Computer readable medium, method and apparatus for preserving filtering conditions to query multilingual data sources at various locales when regenerating a report

• US 7,373,341 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Business Objects Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Business Objects SA (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Polo-Malouvier, Ricardo
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleurantin; Jean B
• Application Number:
  US11/271,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20060149716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-206, 704/4, 704/8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3337 Translation of the query language, e.g. Chinese to English
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A computer readable medium, system, apparatus and method are disclosed for generating and regenerating query results in reports whereby conditions for filtering a query against multilingual databases are preserved independent of language and/or locale. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a computer readable medium includes executable instructions to specify a language-dependent value for filtering query results during a query. Other executable instructions are included to associate a first locale to the language-dependent value, determine a key based on the language-dependent value and on the first locale, and generate a transformed query, which can include a locale variable configured to indicate a second locale for regenerating the query results to form regenerated query results for the second locale using another language-dependent value.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium including executable instructions to regenerate results of a query in a language other than one used to initially generate the results of the query, said computer readable storage medium comprising executable instructions to:

specify a language-dependent value of a plurality of language-dependent values for filtering query results in accordance with said language-dependent value;

associate a first locale to said language-dependent value;

determine a key based on said language-dependent value and on said first locale, said key being common across tables storing information in different languages;

generate a transformed query to include a locale variable configured to indicate a second locale for regenerating said query results to form regenerated query results for said second locale using another language-dependent value of said plurality of language-dependent values;

detect said locale variable is set as said second locale; and

supply a prompt to a user in a language associated with said second locale to provide a user input including said another language-dependent value, wherein said prompt facilitates receiving said another language-dependent value dynamically;

wherein said transformed query is applied to said tables to form said regenerated results;

wherein said query results are in a first language and said regenerated query results are in a second language, and said language-dependent value and said another language-dependent value are each a string.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to:

set said locale variable to represent said second locale; and

form said regenerated query results for presentation for said second locale.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 2 wherein an object facilitates regenerating said query results by automatically forming said transformed query.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 2 wherein said executable instructions to determine said key comprise executable instructions to:

search a multilingual data source using said language-dependent value and a first locale indicator representing said first locale; and

retrieve said key.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4 wherein said executable instructions to form said regenerated query comprise executable instructions to search said multilingual data source using said key and a second locale indicator representing said second locale to retrieve said another language-dependent value.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5 wherein said executable instructions to search said multilingual data source excludes executable instructions to match said language-dependent value against said data source.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein said executable instructions to supply said prompt comprise executable instructions to retrieve a list of selections in said language from which said another language-dependent value is selected.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein each of said first and said second locales is unique to a user and further comprising specifying a language in which to regenerate query results regardless of geographical location.

9. A computer system for preserving filtering conditions to regenerate query results using multilingual data sources for various locales, said computer system comprising;

a processor and a memory;

a locale manager configured to provide at least a locale indicator identifying a first language;

a multilingual query engine configured to access multilingual data sources, and configured further to accept query parameters of a query, acquire a condition for filtering said query to provide query results in terms of said condition, and transform said query into a transformed query for application to said multilingual data sources;

a data store for maintaining multilingual objects, at least one of which defines associations among said condition, any of said plurality of locale indicators, and at least a language-independent key;

wherein said transformed query is configured to provide said query results in any language as determined by one of a plurality of locale indicators;

wherein said multilingual query engine is further configured to retrieve said key from said data sources using said locale indicator and said condition;

wherein said multilingual query engine is further configured to form said transformed query by associating said query with said key and a variable capable of having a value equivalent to any of said plurality of locale indicators.

10. The computer system of claim 9 further comprising a report engine configured to generate a report including said query results in a language specified by said one of said plurality of locale indicators.