Method and system for database application software creation requiring minimal programming

• US 6,016,394 A
• Filed: 09/17/1997
• Issued: 01/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Versata Incorporated (ESW Capital, LLC)
• Original Assignee: TenFold Corporation
• Inventors: Walker, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Das, Chameli Chaudhuri
• Application Number:
  US08/932,255
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 395/701, 707/103, 364/282.1, 345/356, 345/334
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system and method for computer-assisted database management software creation of a target software application from a description known as a dictionary interoperating with a universal software application. The dictionary contents customize the universal application into the target software application created from a high-level dialog between an application designer and a graphical application editor. The application editor provides an environment for editing and creating custom applications and automatically creates security partitioning of responsibilities and users, hierarchical menu structures, groupings of database data elements into efficient sets, database transactions and database partitioning without requiring programming in SQL language by an application designer. The computer stores the dictionary in a database for accessing by the universal application. The dictionary customizes the re-usable universal application for interaction with relational databases such as Oracle®, IBM® DB2, and Sybase®.

Claims

1. A method for computer-assisted database management software creation of a target software application from a universal software application, said target software application for use in interacting with an application database, said method comprising the steps of:

a) facilitating a high-level dialog via an application editor to derive a description representing a customization of said universal software application into said target software application;

b) storing said description of said target software application in a dictionary, said dictionary to be accessed by said universal software application; and

c) invoking said dictionary by said universal software application upon execution of said target software application to customize said universal software application as said target software application.

2. The method for computer-assisted database management software creation of a target software application as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of facilitating a high-level dialog comprise the steps of:

a) uniquely identifying said target software application with a name;

b) providing access security to said uniquely identified target software application;

c) defining menus to navigate throughout said target software application to execute transactions; and

d) defining said transactions to perform upon said application database within said target software application.

3. The method for computer-assisted database management software creation of a target software application as recited in claim 2, wherein said providing access security step comprise the steps of:

a) designating responsibilities in which to partition end-users of said target software application from accessing and executing portions of said target software application exclusive to their designated responsibility;

b) identifying said end-users of said target software application; and

c) associating said end-users of said target software application with at least one of said responsibilities.

4. The method for computer-assisted database management software creation of a target software application as recited in claim 2, wherein said defining transactions further comprise the step of creating sets of data from said application database on which said transactions operate, said sets forming a subset of data from said application database.

5. The method for computer-assisted database management software creation of a target software application as recited in claim 4, further comprising the step of defining a logical application database according to a schema from which said sets are derived.

6. The method for computer-assisted database management software creation of a target software application as recited in claim 5, further comprising the step of mapping said logical application database to said application database.

7. The method for computer-assisted database management software creation of a target software application as recited in claim 6, further comprising the step of defining said application database according to a schema when said application database is non-existent prior to creation of said target software application.

8. The method for computer-assisted database management software creation of a target software application as recited in claim 4, wherein said defining transactions step further comprise the steps of:

a) defining views of data from said sets, said views to form a collection of said data within said sets to present to said end-user;

b) defining frames from said views of data to display and arrange said data from said application database.

9. The method for computer-assisted database management software creation of a target software application as recited in claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

a) defining a smart code table comprised of a constrained domain of valid values for said data from said database; and

b) presenting in said frames from which said end-user may select said constrained domain of valid values.

10. A system for computer-assisted creation of a target software application for database management of an application database, said system comprising:

a) an application editor to facilitate a high-level dialog to derive a description representing said target software application;

b) a dictionary in the form of a database to store said description of said target software application for subsequent referencing during execution of said target software application; and

c) a universal application comprised of re-usable modules and upon execution, said universal application to invoke said dictionary to customize said universal software application to become said target software application as described to said application editor.

11. The system for computer-assisted creation of a target software application for database management of an application database as recited in claim 10, wherein said application editor comprises:

a) a module for uniquely identifying said target software application with a name;

b) a module for providing access security to said uniquely identified target software application;

c) a module for defining menus to navigate throughout said target software application to execute transactions; and

d) a module for defining said transactions to perform upon said application database within said target software application.

12. The system for computer-assisted creation of a target software application for database management of an application database as recited in claim 11, wherein said module for providing access security comprises:

a) a module for designating responsibilities to partition end-users within said target software application from accessing and executing portions of said target software application exclusive to their designated responsibility;

b) a module for identifying said end-users of said target software application; and

c) a module for associating said end-users of said target software application with at least one of said responsibilities.

13. The system for computer-assisted creation of a target software application for database management of an application database as recited in claim 11, wherein said module for defining said transactions further comprises a module for creating sets of data from said application database on which said transactions operate, said sets to form a subset of data from said application database.

14. The system for computer-assisted creation of a target software application for database management of an application database as recited in claim 13, wherein said application editor further comprises a module for defining a logical application database according to a schema from which said sets are derived.

15. The system for computer-assisted creation of a target software application for database management of an application database as recited in claim 14, wherein said application editor further comprises a module for mapping said logical application database to said application database.

16. The system for computer-assisted creation of a target software application for database management of an application database as recited in claim 15, wherein said application editor further comprises a module for defining said application database according to a schema when said application database is non-existent prior to creation of said target software application.

17. The system for computer-assisted creation of a target software application for database management of an application database as recited in claim 13, wherein said module for defining transactions further comprises:

a) a module for defining views of data from said sets, said views to form a collection of said data within said sets to present to said end-user;

b) a module for defining frames from said views of data to display and arrange said data from said application database.

18. The system for computer-assisted creation of a target software application for database management of an application database as recited in claim 17, wherein said application editor further comprises:

a) a module for defining a smart code table comprised of a constrained domain of valid values for said data from said database; and

b) a module for presenting in said frames from which said end-user may select said constrained domain of valid values.

19. A computer-readable medium for computer-assisted database management software creation of a target software application from a universal software application, said target software application for interacting with an application database, said computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps comprising:

a) facilitating a high-level dialog via an application editor to derive a description representing a customization of said universal software application into said target software application;

b) storing said description of said target software application in a dictionary, said dictionary to provide a database for invocation by said universal software application; and

c) invoking said dictionary by said universal software application upon execution of said target software application to customize said universal software application as said target software application.

20. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 19 wherein said computer-executable instructions for facilitating a high-level dialog further comprise computer-executable instructions for performing the steps comprising:

a) uniquely identifying said target software application with a name;

b) providing access security to said uniquely identified target software application;

c) defining menus to navigate throughout said target software application to execute transactions; and

d) defining said transactions to perform upon said application database within said target software application.

21. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20 wherein said computer-executable instructions for providing access security comprise computer-executable instructions for performing the steps comprising:

a) designating responsibilities to partition end-users within said target software application from accessing and executing portions of said target software application exclusive to their designated responsibility;

b) identifying said end-users of said target software application; and

c) associating said end-users of said target software application with at least one of said responsibilities.

22. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20 wherein said computer-executable instructions for defining transactions further comprise computer-executable instructions for performing the step comprising creating sets of data from said application database on which said transactions operate, said sets to form a subset of data from said application database.

23. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 22 wherein said computer-executable instructions further comprise computer-executable instructions for performing the step comprising defining a logical application database according to a schema from which said sets are derived.

24. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23 wherein said computer-executable instructions further comprise computer-executable instructions for performing the step comprising mapping said logical application database to said application database.

25. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 24 wherein said computer-executable instructions further comprise computer-executable instructions for performing the step comprising defining said application database according to a schema when said application database is non-existent prior to creation of said target software application.

26. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 22 wherein said computer-executable instructions for defining transactions further comprise computer-executable instructions for performing the steps comprising:

a) defining views of data from said sets, said views to form a collection of said data within said sets to present to said end-user;

b) defining frames from said views of data to display and arrange said data from said application database.

27. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 26 wherein said computer-executable instructions further comprise computer-executable instructions for performing the steps comprising:

a) defining a smart code table comprised of a constrained domain of valid values for said data from said database; and

b) presenting in said frames from which said end-user may select said constrained domain of valid values.