Display of hierarchical data with non-numeric measures

• US 7,287,032 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2004
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Divekar, Ajay A., Attili, Srinivas, Jujjuru, Srinivas
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, THU NGUYET T
• Application Number:
  US10/915,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20060036613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method, computer system, and computer program product for displaying hierarchical data. Entities E1, E2, and E3 are provided, wherein E1 is a first hierarchy of linked data items, E2 is a second hierarchy of linked data items, and E3 is a third hierarchy of linked data items or a flat vector of data items. The data items in E1, E2, and E3 are non-numeric data items. T1, T2, and T3 are each selected from E1, E2, and E3 such that T1, T2, and T3 are different from one another. An orthogonal table structure is displayed. The orthogonal table structure includes row structure S1, column structure S2, and array structure S3. S1 is derived from T1, S2 is derived from T2, and S3 is derived from T3 or is unassigned.

Claims

1. A method for displaying hierarchical data, comprising:

providing entities E1, E2, and E3, E1 being a first hierarchy of linked data items, E2 being a second hierarchy of linked data items, and E3 being a third hierarchy of linked data items or a flat vector of data items, said data items in E1, E2, and E3 being non-numeric data items;

selecting T1, T2, and T3 each from the group consisting of E1, E2, and E3 such that T1, T2, and T3 are different from one another; and

displaying an orthogonal table structure comprising a row structure S1, a column structure S2, and an array structure S3,

wherein S1 comprises at least two hierarchical levels of T1;

wherein S2 comprises at least two hierarchical levels of T2;

wherein S3 is an array of cells such that every combination of a linear path through S1 and a linear path through S2 has an intersection disposed in the orthogonal table structure at a unique cell of S3 such that the unique cell of S3 contains or is adapted to contain a measure or value of said combination of said linear path through S1 and said linear path through S2;

wherein an assignment icon is depicted in the orthogonal table structure at each cell of S3 such that selection of the assignment icon at each cell results in displaying the data items of T3 such that a user may select one of the displayed data items of T3 to insert in said each cell if said each cell is empty or to replace an existing data item in said each cell;

wherein the orthogonal table structure further comprises a drilldown icon for S1 such that selection of the drilldown icon for S1 results in S1 being changed in the orthogonal table structure to include the next lower hierarchical level of S1 and further results in S3 being changed such that every combination of a linear path through the changed S1 and a linear path through S2 has an intersection disposed in the orthogonal table structure at a unique cell of S3;

wherein the orthogonal table structure further comprises a drilldown icon for S2 such that selection of the drilldown icon for S2 results in S2 being changed in the orthogonal table structure to include the next lower hierarchical level of S2 and further results in S3 being changed such that every combination of a linear path through S1 and a linear path through the changed S2 has an intersection disposed in the orthogonal table structure at a unique cell of S3;

wherein the orthogonal table structure further comprises a rollup icon for S1 such that selection of the rollup icon for S1 results in S1 being changed in the orthogonal table structure to delete the lowest hierarchical level of S1 and further results in S3 being changed such that every combination of a linear path through the rolled up S1 and a linear path through S2 has an intersection disposed in the orthogonal table structure at a unique cell of S3;

wherein the orthogonal table structure further comprises a rollup icon for S2 such that selection of the rollup icon for S2 results in S2 being changed in the orthogonal table structure to delete the lowest hierarchical level of S2 and further results in S3 being changed such that every combination of a linear path through S1 and a linear path through the rolled up S2 has an intersection disposed in the orthogonal table structure at a unique cell of S3; and

wherein the method further comprises in the order recited;

responsive to selection of the drilldown icon for S1, changing the displayed orthogonal table structure to include the next lower hierarchical level of S1;

responsive to selection of the assignment icon for two cells of S3 corresponding to the next lower hierarchical level of S1 and to subsequent selection of two data items from T3, changing the displayed orthogonal table structure to display the two data items from T3 in the two cells of S3 at the next lower hierarchical level of S1;

responsive to selection of the rollup icon for S1, changing the displayed orthogonal table structure to delete said displayed next lower hierarchical level of S1 and displaying the two data items from T3 in cells of S3 at the lowest displayed level of S1 together with a lock icon denoting that the two data items from T3 in cells of S3 at the lowest displayed level of S1 cannot be changed; and

responsive to selection of the drilldown icon for S1, changing the displayed orthogonal table structure to include the next lower hierarchical level of S1, resulting in the two data items from T3 being displayed in the next lower hierarchical level of S1 without the lock icon.

2. A computer system comprising a processor and a computer readable memory unit coupled to the processor, said memory unit containing instructions that when executed by the processor implement a method for displaying hierarchical data, said method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

selecting T1, T2, and T3 each from the group consisting of E1, E2, and E3 such that T1, T2, and T3 are different from one another, said E1 being a first hierarchy of linked data items, said E2 being a second hierarchy of linked data items, said E3 being a third hierarchy of linked data items or a flat vector of data items, said data items in E1, E2, and E3 being non-numeric data items; and

displaying an orthogonal table structure comprising a row structure S1, a column structure S2, and an array structure S3,

wherein S1 comprises at least two hierarchical levels of T1;

wherein S2 comprises at least two hierarchical levels of T2;

wherein S3 is an array of cells such that every combination of a linear path though S1 and a linear path though S2 has an intersection disposed in the orthogonal table structure at a unique cell of S3 such that the unique cell of S3 contains or is adapted to contain a measure or value of said combination of said linear path through S1 and said linear path though S2;

wherein an assignment icon is depicted in the orthogonal table structure at each cell of S3 such that selection of the assignment icon at each cell results in displaying the data items of T3 such that a user may select one of the displayed data items of T3 to insert in said each cell if said each cell is empty or to replace an existing data item in said each cell;

wherein the orthogonal table structure further comprises a drilldown icon for S1 such that selection of the drilldown icon for S1 results in S1 being changed in the orthogonal table structure to include the next lower hierarchical level of S1 and further results in S3 being changed such that every combination of a linear path through the changed S1 and a linear path through S2 has an intersection disposed in the orthogonal table structure at a unique cell of S3;

wherein the orthogonal table structure further comprises a drilldown icon for S2 such that selection of the drilldown icon for S2 results in S2 being changed in the orthogonal table structure to include the next lower hierarchical level of S2 and further results in S3 being changed such that every combination of a linear path through S1 and a linear path though the changed S2 has an intersection disposed in the orthogonal table structure at a unique cell of S3;

wherein the orthogonal table structure further comprises a rollup icon for S1 such that selection of the rollup icon for S1 results in S1 being changed in the orthogonal table structure to delete the lowest hierarchical level of S1 and further results in S3 being changed such that every combination of a linear path through the rolled up S1 and a linear path through S2 has an intersection disposed in the orthogonal table structure at a unique cell of S3;

wherein the orthogonal table structure further comprises a rollup icon for S2 such that selection of the rollup icon for S2 results in S2 being changed in the orthogonal table structure to delete the lowest hierarchical level of S2 and further results in S3 being changed such that every combination of a linear path though S1 and a linear path through the rolled up S2 has an intersection disposed in the orthogonal table structure at a unique cell of S3; and

wherein the method further comprises in the order recited;

responsive to selection of the drilldown icon for S1, changing the displayed orthogonal table structure to include the next lower hierarchical level of S1;

responsive to selection of the assignment icon for two cells of S3 corresponding to the next lower hierarchical level of S1 and to subsequent selection of two data items from T3, changing the displayed orthogonal table structure to display the two data items from T3 in the two cells of S3 at the next lower hierarchical level of S1;

responsive to selection of the rollup icon for S1, changing the displayed orthogonal table structure to delete said displayed next lower hierarchical level of S1 and displaying the two data items from T3 in cells of S3 at the lowest displayed level of S1 together with a lock icon denoting that the two data items from T3 in cells of S3 at the lowest displayed level of S1 cannot be changed; and

responsive to selection of the drilldown icon for S1, changing the displayed orthogonal table structure to include the next lower hierarchical level of S1, resulting in the two data items from T3 being displayed in the next lower hierarchical level of S1 without the lock icon.

3. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code comprising an algorithm adapted to implement a method for displaying hierarchical data, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting T1, T2, and T3 each from the group consisting of E1, E2, and E3 such that T1, T2, and T3 are different from one another, said E1 being a first hierarchy of linked data items, said E2 being a second hierarchy of linked data items, said E3 being a third hierarchy of linked data items or a flat vector of data items, said data items in E1, E2, and E3 being non-numeric data items; and

displaying an orthogonal table structure comprising a row structure S1, a column structure S2, and an array structure S3, said S1 being derived from T1,

wherein S1 comprises at least two hierarchical levels of T1;

wherein S2 comprises at least two hierarchical levels of T2;

wherein S3 is an array of cells such that every combination of a linear path through S1 and a linear path through S2 has an intersection disposed in the orthogonal table structure at a unique cell of S3 such that the unique cell of S3 contains or is adapted to contain a measure or value of said combination of said linear path through S1 and said linear path through S2;

wherein an assignment icon is depicted in the orthogonal table structure at each cell of S3 such that selection of the assignment icon at each cell results in displaying the data items of T3 such that a user may select one of the displayed data items of T3 to insert in said each cell if said each cell is empty or to replace an existing data item in said each cell;

wherein the orthogonal table structure further comprises a drilldown icon for S1 such that selection of the drilldown icon for S1 results in S1 being changed in the orthogonal table structure to include the next lower hierarchical level of S1 and further results in S3 being changed such that every combination of a linear path through the changed S1 and a linear path through S2 has an intersection disposed in the orthogonal table structure at a unique cell of S3;

wherein the orthogonal table structure further comprises a drilldown icon for S2 such that selection of the drilldown icon for S2 results in S2 being changed in the orthogonal table structure to include the next lower hierarchical level of S2 and further results in S3 being changed such that every combination of a linear path through S1 and a linear path through the changed S2 has an intersection disposed in the orthogonal table structure at a unique cell of S3;

wherein the orthogonal table structure further comprises a rollup icon for S1 such that selection of the rollup icon for S1 results in S1 being changed in the orthogonal table structure to delete the lowest hierarchical level of S1 and further results in S3 being changed such that every combination of a linear path through the rolled up S1 and a linear path through S2 has an intersection disposed in the orthogonal table structure at a unique cell of S3;

wherein the orthogonal table structure further comprises a rollup icon for S2 such that selection of the rollup icon for S2 results in S2 being changed in the orthogonal table structure to delete the lowest hierarchical level of S2 and further results in S3 being changed such that every combination of a linear path through S1 and a linear path through the rolled up S2 has an intersection disposed in the orthogonal table structure at a unique cell of S3; and

wherein the method further comprises in the order recited;

responsive to selection of the drilldown icon for S1, changing the displayed orthogonal table structure to include the next lower hierarchical level of S1;

responsive to selection of the assignment icon for two cells of S3 corresponding to the next lower hierarchical level of S1 and to subsequent selection of two data items from T3, changing the displayed orthogonal table structure to display the two data items from T3 in the two cells of S3 at the next lower hierarchical level of S1;

responsive to selection of the rollup icon for S1, changing the displayed orthogonal table structure to delete said displayed next lower hierarchical level of S1 and displaying the two data items from T3 in cells of S3 at the lowest displayed level of S1 together with a lock icon denoting that the two data items from T3 in cells of S3 at the lowest displayed level of S1 cannot be changed; and

responsive to selection of the drilldown icon for S1, changing the displayed orthogonal table structure to include the next lower hierarchical level of S1, resulting in the two data items from T3 being displayed in the next lower hierarchical level of S1 without the lock icon.