Method and apparatus for generating reports using declarative tools

• US 6,160,549 A
• Filed: 01/21/1997
• Issued: 12/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle Corporation
• Inventors: Davis, Richard, Breyer, Steve, Touma, Andre, Simson, David, Tilli, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US08/785,856
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 345/302, 345/326, 345/333, 345/334, 345/335, 345/339, 345/340, 345/342, 345/348, 345/349, 345/964, 345/965, 345/966, 345/967, 345/968, 707/102, 707/103, 707/501, 707/502, 707/503, 707/505, 707/506, 707/508, 707/509, 707/514, 707/517, 707/522, 707/527, 707/906, 707/908, 707/3-5
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

The present invention is a method and apparatus for declarative report definition and generation using an enhanced, graphical data model and a graphical user interface (GUI) for graphically specifying data items and data computations to be performed on the data is described. It provides a set of data model objects, a data model painter for creating, defining, and visualizing the data model objects, and a data engine that retrieves the data according to the definition of the data objects. That is, the present invention provides a graphical data model allowing a user to graphically specify both the data and computations to be performed on the data and uses the layout metaphor (i.e., "painter") to specify the data. Data model objects include: queries, groups, columns, parameters, cross products, and links. Unlike the prior art, allows the use of multiple queries each containing one or more break groups and cross product groups where groups belonging to two different queries are connected by link objects. The resulting structure is therefore a forest of groups where each group contains one or more columns, thereby enlarging the scope of report definition tools available to users.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of defining a data report, said method comprising the steps of:

defining, using a definition manager having a graphical user interface (GUI), a data model of said data report consisting of data model objects, said data model graphically representing data items selected from a database to be included in said data report, wherein said data model is defined by joining a plurality of queries, said data model includes a query data object used to select a predefined query or generate a new query; and

defining, using said definition manager, a layout model of said report consisting of layout model objects, said layout model graphically representing a physical layout format of said report.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said data model further graphically represents data item relationships and computations to be performed between at least two data items.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said data model objects include a Column, a Group, a Link, and a Query.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said layout objects include an Anchor, a Boilerplate, a Boilerplate Link, a Chart Display, a Field, a Frame, a Matrix, and a Repeating Frame.

5. A computer implemented method of generating a data report, said data report consisting of data items selected from a database, said method comprising the steps of:

a) defining data properties of said data report by using a graphical user interface (GUI) to generate a data model object, said data model object graphically representing said data properties of said data report and further representing data items selected from said database to be included in said data report, wherein said data model is defined by joining a plurality of queries, said data model object includes a query data object used to select a predefined query or generate a new query;

b) generating a layout object of said data report by using said graphical user interface, wherein said layout object graphically represents a physical layout format of said data report; and

c) retrieving, via a data engine, said data report in accordance with said data model object and said layout object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said data model object further graphically represents relationships between at least two of said data items.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said data model object further graphically represents computations to be performed between at least two of said data items.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said data model object includes a query data object, said query data object is used to select a predefined query or generate a new query.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein said data model object includes a link data object, said link data object is used to generate a parent-child Group relationship between at least two Groups.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein said data model object includes a break group, said break group is used to determine a hierarchy of said data items in said data report.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein said data model object includes a cross product data object, said cross product data object is used to generate a group comprising of values generated by performing a mathematical operation between corresponding data items of at least two groups.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein said data model object includes a parameter data object, said parameter data object provides an ability to modify said data report at a runtime of said data report.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said parameter data object further provides an ability to change a selection criteria and a mathematical operation at said runtime.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein said data model object includes a column data object, said column data object provides an ability to generate summaries and computations on column values with in a Group.

15. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions for generating a data report, said data report comprised of data items included in a database, said sequences of instruction which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform the steps of:

a) defining data properties of said data report by using a graphical user interface (GUI) to generate a data model object, said data model object graphically representing said data properties of said data report and further representing data items selected from said database to be included in said data report, wherein said data model is defined by joining a plurality of queries, said data model object includes a query data object used to select a predefined query or generate a new query;

b) generating a layout object of said data report by using said graphical user interface, wherein said layout object graphically represents a physical layout format of said data report; and

c) retrieving, via a data engine, said data report in accordance with said data model object and said layout object.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said data model object further graphically represents relationships between at least two of said data items.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said data model object further graphically represents computations to be performed between at least two of said data items.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said data model object includes a query data object, said query data object is used to select a predefined query or generate a new query.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said data model object includes a link data object, said link data object is used to generate a parent-child Group relationship between at least two Groups.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said data model object includes a break group, said break group is used to determine a hierarchy of said data items in said data report.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said data model object includes a cross product data object, said cross product data object is used to generate a group comprising of values generated by performing a mathematical operation between corresponding data items of at least two groups.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said data model object includes a parameter data object, said parameter data object provides an ability to modify said data report at a runtime of said data report.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said parameter data object further provides an ability to change a selection criteria and a mathematical operation at said runtime.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said data model object includes a column data object, said column data object provides an ability to generate summaries and computations on column values with in a Group.

25. A computer system for generating a data report, said data report including data items selected from a database, said computer system comprising:

a graphical user interface configured to enable development of a data model object graphically representing data items included in said data report and data parameters of said data report, said data items selected from said database, wherein said data model is defined by joining a plurality of queries, said data model object includes a query data object used to select a predefined query or generate a new query;

said graphical user interface further configured to enable development of a layout model object, said layout model object graphically representing physical layout format parameters of said report; and

a data engine for retrieving said data report having said data items selected from said database, and said data report retrieved in accordance with said data parameters and said physical layout format parameters.

26. The computer system of claim 25, wherein said data model object further graphically represents a relationship between at least two of said data items.

27. The computer system of claim 25, wherein said data model object further graphically represents computations to be performed between at least two of said data items.