive to a user selection to perform a clear and refresh operation, resetting said metadata corresponding to said data in said data store.

15. A system, comprising:

a memory unit for storing a computer program for detecting and displaying potentially volatile data; and

a processor coupled to the memory unit, wherein said processor, responsive to the computer program, comprises;

circuitry for storing metadata corresponding to data in a data store;

circuitry for retrieving a first subset of data from said data store;

circuitry for retrieving a first subset of said metadata corresponding to said first subset of data from said data store;

circuitry for retrieving a second subset of data from said data store;

circuitry for retrieving a second subset of said metadata corresponding to said second subset of data from said data store;

circuitry for comparing said first and said second subsets of said metadata; and

responsive to said comparing, circuitry for varying an indicator associated on a display with said first subset of data or said second subset of data to indicate an inconsistency between said first subset of metadata and said second subset of metadata.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said metadata comprises a last update time.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein said inconsistency between said first subset of metadata and said second subset of metadata comprises a time difference.

18. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said metadata comprises a data display refresh time.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein said inconsistency between said first subset of metadata and said second subset of metadata comprises a time difference.

20. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said indicator associated on said display with said first subset of data or said second subset of data comprises one of a color coding, a greyscale coding or a clock graphic.

21. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said processor further comprises:

responsive to a user selection to perform a clear and refresh operation, circuitry for resetting said metadata corresponding to said data in said data store.