Method and apparatus for analyzing data

• US 6,275,954 B1
• Filed: 05/25/1999
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Herman, Jeffrey A., Looney, Kevin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUA, LY
• Application Number:
  US09/318,480
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 714/25, 714/37, 714/38, 714/46, 714/47, 707/513, 707/514, 707/515, 707/516
• US Class Current: 714/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3604 Software analysis for verifying properties of programs byte-code verification G06F9/44589
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software

Abstract

The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for receiving data analysis instructions from a user and for displaying results of the data analysis to the user. In one embodiment, the invention provides a series of interface windows displayed on a computer display screen. A first window allows a user to select one or more specification files comprising reference data specifying capabilities and or resources with which other data is to be compared. A second window allows the user to select one or more data files to be compared to the one or more specification files selected using the first window. A third window allows the user to interactively select the type of analysis to be performed and provides the results of the selected analysis to the user. The third window also allows the user to interactively apply one or more filters to the results and to select the manner (view) in which the results are displayed.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing data comprising:

performing data analysis using elements comprising;

at least one reference file information obtained from

a plurality of file directories via a reference file interface;

at least one source file information obtained from said plurality of file directories via a source file interface, wherein a user utilizes said source file interface to select said at least one source file information; and

data analysis criteria obtained via a data analysis interface;

displaying results of said data analysis to a user via said data analysis interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a respective interface in response to the user selecting a respective page tab, wherein at least one of said reference file interface, said source file interface, and said data analysis interface comprises a page.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a directory display area from which the user can select a directory, and from which the user can select a reference file from a selected directory.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

displaying a reference file display area comprising a list of selected reference files.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

displaying, in a message display area, a message associated with a selected reference file.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a directory display area from which the user can select a directory, and from which the user can select a source file from a selected directory.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying a source file display area comprising a list of selected source files.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying an analysis criteria selection area from which the user can select said data analysis criteria; and

displaying a result display area.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of displaying said result display area further comprises:

displaying a table comprising a first column and a second column, said first column comprising one or more analyzed source files and said second column comprising one or more result identifiers associated with said one or more analyzed source files.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of displaying said table comprises:

displaying a third column, said third column comprising error identification information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of performing said data analysis comprises:

applying one or more filters to said data analysis based on said data analysis criteria.

12. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for analyzing data, said computer program product comprising;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to perform data analysis using elements comprising;

at least one reference file information obtained from a plurality of file directories via a reference file interface;

at least one source file information obtained from said plurality of file directories via a source file interface; and

data analysis criteria obtained via a data analysis interface;

a computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to display results of said data analysis to a user via said data analysis interface.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to display a respective interface in response to the user selecting a respective page tab, wherein at least one of said reference file interface, said source file interface, and said data analysis interface comprises a page.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to display a directory display area from which the user can select a directory, and from which the user can select a reference file from a selected directory.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to display a reference file display area comprising a list of selected reference files.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to display, in a message display area, a message associated with a selected reference file.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to display a directory display area from which the user can select a directory, and from which the user can select a source file from a selected directory.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to display a source file display area comprising a list of selected source files.

19. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to display said data analysis interface comprises:

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to display an analysis criteria selection area from which the user can select said data analysis criteria; and

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to display a result display area.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to display said result display area further comprises:

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to display a table comprising a first column and a second column, said first column comprising one or more analyzed source files and said second column comprising one or more result identifiers associated with said one or more analyzed source files.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to display said table comprises:

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to display a third column, said third column comprising error identification information.

22. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to perform said data analysis comprises:

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to apply one or more filters to said data analysis based on said data analysis criteria.

23. In a computer system, an apparatus comprising:

at least one reference file information;

at least one source file information wherein a user utilizes a source file interface to select said at least one source file; and

a data analysis interface from which the user selects data analysis criteria, said data analysis interface displaying results of data analysis performed using said reference file information, said source file information, and said data analysis criteria.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

a reference file interface from which at least one of said reference file information is obtained; and

a source file interface from which at least one of said source file information is obtained.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising one or more page tabs, wherein one or more of said reference file interface, said source file interface and said data analysis interface comprise a page that is selectable via said one or more page tabs.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said reference file interface comprises:

a directory display area from which the user can select a directory, and from which the user can select a reference file from a selected directory.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said reference file interface further comprises:

a reference file display area having a list of selected reference files.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said reference file interface further comprises a message display area configured to display a message associated with a selected reference file.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said source file interface comprises:

a directory display area from which the user can select a directory, and from which the user can select a source file from a selected directory.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said source file interface further comprises:

a source file display area having a list of selected source files.

31. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said data analysis interface comprises:

an analysis criteria selection area from which the user can select said data analysis criteria; and

a result display area.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said result display area comprises:

a table comprising a first column and a second column, said first column comprising one or more analyzed source files, and said second column comprising one or more result identifiers associated with said one or more analyzed source files.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said table further comprises:

a third column comprising error identification information.

34. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising one or more data analysis filters selectable by said data analysis criteria.

35. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said reference file information comprises one or more platform specifications, and said source file information comprises one or more program files.

36. A method for analyzing data comprising:

performing data analysis using elements comprising at least one reference file information from a plurality of file directories at least one source file information from said plurality of file directories, and data analysis criteria;

displaying results of said data analysis via a data analysis interface.