Method and computer system for graphical assignments in hierarchies

• US 7,584,213 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2002
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Rapp, Roman, Liebich, Gunther
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US10/482,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20050091252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,645 Days
• Field of Search: 715/853, 715/762, 715/712, 715/713, 707/102, 707/100, 707/101, 707/104.1, 707/1, 707/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

Computer-implemented method, computer system and computer program product for creating graphical assignments between objects. An object hierarchy (110) and an object type selector (130) are displayed on an output device. The object type selector (130) proyides a plurality of predefined object types (131-134). A rule database stores for each object type at least one predefined object type assignment. A first object (111) is inserted (438) into the object hierarchy (110) in accordance with one of the object type assignments, wherein the first object (111) has a first object type (131) and is graphically assigned to a second object (112) haying a second object type (132). An object type can result from a combination of a predefined object type (134) with an object instance of any predefined object type. Graphical assignments between objects of at least two object hierarchies can also be created.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for creating graphical assignments between objects, the method comprising:

storing a rule database that includes one or more tables that define object type assignments between a plurality of object types, the object type assignments defining, one or more object types that are assigned to at least one of the plurality of the object types;

displaying a first object hierarchy including a plurality of objects that include at least one sender object for sending data to a receiver object, at least one of the plurality of objects in the first object hierarchy being displayed as a root of another of the displayed plurality of objects in the first object hierarchy;

displaying, simultaneously with the displayed first object hierarchy, a second object hierarchy including a plurality of objects that include said receiver object for receiving data from said at least one sender object, at least one of the plurality of objects in the second object hierarchy being displayed as a root of another of the displayed plurality of objects in the second object hierarchy;

receiving a selection of a first object from the displayed first object hierarchy, the selected first object haying a first object type;

based on the selected first object and the object type assignments stored in the rule database, indicating in the displayed second object hierarchy, which of the plurality of objects in the displayed second object hierarchy have object types assigned to the first object type and are thus capable of being assigned to the first object, and which of the plurality of objects in the displayed second object hierarchy have object types not assigned to the first object type and are thus not capable of being assigned to the selected first object; and

creating an assignment between the selected first object of the first object type displayed in the first object hierarchy and a second object displayed in the second object hierarchy, including creating a graphical assignment between the selected first object of the first object type displayed in the first object hierarchy and the second object displayed in the second object hierarchy, the second object haying an object type assigned to the first object type.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating the assignment between the first object and the second object by further specifying an assignment category and an assignment value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second object hierarchy includes objects haying receiver object types assigned to the first object type, and

the indicating step comprises:

indicating in the displayed second object hierarchy which of the objects in the second object hierarchy are part of a receiver subset of objects, wherein the receiver subset of objects comprises objects haying a receiver object type; and

the creating step comprises;

selecting the first object as a sender object of the assignment;

selecting, from the receiver subset of objects, the second object as a receiver object of the assignment;

creating the graphical assignment; and

receiving an assignment category and an assignment value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the objects indicated as capable of being assigned to the first object are highlighted, and the objects indicated as not capable of being assigned to the first object are not highlighted.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying an object type selector that displays a plurality of object types, the object type selector being displayed simultaneously with the first object hierarchy and the second object hierarchy;

selecting from the object type selector one of the plurality of object types;

indicating in the displayed first object hierarchy a subset of objects having object types assigned to the selected object type; and

inserting a third object haying the selected object type into the first object hierarchy by assigning the third object to a fourth object in the subset of objects haying object types assigned to the selected object type.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the inserting step further comprises:

selecting the third object as a child node for the fourth object; and

adding the third object as a child of the fourth object to the first object hierarchy.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the inserting step further comprises:

selecting the third object as parent node for the fourth object; and

adding the third object as a parent of the fourth object to the first object hierarchy.

8. he method of claim 1, further comprising:

simultaneously displaying a third object hierarchy with the first object hierarchy and the second object hierarchy; and

creating a further graphical assignment from an object included in at least one of the displayed first and second object hierarchies to an object included in the third object hierarchy.

9. A computer system, comprising:

a memory storing a rule database that includes one or more tables that define object type assignments between a plurality of object types the object type assignments defining one or more object types that are assigned to at least one of the plurality of object types;

a display for simultaneously displaying a first object hierarchy and a second object hierarchy, the displayed first and second object hierarchies each including a plurality of objects that include at least one sender object in the first object hierarchy for sending data to a receiver object in the second object hierarchy, wherein at least one of the plurality of objects in the first object hierarchy is displayed as a root of another of the plurality of objects displayed in the first object hierarchy, and at least one of the plurality of objects in the second object hierarchy is displayed as a root of another of the plurality of objects displayed in the second object hierarchy;

an input device for selecting, from the displayed first object hierarchy, a first object having a first object type;

the display indicating in the displayed second object hierarchy and based on the selected first object type and an object type assignment stored in the rule database for the selected first object type, which of the plurality of objects in the displayed second object hierarchy have object types assigned to the first object type and are thus capable of being assigned to the selected first object, and which of the plurality of objects in the displayed second object hierarchy have object types not assigned to the first object type and are thus not capable of being assigned to the selected first object; and

an input device for creating an assignment between the selected first object of the first object type displayed in the first object hierarchy and a second object displayed in the second object hierarchy, the assignment including a graphical assignment between the selected first object of the first object type displayed in the first object hierarchy and the second object displayed in the second object hierarchy, the second object having an object type assigned to the first object type.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the second object hierarchy includes objects haying receiver object types assigned to the first object type, and the display further indicates in the displayed second object hierarchy which of the objects in the second object hierarchy are part of a receiver subset of objects, wherein the receiver subset of objects comprises objects having a receiver object type;

and

the input device further permits a user to select the first object as a sender object of the assignment, select from the receiver subset of objects the second object as a receiver object of the assignment, create the graphical assignment, and input an assignment category and an assignment value.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the display is for further displaying, simultaneously with the first object hierarchy and the second object hierarchy, an object type selector that displays a plurality of object types, the computer system further comprising:

an input device for selecting from the object type selector one of the plurality of object types;

an indication in the displayed first object hierarchy of a subset of objects having object types assigned to the selected object type; and

an input device for inserting a third object having the selected object type into the first object hierarchy by assigning the third object to a fourth object in the subset of objects haying object types assigned to the selected object type.

12. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising:

a display for displaying a third object hierarchy simultaneously with the first object hierarchy and the second object hierarchy; and

an input device for creating a further graphical assignment from an object included in at least one of the displayed first and second object hierarchies to an object included in the third object hierarchy.

13. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising an object type resulting from a combination of at least two of a plurality of predefined object types.

14. A computer-readable medium haying computer readable program instructions stored thereon, the program instructions stored on the computer readable medium, when executed, instructing at least one processor to execute the steps of:

storing in a rule database information that includes one or more tables that define object type assignments between a plurality of object types, the object type assignments defining one or more object types that are assigned to at least one of the pluraity of object types;

displaying a first object hierarchy including a plurality of objects that include at least one sender object for sending data to a receiver object, at least one of the plurality of objects in the first object hierarchy being displayed as a root of another of the displayed plurality of objects in the first object hierarchy;

displaying, simultaneously with the displayed first object hierarchy, a second object hierarchy including a plurality of objects that include said receiver object for receiving data from said at least one sender object, at least one of the plurality of objects in the second object hierarchy being displayed as a root of another of the displayed plurality of objects in the second object hierarchy;

receiving a selection of a first object from the displayed first object hierarchy, the selected first object haying a first object type;

based on the selected first object and the object type assignments stored in the rule database, indicating in the displayed second object hierarchy, which of the plurality of objects in the displayed second object hierarchy have object types assigned to the first object type and are thus capable of being assigned to the selected first object type, and which of the plurality of objects in the displayed second object hierarchy have object types not assigned to the first object type and are thus not capable of being assigned to the selected first object; and

creating an assignment between the selected first object of the first object type displayed in the first object hierarchy and a second object displayed in the second object hierarchy, including creating a graphical assignment between the selected first object of the first object type displayed in the first object hierarchy and the second object displayed in the second object hierarchy, the second object haying an object type assigned to the first object type.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, the program instructions, when executed, further instructing the at least one processor to execute the further steps of:

simultaneously displaying a third object hierarchy with the first object hierarchy and the second object hierarchy; and

creating a further graphical assignment from an object included in at least one of the displayed first and second object hierarchies to an object included in the third object hierarchy.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14, the program instructions, when executed, further instructing the at least one processor to execute the further steps of:

displaying an object type selector that displays a plurality of object types, the object type selector being displayed simultaneously with the first object hierarchy and the second hierarchy;

receiving a selection, using the object type selector, of one of the plurality of object types;

indicating in the displayed first object hierarchy a subset of objects haying object types assigned to the selected object type; and

inserting a third object haying the selected object type into the first object hierarchy by assigning the third object to a fourth object in the subset of objects haying object types assigned to the selected object type.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 14, the program instructions, when executed, further instructing the at least one processor to execute the further steps of:

creating predefined object type resulting from a combination of at least two of the plurality of object types.

18. A computer-implemented method for creating assignments between objects, the method comprising:

storing a rule database that includes one or more tables that define object type assignments between a plurality of object types, the object type assignments defining one or more object types that are assigned to at least one of the plurality of object types;

displaying a first object hierarchy as a first displayed hierarchical list, the first displayed hierarchical list including a plurality of icons for a plurality of corresponding objects, each corresponding object haying an object type, wherein at least one of the plurality of icons in the first object hierarchy is displayed as a root of another of the displayed plurality of icons in the first object hierarchy;

simultaneously displaying a second object hierarchy as a second displayed hierarchical list, the second displayed hierarchical list including a plurality of icons for a plurality of corresponding objects, each corresponding object haying an object type, wherein at least one of the plurality of icons in the second object hierarchy is displayed as a root of another of the displayed plurality of icons in the second object hierarchy;

receiving a selection of a first object from the first displayed hierarchical list, the selected first object haying a first object type;

based on the selected first object and the object type assignments stored in the rule database indicating in the second displayed hierarchical list, which of the plurality of objects in the second displayed hierarchical list have object types assigned to the first object type and thus capable of being assigned to the selected first object, and which of the plurality of objects in the second displayed hierarchical list have object types not assigned to the first object type and are thus not capable of being assigned to the selected first object; and

creating an assignment between the selected first object displayed in the first displayed hierarchical list and a second object displayed in the second displayed hierarchical list, the second object haying an object type assigned to the first object type.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the indicating step further includes:

graphically indicating a first set of the plurality of objects in the second displayed hierarchical list haying object types assigned to the first object type; and

graphically indicating a second set of the plurality of objects in the second displayed hierarchical list, haying object types assigned to the first object type.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein creating an assignment includes:

creating a graphical assignment between the first object displayed in the first displayed hierarchical list and the second object displayed in the second displayed hierarchical list; and

specifying an assignment category and an assignment value for the assignment.