Computer systems, method and program for constructing statements by dragging and dropping iconic representations of subcomponent statements onto a phrase template

• US 5,909,678 A
• Filed: 09/13/1996
• Issued: 06/01/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bergman, Lawrence, Schoudt, Jerald T., Skelly, Barbara L., Knapp, Loey K.
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kazimi, Hani M.
• Application Number:
  US08/714,001
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 704/9, 704/271, 707/4, 707/531, 707/5, 345/326, 345/339, 345/348, 345/349, 345/352, 345/335, 395/670
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

The system, method, and program of this invention enables construction of statements, including queries, programs, and commands, by using drag and drop templates. A predefined phrase template, which is generated and displayed to a user, imposes syntactic and semantic constraints in constructing the statement. Objects representing entities and objects representing subphrases can be dragged and dropped onto phrase receptacles within the phrase and subphrase templates. Complex statements can be constructed from a nesting of subphrases using the drag and drop technique. The constructed statement is displayed to the user along with the subphrase structure of the statement through nested panels.

Claims

1. A computer system for enabling a construction of a statement by a user through a user interface, the computer system comprising:

means for displaying a subphrase template, the subphrase template having at least one subphrase receptacle, the subphrase receptacle indicating a place-holder for a selectable object;

means for displaying a phrase template for the statement, the phrase template having predefined vocabulary of the statement and at least one phrase receptacle, the phrase receptacle indicating a place-holder for a selectable object defining a choice for the statement;

means for accepting a selectable object within the phrase receptacle in response to a user dragging and dropping the selectable object onto the phrase receptacle from one of a menu of selectable objects and the subphrase template;

means for expanding the phrase receptacle to incorporate the subphrase template when the subphrase template is dragged and dropped onto the phrase receptacle; and

means for displaying a constructed statement having the predefined vocabulary and the choice.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the statement is a query.

3. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the statement is a program.

4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the statement is a command.

5. The computer system of claim 2 wherein the predefined vocabulary is a natural language.

6. The computer system of claim 2 wherein the predefined vocabulary is a SQL language.

7. The computer system of claim 2 wherein the selectable object is a searchable entity object.

10. The computer system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least one phrase receptacle or subphrase receptacle has a graphical user interface interactor.

11. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the graphical user interface interactor is a type-in field.

12. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the graphical user interface interactor is a menu.

13. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the graphical user interface interactor is a toggle button.

14. The computer system of claim 1 further comprising means for enforcing constraints by restricting a type of selectable object that is accepted in at least one of the at least one phrase receptacle or subphrase receptacle.

15. The computer system of claim 1 wherein each phrase receptacle and subphrase receptacle has a graphical boundary representation, and wherein the means for displaying a constructed query displays a subphrase structure of the query through a visual nesting of the graphical boundary representations.

16. The computer system of claim 1 further comprising means for adding an un-nested set of subphrases to the phrase template or subphrase template.

17. The computer system of claim 16 further comprising means for deleting the added set of subphrases.

18. The computer system of claim 16 or claim 17 wherein the means for adding and means for deleting is achieved through an add/delete button.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the predefined vocabulary is in a computer language.

8. The computer system of 1 further comprising means for enabling a modification of the constructed statement by allowing a selection and deletion of the selectable object within the phrase receptacle and accepting a second selectable object within the phrase receptacle.

9. The computer system of claim 8 wherein the means for enabling the modification further comprises:

means for deleting from the phrase template, a phrase receptacle selected by the user to allow the user to use a portion of the phrase without a deleted qualifier.

20. A computerized method for constructing a statement, the method comprising:

displaying a subphrase template, the subphrase template having at least one subphrase receptacle, the subphrase receptacle indicating a place-holder for a selectable object;

displaying a phrase template for the statement, the phrase template having predefined vocabulary of the statement and at least one phrase receptacle;

accepting, for each separate phrase receptacle, a selectable object within each phrase receptacle in response to a selection by the user by dragging and dropping the selectable object onto the phrase receptacle from one of a menu of selectable objects and the subphrase template;

expanding the phrase receptacle to incorporate the subphrase template when the subphrase template is dragged and dropped onto the phrase receptacle;

repeating a step of accepting subsequent selectable objects until each phrase receptacle is populated; and

displaying a modified phrase template as each phrase receptacle accepts a selectable object; and

displaying, after each phrase receptacle is populated, a constructed statement having the predefined vocabulary and the selectable objects.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the predefined vocabulary is in a computer language.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising a step of enabling a modification to the constructed statement by enabling a user to select one of the selectable objects within one of the phrase receptacles, enabling a user to drag it off of the phrase receptacle, and enabling a user to drop a second selectable object within the phrase receptacle.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

deleting from the phrase template, a phrase receptacle selected by the user to allow the user to use a portion of the phrase without a deleted qualifier.

24. A program on a computer usable medium for enabling a construction of a statement by a user through a user interface, the program on the computer usable medium comprising:

means for generating a displayed subphrase template, the subphrase template having at least one subphrase receptacle, the subphrase receptacle indicating a place-holder for a selectable object defining a choice for the subphrase;

means for generating a displayed phrase template for the statement, the phrase template having predefined vocabulary of the statement and at least one phrase receptacle, the phrase receptacle indicating a place-holder for a selectable object defining a choice for the statement;

means for accepting the selectable object within the phrase receptacle in response to a user dragging and dropping the selectable object onto the phrase receptacle from one of a menu of selectable objects and the subphrase template;

means for expanding the phrase receptacle to incorporate the subphrase template when the subphrase template is dragged and dropped onto the phrase receptacle; and

means for displaying a constructed statement having the predefined vocabulary and the choice.

25. The program on a computer usable medium of claim 24 wherein the predefined vocabulary is a natural language.

26. The program on a computer usable medium of claim 24 wherein the statement is a query and the predefined vocabulary is a SQL language.

27. The program on a computer usable medium of claim 24 wherein the statement is a query and the selectable object is a searchable object.

28. The program on a computer usable medium of claim 24 further comprising means for enabling a modification of the constructed statement by allowing a selection and deletion of the selectable object within the phrase receptacle and allowing a subsequent acceptance of a second selectable object within the phrase receptacle.

29. The program on a computer usable medium of claim 28 wherein the means for enabling the modification further comprises:

means for deleting from the phrase template, a phrase receptacle selected by the user to allow the user to use a portion of the phrase without a deleted qualifier.

30. The program on a computer usable medium of claim 24 wherein at least one of the at least one phrase receptacle or subphrase receptacle has a graphical user interface interactor.

31. The program on a computer usable medium of claim 24 wherein at least one of the at least one phrase receptacle or subphrase receptacle has means for enforcing constraints by restricting a type of selectable object that is accepted.

32. The program on a computer usable medium of claim 24 wherein

each phrase receptacle and subphrase receptacle has a graphical boundary representation and wherein the displayed constructed statement displays a subphrase structure of the statement through a visual nesting of the graphical boundary representations.

33. The program on a computer usable medium of claim 24 wherein the predefined vocabulary is in a computer language.