Method and apparatus for analyzing data

• US 7,137,106 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2001
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• 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): Dam, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): KENDALL, CHUCK O
• Application Number:
  US09/848,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,021 Days
• Field of Search: 717125-155, 714/25, 714/37, 714/38, 705/10, 702/186
• US Class Current: 717/131
• 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:

obtaining a first set of file information of at least one reference file;

obtaining a second set of file information of at least one source file;

accessing data stored in said at least one reference file using said first set of file information, and data stored in said at least one source file using said second set of file information;

obtaining data analysis criteria for analyzing said data stored in said at least one reference file against said data stored in said at least one source file, the data analysis criteria includes compatibility with an underlying platform defined by at least one of the reference file on which the data to be executed; and

displaying results of said analyzing to a user via a data analysis interface, wherein the results include a conformance warning if an incompatibility is detected with the underlying platform.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining said first set of file information further comprises displaying an interface in response to said user selecting a page tab.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said displaying said interface further comprises displaying file information of a plurality of files from a plurality of file directories.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said displaying said interface further comprises displaying a directory display area from which a user can select a directory, and from which said user can select said at least one reference file from said directory.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said displaying said interface further comprises displaying, in a message display area, a message associated with said at least one reference file.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining said data analysis criteria further comprises displaying an analysis criteria selection area from which said user can select said data analysis criteria.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said analyzing said data further comprises applying at least one filter to said data stored in said at least one reference file and said data stored in said at least one source file using said data analysis criteria.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said displaying said results further comprises displaying a table comprising a first column and a second column, said first column comprising analyzed ones of said at least one source file, and said second column comprising at least one result identifier associated with said analyzed ones of said at least one source file.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said displaying said table comprises displaying a third column comprising error identification information.

10. 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 said computer to obtain a first set of file information from at least one reference file;

cause said computer to obtain a second set of file information from at least one source file;

cause said computer to access data stored in said at least one reference file using said first set of file information, and data stored in said at least one source file using said second set of file information;

cause said computer to obtain data analysis criteria for analyzing data stored in said at least one reference file against data stored in said at least one source file, the data analysis criteria includes compatibility with an underlying platform defined by at least one of the reference file on which the data is executed; and

cause said computer to display results of said analyzing to a user via a data analysis interface, wherein the results include a conformance warning if an incompatibility is detected with the underlying platform.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to display an interface in response to said user selecting a page tab.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to display file information of a plurality of files from a plurality of file directories.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to display an area comprising a directory list from which said user can select a directory, and from which said user can select a reference file from said directory.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to display, in a message display area, a message associated with said at least one reference file.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to display an analysis criteria selection area from which said user can select said data analysis criteria.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to apply one or more filters to said data stored in said at least one reference file and said data stored in said at least one source file using said data analysis criteria.

17. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to display a table comprising a first column and a second column, said first column comprising at least one analyzed source file and said second column comprising at least one result identifier associated with said at least one analyzed source file.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to display a third column comprising error identification information.

19. In a computer system, an apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory medium coupled to said processor;

a computer program executing in said memory medium, said computer program comprising;

a first set of file information comprising at least one reference file;

a second set of file information comprising at least one source file;

data stored in said at least one reference file accessible using said first set of file information, and data stored in said at least one source file accessible using said second set of file information;

data analysis criteria for analyzing said data stored in said at least one reference file against said data stored in said at least one source file, the data analysis criteria includes compatibility with an underlying platform defined by at least one of the reference file, on which the data is executed; and

a user interface for displaying results of said analyzing said data, wherein the results include a conformance warning if an incompatibility is detected with the underlying platform.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising an interface displayed in response to a user selecting a page tab.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising an interface for displaying file information of a plurality of files from a plurality of file directories.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a directory display area from which said user can select a directory, and from which said user can select a reference file from said directory.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising an interface for displaying, in a message display area, a message associated with a selected file information.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising an analysis criteria selection area from which a user can select said data analysis criteria.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising at least one filter applied to said data stored in said at least one reference file and said data stored in said at least one source file using said data analysis criteria.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a table comprising a first column and a second column, said first column comprising at least one source file to be analyzed, and said second column comprising at least one result identifier associated with said at least one source file to be analyzed.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said table further comprising a third column comprising error identification information.