System and method for generating automatic user interface for arbitrarily complex or large databases

• US 20120191760A1
• Filed: 03/14/2012
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micah Philip Silverman, Michael Philip Kaufman
• Original Assignee: Micah Philip Silverman, Michael Philip Kaufman
• Inventors: Kaufman, Michael Philip, Silverman, Micah Philip
• Granted Patent: US 8,775,478 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/912 Applications of a database

Abstract

A software system automatically and dynamically generates a fully functional user interface (UI) based upon, and connected directly to, an underlying data model (as instantiated within a relational database management system (RDBMS)). The UI derives from an automated interrogation of the RDBMS, and comprises all mode displays (e.g., browse, search, edit, add) for all tables, and a full complement of mechanisms—integrated directly into the mode displays—for representing, navigating, and managing relationships across tables, regardless of the complexity of the underlying RDBMS schema. It utilizes a hierarchical “context stack” for suspending the working state of a particular table while “drilling down” to work with related-table information and return relevant changes to the base table. The embodiment further provides methods to enhance and extend the internal representation of table structures, constraints, relationships, and—special requirements (“business rules”) for improved revelation of the schema structure through external interrogation.

Claims

1. A method for managing state within an end-user interface for working with the data within a relational database, the end-user interface operating under control of a processor, the relational database comprising a plurality of tables, constraints and relationships and also operating under control of a processor, said method comprising providing a hierarchical context stack for suspending the working state of a primary table within the relational database while drilling-down across a relationship to work with related information in a subordinate table within the relational database, wherein the relational database may be any arbitrary relational database, and said method is effective regardless of the size or complexity of the database, wherein said method is applied recursively, so that the working state of the subordinate table is suspended while drilling-down across a further relationship to work with related information in a further-subordinated table, wherein said method further comprises imposing (as necessary) within the hierarchical context stack a constraining working context on the further-subordinated table, so as to reveal and enforce any relational interdependency between the subordinate and further-subordinated tables.