Method and system for hierarchical visibility marks for hierarchical elements in hierarchical database structure, filtering hierarchical elements, hide any hierarchical element not having either a user hierarchical visibility mark or a propagated hierarchical visibility mark

• US 7,162,484 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Schoenheit, Frank, Grobler, Dirk, Janssen, Ocke
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANNAVAJJALA, SRIRAMA T
• Application Number:
  US10/261,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20030065673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 5, 707/10, 707100-1041, 707200-202, 709220-225, 345/813, 345/818, 345/819, 345/821, 345822-823, 345619-621, 345/419, 345/679, 702181-182, 715/854, 715/514, 715762-764, 715/837, 715/858, 715967-968, 715/969, 715808-810, 715/907, 717/105, 717/113, 717109-110, 717/100, 717/123
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/902 using more than one table in sequence, i.e. systems with three or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

A new interface and methods allow a new versatility both in both managing a database, and in presenting hierarchical database information in a more useful way. User marks are used to determine the visibility of the elements at the various hierarchical levels in a hierarchical directory structure of a database. Hence, the user marks are user hierarchical visibility marks. The user hierarchical visibility marks are automatically propagated to other elements in the structure according to a filter selected by the user, for example.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving user hierarchical visibility marks for hierarchical elements in a database hierarchical structure,

wherein said user hierarchical visibility marks are used to determine visibility of the hierarchical elements at various hierarchical levels in a display of said database hierarchical structure;

said user hierarchical visibility marks were generated by a user marking any desired combination of said hierarchical elements, in said database hierarchical structure, for visibility in said display; and

said user can arbitrarily select said combination of hierarchical elements; and

propagating automatically hierarchical visibility marks to other hierarchical elements in said database hierarchical structure using said user hierarchical visibility marks for said hierarchical elements so that said other hierarchical elements have propagated hierarchical visibility marks wherein a user hierarchical visibility mark for a hierarchical element is propagated automatically to another hierarchical element that is in a hierarchy of said hierarchical element so that said another hierarchical element is one of said other hierarchical elements.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

filtering hierarchical elements in said database hierarchical structure to hide any hierarchical element not having either a user hierarchical visibility mark or a propagated hierarchical visibility mark.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said filtering is performed on a server system.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said filtering is performed on a client system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving and propagating are performed on a server system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said propagating automatically hierarchical visibility marks comprises:

propagating automatically hierarchical visibility marks to child elements contained in a container element having a user hierarchical visibility mark.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said child elements are in a lowest hierarchical level of said database hierarchical structure.

8. The method claim 6 wherein said propagating automatically hierarchical visibility marks further comprises:

propagating automatically a hierarchical visibility mark to a parent element of said container element.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said propagating automatically hierarchical visibility marks comprises:

propagating automatically a hierarchical visibility mark to a parent element of a hierarchical element having a user hierarchical visibility mark.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a user-marking indicator for a container element having at least one child element having a user hierarchical visibility mark.

11. A method for marking data elements in a database management system, said method comprising:

receiving a request for transmission of database data;

retrieving said requested database data;

transferring said requested database data for display;

receiving user hierarchical visibility marks for said requested data,

wherein said user hierarchical visibility marks are used to determine visibility of data elements in the database data at various hierarchical levels in said display of a database hierarchical structure;

said user hierarchical visibility marks result from a user marking any desired combination of the data elements, at various hierarchical levels of said database hierarchical structure, for visibility in said display; and

said user can arbitrarily select said the database data at various hierarchical levels for visibility; and

storing said user hierarchical visibility marks.

12. A method for selecting data in a database, said method comprising:

retrieving database data;

retrieving stored user hierarchical visibility marks for said database data,

wherein said user hierarchical visibility marks are used to determine visibility of the database data at various hierarchical levels in a display of a database hierarchical structure;

said user hierarchical visibility marks result from a user marking any desired combination of database data, in said database data at said various hierarchical levels, for said visibility in said display; and

said user can arbitrarily select said desired combination of database data in said database hierarchical structure; and

filtering said database data using said user hierarchical visibility marks to select certain data out of said database data.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

transferring said selected data for display.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

displaying said selected data.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving a request for transmission of said database data.

16. A method for selecting data in a database, said method comprising:

receiving a request for transmission of database data;

retrieving said database data;

retrieving stored user hierarchical visibility marks for said database data,

wherein said user hierarchical visibility marks are used to determine visibility of the database data at various hierarchical levels in a display of a database hierarchical structure;

said user hierarchical visibility marks result from a user marking any desired combination of database data, in said database data at said various hierarchical levels, for said visibility in said display; and

said user can arbitrarily select said desired combination of database data in said database hierarchical structure;

filtering said database data using said user hierarchical visibility marks to select certain data out of said database data; and

transferring said selected data for display.

17. A method for selecting data in a database, said method comprising:

receiving a request for transmission of database data;

retrieving said database data;

retrieving stored user hierarchical visibility marks for said database data,

wherein said user hierarchical visibility marks are used to determine visibility of the database data at various hierarchical levels in a display of a database hierarchical structure;

said user hierarchical visibility marks result from a user marking any desired combination of database data, in said database hierarchical structure for said various hierarchical levels, for said visibility in said display; and

said user can arbitrarily select said desired combination of database data in said database hierarchical structure; and

transferring said database data and said user hierarchical visibility marks for said display.

18. A database filter comprising:

a propagate markings module,

wherein said propagate markings module propagates a user hierarchical visibility mark for a hierarchical element in a first hierarchical level in a database hierarchical structure to a child element in a second hierarchical level in said database hierarchical, and

further wherein said user hierarchical visibility mark is used to determine visibility of the hierarchical element in a display of said database hierarchical structure;

said user hierarchical visibility mark results from a user marking any desired hierarchical element in said database hierarchical structure; and

said user can arbitrarily select user hierarchical visibility marks for any combination of hierarchical elements in said database hierarchical structure; and

a filter visible elements module coupled to said propagate marking module.

19. A computer-program product comprising a storage medium having stored thereon computer readable code which, when executed on a computer processor, carries out a method comprising:

receiving user hierarchical visibility marks for hierarchical elements in a database hierarchical structure,

wherein said user hierarchical visibility marks are used to determine visibility of the hierarchical elements at various hierarchical levels in a display of said database hierarchical structure;

said user hierarchical visibility marks were generated by a user marking any desired combination of said hierarchical elements, in said database hierarchical structure, for visibility in said display; and

said user can arbitrarily select said combination of hierarchical elements; and

propagating automatically hierarchical visibility marks to other hierarchical elements in said database hierarchical structure using said user hierarchical visibility marks for said hierarchical elements so that said other hierarchical elements have propagated hierarchical visibility marks wherein a user hierarchical visibility mark for a hierarchical element is propagated automatically to another hierarchical element that is in a hierarchy of said hierarchical element so that said another hierarchical element is one of said other hierarchical elements.

20. A computer system comprising:

means for receiving user hierarchical visibility marks for hierarchical elements in a database hierarchical structure,

wherein said user hierarchical visibility marks are used to determine visibility of the hierarchical elements at various hierarchical levels in a display of said database hierarchical structure;

said user hierarchical visibility marks were generated by a user marking any desired combination of said hierarchical elements, in said database hierarchical structure, for visibility in said display; and

said user can arbitrarily select said combination of hierarchical elements; and

means for propagating automatically hierarchical visibility marks to other hierarchical elements in said database hierarchical structure using said user hierarchical visibility marks for said hierarchical elements so that said other hierarchical elements have propagated hierarchical visibility marks wherein a user hierarchical visibility mark for a hierarchical element is propagated automatically to another hierarchical element that is in a hierarchy of said hierarchical element so that said another hierarchical element is one of said other hierarchical elements.

21. The computer system of claim 20 further comprising:

means for filtering hierarchical elements in said database hierarchical structure to hide any hierarchical element not having either a user hierarchical visibility mark or a propagated hierarchical visibility mark.

22. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to said processor having stored therein executable instructions wherein execution of said executable instructions on said processor generates a method comprising;

receiving user hierarchical visibility marks for hierarchical elements in a database hierarchical structure,

wherein said user hierarchical visibility marks are used to determine visibility of the hierarchical elements at various hierarchical levels in a display of said database hierarchical structure;

said user hierarchical visibility marks were generated by a user marking any desired combination of said hierarchical elements, in said database hierarchical structure, for visibility in said display; and

said user can arbitrarily select said combination of hierarchical elements;

propagating automatically hierarchical visibility marks to other hierarchical elements in said database hierarchical structure using said user hierarchical visibility marks for said hierarchical elements so that said other hierarchical elements have propagated hierarchical visibility marks wherein a user hierarchical visibility mark for a hierarchical element is propagated automatically to another hierarchical element that is in a hierarchy of said hierarchical element so that said another hierarchical element is one of said other hierarchical; and

filtering hierarchical elements in said database hierarchical structure to hide any hierarchical element not having either a user hierarchical visibility mark or a propagated hierarchical visibility mark.