User interface for a distributed messaging framework

• US 6,745,203 B1
• Filed: 04/01/1999
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ileverage (Infor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: EPiphany Incorporated (Infor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Javangula, Pradeep, Katiyar, Dinesh, Garg, Suneet
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Jungwon
• Application Number:
  US09/283,264
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/103, 707/4, 707/104, 707/101, 707/102, 707/526, 707/3, 709/202, 709/226, 709/201, 345/473, 717/122
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9532 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A computer user interface for handling information objects. The interface allows a user to make a request for information in the form of a one-time query or a persistent query. With the one-time query, the user defines one or more conditions in terms of attributes and values. The appropriate classes of objects are checked and any matching objects are identified as satisfying the query. A persistent query allows such a condition to be active at all times so that when one or more objects are created that satisfy the condition, those objects are identified as meeting the condition. Other features of the user interface allow the user to define objects and publish objects. Objects can be created or edited based on a class whose attributes are inherited. A predefined selection of menu options makes creating, editing and publishing objects simple and efficient. Access controls and settings are provided to control rights to created objects.

Claims

1. A method for providing a data browser user interface executing on a first computer system coupled to a computer network including a plurality of interconnected computer systems, wherein a plurality of information objects that are instances of class definitions resides in the plurality of interconnected computer systems, and wherein the class definitions include attribute/value pairs, the method comprising:

displaying one or more information objects in the fist computer system;

selecting a first information object that is a first instance of one of the class definitions;

showing one or more of the attribute/value pairs of the first information object;

making a relational condition based on the attribute/value pairs of the first information object;

transferring the relational condition, an identifier for the first information object and an identifier for the first computer system to the plurality of interconnected computer systems in the network; and

when the relational condition is satisfied by a second information object in the network that is a second instance of the class definition of the first information object, receiving and displaying at least a portion of the second information object that satisfies the relational condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying one or more information objects comprises:

displaying a hierarchical tree having a plurality of nodes, wherein each node can represent an information object or a collection of information objects.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying one or more information objects comprises:

displaying additional items at the nodes of the tree, wherein the additional items include files.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the additional items include hyperlinks.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the additional items include commands.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising

saving the relational condition so that it can be recalled at a later time for re-use.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected first information object comprises executable instructions, the method further comprising

executing the executable instructions at the first computer system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the class definition has a predetermined convention including a domain name, path, and object name.