SETTING AND DISPLAYING PRIMARY OBJECTS FOR ONE OR MORE PURPOSES IN A TABLE FOR ENTERPRISE BUSINESS APPLICATIONS

• US 20120221582A1
• Filed: 02/25/2011
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Becker, Laurence W., Boross, Diane, Ramesh, Anupama, Kuo, Shirphone
• Granted Patent: US 9,244,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2282 Tablespace storage structures; Management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data

Abstract

A system and method adapted to facilitate efficient sorting and displaying of data in a table. An example method includes displaying a table with a first portion of data and a second portion of data; simultaneously applying a first sort rule to the first portion of data (primary database object(s)) and a second sort rule to the second portion of data (secondary database object(s)) in response to user selection of a sort option; and illustrating sorted data via the table, wherein the first sort rule is adapted to cause the first portion of data to appear in one or more predetermined locations in the table relative to the second portion of data. The second portion of data is sorted according to the second sort rule. In a more specific embodiment, primary database objects are sorted via the first sort rule and are not subject to the second sort rule. The first sort rule includes a specification that primary database objects be displayed at a predetermined location in the table, such as in an uppermost position in the table or in an upper most position in a purpose group section of the table.

Claims

1. A method for selectively sorting and displaying data, the method comprising:

displaying a table with a first portion of data and a second portion of data;

applying a first sort rule to the first portion of data and a second sort rule to the second portion of data in response to user selection of a sort option; and

illustrating sorted data via the table, wherein the first sort rule is adapted to cause the first portion of data to appear in one or more predetermined locations in the table relative to the second portion of data, and wherein the second portion of data is sorted according to the second sort rule.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sort rule is characterized by a higher sorting priority than the second sort rule such that data that is subject to the first sort rule is not subject to the second sort rule, but display of data sorted via the second sort rule is positioned in the table in accordance with both the first sort rule and the second sort rule.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first sort rule specifies that data sorted by the first sort rule is displayed at a predetermined position in the table.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined position in the table includes an uppermost portion of the table.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of data includes one or more database objects that are designated as primary database objects.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sorted data includes data organized in one or more groups.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more groups include one or more purpose groups.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first portion of data includes one or more primary database objects associated with one or more groups.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second portion of data includes one or more database objects associated with one or more groups.

10. The method of claim 9, further including displaying the sorted data in one or more sections corresponding to one or more purpose groups, wherein one or more primary database objects associated with each purpose group are displayed in predetermined locations within each section of the table.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the predetermined location includes an uppermost portion of a section.

12. The method of claim 10, further including selectively applying banding to the table to facilitate visually distinguishing different sections of data in a table.

13. The method of claim 12, further including selectively applying banding to the table to facilitate visually distinguishing one or more primary database objects from data of the second portion of data.

14. The method of claim 1, further including:

displaying data in a table, wherein the data includes database objects associated with one or more categories of data;

illustrating one or more primary database objects associated with one or more of the one or more categories of data; and

sorting the data according to a first sort rule applied to the one or more primary database objects and a second sort rule applied to database objects of the table other than primary database objects, and displaying sorted data in response thereto.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the data includes multiple primary database objects in the table, and wherein the one or more categories of data include one or more purpose groups of data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein sorting further includes simultaneously applying a first sort rule to one or more primary database objects of the table, and applying a second sort rule to one or more database objects of the table that are not designated as primary database objects.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the sorted data includes secondary database objects organized into one or more purpose group lists.

18. The method of claim 15, further including providing a group filter option, wherein the group filter option represents a user option to selectively omit one or more portions or groups of data from a display of sorted data.

19. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution by the one or more processors and when executed operable to;

display a table with a first portion of data and a second portion of data;

apply a first sort rule to the first portion of data and a second sort rule to the second portion of data in response to user selection of a sort option; and

illustrate sorted data via the table, wherein the first sort rule is adapted to cause the first portion of data to appear in one or more predetermined locations in the table relative to the second portion of data, and wherein the second portion of data is sorted according to the second sort rule.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a digital processor coupled to a display screen and to a processor-readable storage device, wherein the processor-readable storage device includes one or more instructions executable by the digital processor to perform the following acts;

displaying a table with a first portion of data and a second portion of data;

applying a first sort rule to the first portion of data and a second sort rule to the second portion of data in response to user selection of a sort option; and

illustrating sorted data via the table, wherein the first sort rule is adapted to cause the first portion of data to appear in one or more predetermined locations in the table relative to the second portion of data, and wherein the second portion of data is sorted according to the second sort rule.