Dynamic, self-modifying graphical user interface for relational database applications

• US 5,950,190 A
• Filed: 05/13/1997
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aptek Incorporated
• Inventors: Udy, Jerry Lynn, Yeager, Carolyn Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US08/854,928
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 707/4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A dynamic database interface for relational and object-oriented databases includes a dynamic, self-modifying graphical user interface defining a plurality of graphical windows for searching and editing the contents of the relational database, as well as modifying the structure of the database tables. The graphical user interface recognizes modifications to the structure of the database tables and regenerates the graphical windows to accommodate such modifications. The graphical windows also depict schematic representations of physical locations of objects stored within the tables of the relational database. In addition to using the graphical windows to edit the contents and modify the structure of the relational database, batches of data may be imported to both edit the contents of the relational database and modify the structure of the relational database tables.

Claims

1. A dynamic database interface executed by programmed instructions on a general purpose computer in response to input information;

the general purpose computer including a memory in which the programmed instructions are recorded, an input device to supply input information for interaction with the programmed instructions, and a display device for displaying information created by the programmed instructions and the input information;

said dynamic database interface operating in conjunction with an underlying relational database having database contents contained within a plurality of tables, said relational database further containing data dictionary information defining individual columns of said tables and relations between said columns, wherein said dynamic database interface comprises;

a graphical user interface defining a plurality of graphical windows for formulating commands to be sent to the relational database and for displaying information in the graphical windows from the relational database, said graphical user interface recognizing a structural change in the underlying relational database by initiating a reference to the data dictionary information and dynamically modifying the information displayed in at least one of the plurality of graphical windows in response to a modification of the data dictionary information resulting from the structural change.

2. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface regenerates each one of the plurality of graphical windows in response to a modification of the data dictionary information.

3. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface translates the commands formulated in the graphical windows into a structured query language for processing by the relational database.

4. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 3, wherein:

the commands formulated in the graphical windows include a search query; and

the graphical user interface displays a response to the search query on the display device.

5. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 4, wherein:

the database contents of the relational database includes a plurality of inventory objects;

at least one of the individual columns defines a physical location for each inventory object;

the response to the search query lists at least one inventory object and its respective physical location; and

the plurality of graphical windows includes a topology window to display a schematic representation of the physical location of the at least one inventory object.

6. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 3, wherein:

the commands formulated in the graphical windows include a command to edit the database contents.

7. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 6, wherein:

the database contents of the relational database includes a plurality of inventory objects;

at least one of the individual columns defines a physical location for each inventory object;

the plurality of graphical windows includes a topology window to display a schematic representation of the physical locations of each of the inventory objects; and

the defined physical location of at least one of the inventory objects may be modified by moving the schematic representation of the physical location of the at least one inventory object to a new location within the topology window.

8. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 3, wherein:

the commands formulated in the graphical windows include a command to modify the data dictionary information of the relational database.

9. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of graphical windows includes a search window for searching the contents of the relational database, said search window defining user-input fields corresponding to the individual columns defined within the data dictionary information of the relational database.

10. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 9, wherein:

the graphical user interface updates the user-input fields each time the data dictionary information is modified to incorporate any changes to the individual columns.

11. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 10, wherein:

the plurality of graphical windows includes a choices window for each user-input field defined within the search window, each said choices window providing a list of the database contents for the individual column of the relational database corresponding to the user-input field.

12. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of graphical windows includes an edit window for editing the contents of the relational database, said edit window defining user-input fields corresponding to the individual columns defined within the data dictionary information of the relational database.

13. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 12, wherein:

the graphical user interface updates the user-input fields each time the data dictionary information is modified to incorporate any changes to the individual columns.

14. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 13, wherein:

the plurality of graphical windows includes a choices window for each user-input field defined within the edit window, each said choices window providing a list of the database contents for the individual column of the relational database corresponding to the user-input field.

15. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of graphical windows includes a design window for modifying the data dictionary information of the relational database, said design window:

displaying the individual columns defined within the data dictionary information for a predetermined one of the tables of the relational database;

allowing at least one of the individual columns displayed within the design window to be deleted from the data dictionary information; and

allowing at least one new column to be added to the data dictionary information for the predetermined one of the tables.

16. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 15, wherein:

the design window further allows the individual columns displayed within the design window to be modified.

17. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 15, wherein:

the graphical user interface updates the individual columns displayed within the design window each time the data dictionary information is modified to incorporate any changes to the individual columns.

18. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the database contents of the relational database includes a plurality of inventory objects; and

at least one of the individual columns defines a physical location for each inventory object.

19. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 18, wherein the plurality of graphical windows includes a topology window to display a schematic representation of the physical location of each of the inventory objects.

20. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

means for importing a batch of data into the relational database to edit the database contents.

21. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 20, further comprising:

means for importing a batch of data into the relational database to modify the data dictionary information.

22. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 1, wherein the data dictionary information contains database contents of the underlying relational database, and further comprising:

means for exporting the database contents of the relational database to a text file.

23. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 1 wherein the data dictionary information is stored in a location of the memory, and the graphical user interface accesses the memory location where the data dictionary information is stored.

24. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface initiates a reference to the data dictionary information prior to each new display of information in the graphical windows.

25. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface periodically self-initiates a reference to the data dictionary information to recognize changes in the underlying relational database.

26. A dynamic database interface as defined in claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface recognizes changes in the underlying relational database and self modifies the information displayed in response to changes to the data dictionary information occurring during use of said dynamic database interface.