Graphical user interface for building queries with hierarchical conditions

• US 6,947,928 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2002
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stevens, Richard Joseph, Dettinger, Richard Dean, Johnson, Peter John, Tong, Ikhua
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones, Charles
• Application Number:
  US10/083,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20030163455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 707/1, 707/4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The present invention generally provides methods, systems and articles of manufacture for programmatically providing a user interface for creating queries. In one embodiment, graphical user interface content which defines a graphical user interface is provided. The graphical user interface comprises (i) a region for displaying conditions of a query; and (ii) a first graphical element for initiating a process of combining two or more conditions of the query together with logic values to form a complex condition. In another embodiment, the graphical user interface further comprises a second graphical element for initiating a process of separating two or more conditions of a complex condition.

Claims

1. A method of programmatically providing a user interface for creating queries, comprising:

providing graphical user interface content which defines a graphical user interface, comprising;

(i) a region for displaying N conditions of a query;

(ii) N-1 operator selection elements for separately selecting a logic operator relating each of the N conditions to one another, wherein each operator selection element allows for selection from at least two logic operators; and

(iii) a first graphical element for initiating a process of combining two or more conditions of the query together with logic values to form a complex condition, the complex condition being logically related to each of the remaining N conditions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a second graphic element for initiating a process of separating two or more conditions of the complex condition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the region and the first graphical element are on a common screen of the graphical user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface content is hypertext markup language (HTML) content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the conditions comprise comparison operations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the complex condition comprises at least one comparison operator and at least one Boolean operator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first graphical element comprises a button.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface content further defines a second graphical element of the graphical user interface;

wherein the third graphical element, which when selected, causes the query to be executed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the graphical user interface content comprises generating the graphical user interface content by an application configured to access a data repository.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the application is a Web application.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to a user event activating the first graphical element:

combining two or more user-selected conditions of the query together to form the complex condition; and

outputting information which, when rendered on a display device, displays the complex condition.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the output information is capable of being rendered by a GUI-based program.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the GUI-based program is a Web browser.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two logic operators are an AND operator and an OR operator.

15. A method of programmatically providing a user interface for creating queries, comprising:

generating graphical user interface (GUI) content which, when processed by a GUI-based program, defines a graphical user interface, comprising;

(i) a region for displaying N conditions of a query;

(ii) N-1 operator selection elements for separately selecting a logic operator relating each of the N conditions to one another, wherein each operator selection element allows for selection of an AND operator and an OR operator; and

(iii) a first graphical element for initiating a process of combining two or more conditions of the query together with logic values to form a complex condition;

in response to a user event activating the first graphical element;

(i) combining two or more user-selected conditions of the query together to form the complex condition; and

(ii) outputting information which, when rendered on a display device, displays the complex condition, the displayed complex condition being logically related to the remaining N conditions of the query.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a second graphic element for initiating a process of separating two or more conditions of the complex condition.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the graphical user interface is performed by an application configured to access a data repository.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the conditions comprise comparison operations and wherein the complex condition comprises at least one comparison operator and at least one Boolean operator.

19. A computer-implemented method of creating queries in a user graphical interface, comprising:

displaying a first screen presenting a user with a plurality of categories and, for each category, an associated selection element for user selection of a condition type from a plurality of condition types belonging to the respective category;

for a particular selected condition type, displaying a second screen for creating a query condition, the second screen comprising one or more interface elements for specifying elements of the query condition;

displaying a third screen presenting the user with N query conditions, each of the query conditions having been created using an instance of the second screen appropriately configured with the one or more interface elements specific to the particular selected condition type;

displaying, in the third screen, N-1 operator selection elements for separately selecting a logic operator relating each of the N query conditions to one another;

displaying, in the third screen, selection elements for selecting two or more query conditions of the N query conditions;

displaying an AND grouping button and an OR grouping button;

in response to a user selection of the AND grouping button, automatically combining the selected two or more conditions with one or more AND operators to form a first complex condition; and

in response to a user selection of the OR grouping button, automatically combining the selected two or more conditions with one or more OR operators to form a second complex condition.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, further comprising displaying, in the first screen, a selection element associated with each of the plurality of categories and wherein the selection elements allow exclusive designation of the respective category.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein at least some of the query condition elements, specified in the second screen, are predefined.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein at least some of the associated selection elements are dropdown menus displaying the plurality of condition types belonging to the respective category.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein each operator selection element allows for selection of an AND operator and an OR operator and wherein one of the AND operator and the OR operator is a default selection for each of the operator selection elements.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, further comprising:

code for displaying an ungrouping button for initiating an automated process of separating the designated two or more conditions of the complex conditions.

25. A computer-readable medium containing a program which, when executed by a processor, performs an operation of generating a user interface for creating queries, the operation comprising:

generating graphical user interface (GUI) content which, defines a graphical user interface, comprising;

(i) a region for displaying N conditions of a query;

(ii) N-1 operator selection elements for separately selecting a logic operator relating each of the N conditions to one another, wherein each operator selection element allows for selection from at least two logic operators; and

(iii) a first graphical element for initiating a process of combining two or more conditions of the query together with logic values to form a complex condition;

in response to a user event activating the first graphical element;

(i) combining two or more user-selected conditions of the query together to form the complex condition; and

(ii) outputting information which, when rendered on a display device, displays the complex condition, the displayed complex condition being logically related to the remaining N conditions of the query.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a second graphic element for initiating a process of separating two or more conditions of the complex condition.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein generating the graphical user interface is performed by an application configured to access a data repository.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the conditions comprise comparison operations and wherein the complex condition comprises at least one comparison operator and at least one Boolean operator.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the at least two logic operators are an AND operator and an OR operator.

30. A computer, comprising:

a memory containing at least an application; and

a processor communicably connected to the memory and which, when executing the application, performs an operation of generating a user interface for creating queries, the operation comprising;

generating graphical user interface content which defines a graphical user interface, comprising;

(i) a region for displaying N conditions of a query;

(ii) N-1 operator selection elements for separately selecting a logic operator relating each of the N conditions to one another, wherein each operator selection element allows for selection of an AND operator and an OR operator; and

(iii) a first graphical element for initiating a process of combining two or more conditions of the query together with logic values to form a complex condition, the complex condition then being logically related to the remaining N conditions of the query.

31. The computer of claim 30, further comprising a web server in memory which, when executed, transmits the graphical user interface content received from the application to a Web browser via a network connection.

32. The computer of claim 30, wherein the conditions comprise comparison operations.

33. The computer of claim 30, wherein the complex condition comprises at least one comparison operator and at least one Boolean operator.

34. The computer of claim 30, wherein the first graphical element comprises a button.

35. The computer of claim 30, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a second graphic element for initiating a process of separating two or more conditions of the complex condition.

36. The computer of claim 30, wherein the graphical user interface content further defines an third graphical element of the graphical user interface;

and wherein the third graphical element, which when selected, causes the query to be executed.

37. The computer of claim 30, further comprising a storage device accessible by the processor and containing a data repository from which data is retrieved in response to execution of the query.

38. A computer-implemented method of creating queries in a user graphical interface, comprising:

displaying N query conditions;

displaying N-1 operator selection elements for separately selecting a logic operator relating each of the N query conditions to one another, wherein each operator selection element allows for selection from at least two logic operators and wherein one at least two logic operators is a default selection for each of the operator selection elements;

receiving user designations of two or more of the N query conditions;

displaying an AND grouping button and an OR grouping button;

in response to a user selection of the AND grouping button, automatically combining the designated two or more conditions with one or more AND operators to form a first complex condition; and

in response to a user selection of the OR grouping button, automatically combining the designated two or more conditions with one or more OR operators to form a second complex condition.

39. The computer-implemented method of claim 38, wherein selection of the AND grouping button and the OR grouping button further automatically relates the respective first and second complex conditions to each of the remaining N query conditions with a logic operator.

40. The computer-implemented method of claim 39, wherein the N query conditions are displayed in a hierarchical arrangement and wherein one of the operator selection elements is displayed between each of the conditions.

41. The computer-implemented method of claim 40, wherein the first and second complex conditions are positioned in the hierarchical arrangement corresponding to a level of a highest level condition of the designated two or more conditions selected to form the respective first and second complex conditions.

42. The computer-implemented method of claim 38, further comprising displaying a checkbox for each of the N query conditions, and wherein receiving user designations of the two or more N query conditions comprises receiving selections of the respective checkboxes for the two or more N query conditions.

43. The computer-implemented method of claim 38, further comprising:

displaying a text-form representation of the query; and

updating the representation in response to user selections affecting the query.

44. The computer-implemented method of claim 38, wherein the at least two logic operators are an AND operator and an OR operator.

45. The computer-implemented method of claim 38, further comprising:

displaying an ungrouping button for initiating an automated process of separating the designated two or more conditions of the complex conditions.

46. A computer readable medium containing a graphical user interface application allowing users to construct queries in a user graphical interface, the graphical user interface application, comprising:

code for displaying N query conditions in a ranked order;

code for displaying N-1 operator selection elements for separately selecting a logic operator relating each of the N query conditions to one another, wherein a single operator selection element is disposed between each adjacent pair of the N query conditions;

code for displaying a checkbox for each of the N query conditions;

code for displaying an AND grouping button and an OR grouping button;

code for automatically combining two or more user selected query conditions with one or more AND operators to form a first complex condition in response to a user selection of the AND grouping button; and

code for automatically combining two or more user selected query conditions with one or more OR operators to form a second complex condition in response to a user selection of the OR grouping button.

47. The computer readable medium of claim 46, wherein each operator selection element allows for selection of an AND operator and an OR operator.

48. The computer readable medium of claim 47, wherein one of the AND operator and the OR operator is a default selection for each of the operator selection elements.

49. The computer-implemented method of claim 47, further comprising:

code for displaying an ungrouping button for initiating an automated process of separating the designated two or more conditions of the complex conditions.