DATABASE INBOX

• US 20130339398A1
• Filed: 06/18/2012
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Griggs, Ryan Christopher, Dorris, Dexter A., Shelby, Ryan David
• Application Number:
  US13/526,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20130339398A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems

Abstract

A database inbox of the database management system can receive a data object. The database inbox can have an inbox display area. The database inbox can be configured to receive data objects each having a distinct data type. The database inbox can serve as a data shopping cart, storing the data objects in an ad hoc manner before a table for storing the data object in a database has been created.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a database inbox, a data object, the database inbox having an inbox display area and being configured to receive and store data objects each having a distinct data type;

receiving a request to insert the data object into a data record having one more data fields, each data field having a data field type, the data record being displayed in a form display area, the request including an input moving the data object from the inbox display area to the form display area;

determining whether the data object is being moved to an existing data field; and

based on a result from the determining, modifying at least one of the data object or a schema of the data record wherein a representation of the data object is inserted into the data record and provided for display in the form display area, wherein the method is performed by one or more computers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the database inbox includes a backend table having one or more data records organized in one data column, each of the one or more data records corresponding to a respective data object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data object comprises:

receiving the data object as pushed into the database inbox by an application program.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the data object as pushed into the database inbox comprises:

receiving, in the application program, an input selecting a content item;

creating, by a plugin of the application program configured to communicate with the database inbox, the data object based on the selected content item;

pushing, by the plugin, the data object to the database inbox; and

receiving, by the database inbox, the pushed data object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data object comprises:

receiving the data object through a pull by the database inbox from an application program.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the data object through the pull comprises:

receiving an input in the display area of the database inbox;

providing for display a user interface for selecting a content item displayed by an application program;

generating the data object based on the content item selected through the user interface; and

pulling the data object into the database inbox.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying at least one of the data object or the schema of the data record comprises:

determining an object conversion rule using a type mapping table based on the data type of the data object and data field type of the existing data field;

converting the data object into a target object according to the object conversion rule; and

designating the target object as the representation of the data object.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein converting the data object comprises extracting metadata from the data object, the metadata indicating one or more characteristics of a content item in the data object.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein modifying at least one of the data object or the schema of the data record comprises:

creating a new data field in the schema, the new data field having a data field type that corresponds to the data type of the data object; and

propagating the new data field to other data records according to the schema.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

upon receiving the data object, determining that a number of data objects in the database inbox exceeds a threshold; and

then

creating a plurality of levels in the database inbox, including creating at least one folder at a first level, the folder containing at least two data objects moved from the first level to a second level, such that a total number of data objects and folders at the first level does not exceed the threshold.

11. A non-transitory storage device storing computer instructions operable to cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a database inbox, a data object, the database inbox having an inbox display area and being configured to receive and store data objects each having a distinct data type;

receiving a request to insert the data object into a data record having one more data fields, each data field having a data field type, the data record being displayed in a form display area, the request including an input moving the data object from the inbox display area to the form display area;

determining whether the data object is being moved to an existing data field; and

based on a result from the determining, modifying at least one of the data object or a schema of the data record wherein a representation of the data object is inserted into the data record and provided for display in the form display area.

12. The storage device of claim 11, wherein the database inbox includes a backend table having one or more data records organized in one data column, each of the one or more data records corresponding to a respective data object.

13. The storage device of claim 11, wherein receiving the data object comprises:

receiving the data object as pushed into the database inbox by an application program.

14. The storage device of claim 13, wherein receiving the data object as pushed into the database inbox comprises:

receiving, in the application program, an input selecting a content item;

creating, by a plugin of the application program configured to communicate with the database inbox, the data object based on the selected content item;

pushing, by the plugin, the data object to the database inbox; and

receiving, by the database inbox, the pushed data object.

15. The storage device of claim 11, wherein receiving the data object comprises:

receiving the data object through a pull by the database inbox from an application program.

16. The storage device of claim 15, wherein receiving the data object through the pull comprises:

receiving an input in the display area of the database inbox;

providing for display a user interface for selecting a content item displayed by an application program;

generating the data object based on the content item selected through the user interface; and

pulling the data object into the database inbox.

17. The storage device of claim 11, wherein modifying at least one of the data object or the schema of the data record comprises:

determining an object conversion rule using a type mapping table based on the data type of the data object and data field type of the existing data field;

converting the data object into a target object according to the object conversion rule; and

designating the target object as the representation of the data object.

18. The storage device of claim 17, wherein converting the data object comprises extracting metadata from the data object, the metadata indicating one or more characteristics of a content item in the data object.

19. The storage device of claim 17, wherein modifying at least one of the data object or the schema of the data record comprises:

creating a new data field in the schema, the new data field having a data field type that corresponds to the data type of the data object; and

propagating the new data field to other data records according to the schema.

20. The storage device of claim 11, comprising:

upon receiving the data object, determining that a number of data objects in the database inbox exceeds a threshold; and

then

creating a plurality of levels in the database inbox, including creating at least one folder at a first level, the folder containing at least two data objects moved from the first level to a second level, such that a total number of data objects and folders at the first level does not exceed the threshold.

21. A system comprising:

one or more processors configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by a database inbox, a data object, the database inbox having an inbox display area and being configured to receive and store data objects each having a distinct data type;

receiving a request to insert the data object into a data record having one more data fields, each data field having a data field type, the data record being displayed in a form display area, the request including an input moving the data object from the inbox display area to the form display area;

determining whether the data object is being moved to an existing data field; and

based on a result from the determining, modifying at least one of the data object or a schema of the data record wherein a representation of the data object is inserted into the data record and provided for display in the form display area.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the database inbox includes a backend table having one or more data records organized in one data column, each of the one or more data records corresponding to a respective data object.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein receiving the data object comprises:

receiving the data object as pushed into the database inbox by an application program.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein receiving the data object as pushed into the database inbox comprises:

receiving, in the application program, an input selecting a content item;

creating, by a plugin of the application program configured to communicate with the database inbox, the data object based on the selected content item;

pushing, by the plugin, the data object to the database inbox; and

receiving, by the database inbox, the pushed data object.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein receiving the data object comprises:

receiving the data object through a pull by the database inbox from an application program.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein receiving the data object through the pull comprises:

receiving an input in the display area of the database inbox;

providing for display a user interface for selecting a content item displayed by an application program;

generating the data object based on the content item selected through the user interface; and

pulling the data object into the database inbox.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein modifying at least one of the data object or the schema of the data record comprises:

determining an object conversion rule using a type mapping table based on the data type of the data object and data field type of the existing data field;

converting the data object into a target object according to the object conversion rule; and

designating the target object as the representation of the data object.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein converting the data object comprises extracting metadata from the data object, the metadata indicating one or more characteristics of a content item in the data object.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein modifying at least one of the data object or the schema of the data record comprises:

creating a new data field in the schema, the new data field having a data field type that corresponds to the data type of the data object; and

propagating the new data field to other data records according to the schema.

30. The system of claim 21, comprising:

upon receiving the data object, determining that a number of data objects in the database inbox exceeds a threshold; and

then

creating a plurality of levels in the database inbox, including creating at least one folder at a first level, the folder containing at least two data objects moved from the first level to a second level, such that a total number of data objects and folders at the first level does not exceed the threshold.