Method and apparatus for dynamically formatting and displaying tabular data in real time

• US 7,143,339 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2001
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Alexandrov, Alexander K., Brookler, David E., Weinberg, Paul N., Sullivan, Dave L., Hazi, Ariel, Tinari, Philip A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vaughn, Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US09/960,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500, 715/503, 715/504, 715/509
• US Class Current: 715/212
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/212 with details for data modelling support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2458 Special types of queries, e.g. statistical queries, fuzzy queries or distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/30 of unstructured textual data document management systems G06F16/93
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/177 of tables; using ruled lines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/961 Associative
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention improve upon current systems by allowing users to dynamically generate and repeatedly modify the appearance of any set of tabular data. When the system obtains input relating to formatting the table, the appearance of the table is dynamically modified so the users can instantaneously view any changes to the table caused by the input (e.g., WYSIWYG). Users provide input (e.g., layout information) that relates to various types of pivot operations, sorting operation, and/or merging operations performed on the table. The user may, for example, select a certain field and then initiate a pivot operation using the selected field. The system is configured in accordance with one embodiment of the invention so that the layout information is stored independent of and/or associated with the table data.

Claims

1. In a computer system, a method for presenting family data comprising:

obtaining family data comprising a group of records related by at least one common value, wherein said family data comprises a subset of a hierarchical structure defined by a partition wherein said partition is stored in a partition table separate from said family data and wherein said partition table comprises at least one record comprising a field or attribute in said family data and wherein said field or said attribute is associated with a family ID wherein said at least one record in said partition table defines said partition and wherein said partition is layered upon an existing taxonomy in said family data and wherein said taxonomy comprises a category field and at least one further field comprising a manufacturer field;

presenting a visual representation of said family data to a user;

obtaining at least one pivot value from a user, wherein said at least one pivot value comprise data associated with said family data;

storing said at least one pivot value in said computer system independent of said family data;

dynamically applying said at least one pivot value to said family data during at least one pivot operation by activating one user interface element without stepping through multiple wizard windows, wherein said at least one pivot operation generates a first preview table of said family data wherein said group of records in said first preview table depends on said at least one pivot value; and

,

presenting a visual representation of said first preview table to said user.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining at least one additional pivot value from said user;

dynamically applying said at least one additional pivot value to said first preview table;

regenerating said first preview table to form a second preview table, wherein said group of records in said second preview table depends on said at least one additional pivot value.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining at least one different pivot value from said user, wherein said at least one different pivot value differs from said at least one pivot value;

dynamically applying said at least one different pivot values to said table;

regenerating said first preview table to form a second preview table, wherein said group of records in said second preview table depends on said at least one different pivot value.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of dynamically applying said at least one pivot value executes in real-time upon obtaining said at least one pivot value.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining family data comprising a group of records related by at least one common value comprises:

obtaining a taxonomy comprising at least one category field, said taxonomy comprising said hierarchical structure;

utilizing said at least one category field to define said partition in a partitioning hierarchy;

layering said partitioning hierarchy on top of said taxonomy.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

defining an additional partition on said partitioning hierarchy.

7. The method of claim 5 where said at least one pivot operation is performed at any level in said partitioning hierarchy.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of obtaining at least one pivot value from said user comprises:

obtaining layout information.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said layout information comprises inheritance properties associated with child nodes of said portioning hierarchy.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said layout information comprises information for overriding said inheritance properties on a node-by-node basis.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one pivot operation reduces redundant information shown in said first preview table.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one pivot operation utilizes said at least one pivot value to execute at least one stack pivot.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein at least one additional stack pivot is nested with said at least one stack pivot.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one pivot operation utilizes said at least one pivot value to execute at least one horizontal pivot.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein at least one additional horizontal pivot is nested with said horizontal pivot.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one pivot operation utilizes said at least one pivot value to execute at least one vertical pivot.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one pivot operation comprises:

identifying at least one pivot axis in a table wherein said pivot axis corresponds to said at least one pivot value;

removing said at least one pivot axis from said table;

generating said first preview table by breaking said first preview table into sub-tables based on said at least one pivot axis.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said pivot axis comprises a row in said table.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said pivot axis comprises a column in said table.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

sorting said family data into said sub-tables based on said at least one pivot value of said pivot axis.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein said at least one pivot operation comprises a horizontal pivot comprising:

combining said sub-tables into said first preview table by arranging said sub-tables horizontally.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

adding an additional row to said preview table comprising said at least one pivot value, said additional row labeling said sub-tables.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein said at least one pivot operation comprises a stack pivot comprising:

combining said sub-tables into said first preview table by arranging said sub-tables vertically.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising adding an additional row to said first preview table containing said at least one pivot value before each of said sub-tables.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

preserving each of said sub-tables;

labeling said sub-tables with said at least one pivot value.

26. The method of claim 17 wherein said pivot operation comprises a vertical pivot, said vertical pivot comprising:

combining sub-tables into said first preview table by arranging said sub-tables vertically.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

adding an additional column containing said at least one pivot value to label a group of rows comprising each sub-table.