System and method for dynamically displaying entering, and updating data from a database
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method for dynamically displaying and optionally entering and updating data from a database, the database storing the data as primary records, said method Comprising the steps of:
- reading a plurality of primary record types for the database and a plurality of relationships between the primary record types;
defining a management record by selecting a plurality of primary record types for inclusion in the management record;
generating management record pointer families for each management record, each management record pointer family comprising a data structure defining a group of related primary record types within the management record, the management record pointer families generated by performing the substeps of;
1) retrieving a management record;
2) retrieving a unique primary record type of the management record;
3) using the unique primary record type as the current primary record type;
4) creating a family pointer type for the current primary record type;
5) retrieving a set of primary record definitions related to the current primary record type;
6) creating a child record type to the family pointer for each primary record type retrieved in substep
5) that has a one to many relationship with the current primary record type; and
7) for each primary record type retrieved in substep
5) that has a many to one relationship with the current primary record type, repeating substeps 4-7 with the primary record type retrieved as the current primary record type;
defining a dynamic document that specifies a display format for data from the database, the display format independent of the structure of the management record;
fetching data from the database and constructing a primary record instance and a management record pointer instance by performing the substeps of;
1) creating a database command to query the database by performing the additional substeps of;
a) reading a leaf level management record pointer family;
b) reading a parent management record pointer family for each leaf level management record pointer family;
c) creating a Data Manipulation Language (DML) query that selects the management record pointer family'"'"'s primary record type;
d) reading any filters for the management record pointer family, each filter specifying a set of data selection criteria;
e) creating a WHERE clause for the DML query using the filters for the management record pointer family; and
f) repeating substeps a-e for each leaf level management record, pointer family;
2) executing the database command; and
3) constructing the management record pointer instance;
creating a dynamic document instance for the management record pointer instance; and
displaying data from the database using the dynamic document instance.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for extracting and dynamically displaying data from a database comprises a central processing unit, an input device, a program memory, a display device, a printer, mass storage, and a network. The program memory comprises management records for retrieving and updating information in the database, and dynamic documents for presenting database information to the user. The information from one or more underlying commercial databases is structured and reorganized into management records. The management records interact with the dynamic documents to reformat the data into the form desired by the user. Both the management records and dynamic documents are also used to execute operations on the data in the database such as sorts, filters, and logical and mathematical functions. The present invention also include a plurality of unique methods for extracting and updating data in the underlying databases. These methods include: a method for defining a point of view for viewing the data, a method for generating the language codes of production databases for extracting the data from the underlying databases, a method for assembling the data extracted from the underlying database into management records, a method for reorganizing the data in management records into any form of dynamic documents, and methods for displaying and printing dynamic documents.
-
Citations
33 Claims
-
1. A computer implemented method for dynamically displaying and optionally entering and updating data from a database, the database storing the data as primary records, said method Comprising the steps of:
-
reading a plurality of primary record types for the database and a plurality of relationships between the primary record types; defining a management record by selecting a plurality of primary record types for inclusion in the management record; generating management record pointer families for each management record, each management record pointer family comprising a data structure defining a group of related primary record types within the management record, the management record pointer families generated by performing the substeps of; 1) retrieving a management record; 2) retrieving a unique primary record type of the management record; 3) using the unique primary record type as the current primary record type; 4) creating a family pointer type for the current primary record type; 5) retrieving a set of primary record definitions related to the current primary record type; 6) creating a child record type to the family pointer for each primary record type retrieved in substep
5) that has a one to many relationship with the current primary record type; and7) for each primary record type retrieved in substep
5) that has a many to one relationship with the current primary record type, repeating substeps 4-7 with the primary record type retrieved as the current primary record type;defining a dynamic document that specifies a display format for data from the database, the display format independent of the structure of the management record; fetching data from the database and constructing a primary record instance and a management record pointer instance by performing the substeps of; 1) creating a database command to query the database by performing the additional substeps of; a) reading a leaf level management record pointer family; b) reading a parent management record pointer family for each leaf level management record pointer family; c) creating a Data Manipulation Language (DML) query that selects the management record pointer family'"'"'s primary record type; d) reading any filters for the management record pointer family, each filter specifying a set of data selection criteria; e) creating a WHERE clause for the DML query using the filters for the management record pointer family; and f) repeating substeps a-e for each leaf level management record, pointer family; 2) executing the database command; and 3) constructing the management record pointer instance; creating a dynamic document instance for the management record pointer instance; and displaying data from the database using the dynamic document instance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
Specification