Reconfiguration of database by interactive manipulation of icons

• US 5,546,526 A
• Filed: 12/10/1993
• Issued: 08/13/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shrader, Theodore J. L., Li, Shih-Gong
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, RUAY L
• Application Number:
  US08/164,864
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 395/161, 395/159, 395/600, 395/700, 395/50, 395/51, 395/52, 395/53, 395/54, 395/60, 364/401, 364/709.12, 364/498, 364/148
• US Class Current: 715/837
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/217 Database tuning G06F16/2282 takes precedence; database performance monitoring G06F11/3409
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/961 Operator interface with visual structure or function dictated by intended use
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

A method, system and program is provided for reconfiguring a database by the manipulation of table and column icons on a user interactive graphical display interface to the database. In the interactive display, columns are represented by icons and tables are represented by icons which in turn represent combinations of columns. One or more of the table icons are decomposed into the column icons making up the tables. The column icons are displayed in pool areas on the display from which the user may interactively select column icons and combine such column icons to form a new table represented by a table icon.

Claims

1. A system for restructuring, by a user, on a user-interactive display, tables of databases in which data of said databases is stored in a structure of said tables made of columns, comprising:

means for graphically representing said columns as icons on said display,

means for graphically representing tables as combinations of said column icons,

means for graphically decomposing and displaying said column icons associated with at least one of said tables into discrete column icons in a displayed pool area, and

means for permitting the user to select column icons from said displayed pool area and combining said column icons in a displayed recomposition area to form a new table.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said decomposing means decompose a plurality of said tables.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein each of said plurality of tables is respectively graphically represented on said display by a table icon.

4. The system of claim 3 further including means for selecting and means for moving said table icons.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said means for decomposing said tables include selecting table icons.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said means for decomposing said tables include means for displaying the discrete column icons in said tables represented by said selected table icons.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said means for decomposing said table further include means for moving said selected table icons into said pool areas whereupon said decomposition into said column icons occurs.

8. The system of claim 7 further including means for eliminating all table associations from the column icons in said pool areas and from the stored columns which said icons respectively represent.

9. The system of claim 8 further including means for determining column icons in said pool areas which represent redundant data columns.

10. The system of claim 9 further including means for removing said icons representing redundant columns.

11. A method for restructuring, by a user, on a user-interactive display, tables of databases in which data of said databases is stored in a structure of said tables made of columns, said method comprising:

graphically representing said columns as icons on said display,

graphically representing tables as combinations of said column icons,

graphically decomposing and displaying said column icons associated with at least one of said tables into discrete column icons in a displayed pool area and

permitting the user to select column icons from said displayed pool area and combining said column icons in a displayed recomposition area to form a new table.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein a plurality of said tables are decomposed.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein each of said plurality of tables is respectively graphically represented on said display by a table icon.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said step of decomposing said tables includes selecting to table icons.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said steps of decomposing said tables includes displaying the discrete column icons in said tables represented by said selected table icons.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said decomposing said table further includes the step of moving said selected table icons into said pool areas whereupon said decomposition into said column icons occurs.

17. The method of claim 16 further including the step of eliminating all table associations from the column icons in said pool areas and from the stored columns which said icons respectively represent.

18. The method of claim 17 further including the step of determining column icons in said pool areas which represent redundant data columns.

19. The method of claim 18 further including removing said icons representing redundant columns.

20. A computer program product for restructuring tables of databases by a user, on a user-interactive display, in which data of said databases is stored in a structure of said tables made of columns, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for graphically representing said columns as icons on said display,

computer readable proqram code means embodied in said medium for graphically representing tables as combinations of said column icons,

computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for graphically decomposing and displaying said column icons associated with at least one of said tables into discrete column icons in a displayed pool area, and

computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for permitting the user to select column icons from said displayed pool area and combining said column icons in a displayed recomposition area to form a new table.

21. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein said computer readable program code means for decomposing includes computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for decomposing a plurality of said tables.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 further including computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for graphically representing each of said plurality of tables on said display by a table icon.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 further including computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for selecting and computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for moving said table icons.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein said computer readable program code means for decomposing said tables include computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for selecting table icons.

25. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein said computer readable program code means for decomposing said tables include computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for displaying the discrete column icons in said tables represented by said selected table icons.

26. The computer program product of claim 25 wherein said computer readable program code means for decomposing said table further include computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for moving said selected table icons into said pool areas whereupon said decomposition into said column icons occurs.

27. The computer program product of claim 26 further including computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for eliminating all table associations from the column icons in said pool areas and from the stored columns which said icons respectively represent.

28. The computer program product of claim 27 further including computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for determining column icons in said pool areas which represent redundant data columns.

29. The computer program product of claim 28 further including computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for removing said icons representing redundant columns.