Automatic field linking

• US 7,844,961 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Klein, Udo
• Primary Examiner(s): Yigdall; Michael J
• Assistant Examiner(s): BODDEN, EVRAL E
• Application Number:
  US11/020,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20060136888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,169 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for automatic field linking is described. In one embodiment, the invention is a method. The method includes receiving input data for a first field. The method further includes receiving input data for a second field. The method also includes comparing contents of the first field to contents of the second field. Additionally, the method includes detecting identical contents of the first field and second field. Moreover, the method includes offering an opportunity to a user to create a link between the first field and the second field. Furthermore, the method includes receiving acceptance from the user. The method also includes creating the link between the first field and the second field and storing the link between the first field and the second field in persistent storage.

Claims

1. A method for entering data into a file through a plurality of fields of a user interface supported by a computer, each of the plurality of fields having a field identification, comprising:

providing a history record, the history record including a plurality of entries, each of the plurality of entries including (a) a field identification, (b) a data value previously entered in a field identified by the field identification, and (c) a timecode indicating a time at which the data value was entered;

entering a first data value in a first field;

responsive to entering the first data value, storing the first data value, a timecode of the entering, and an identification of the first field as an entry in the history record;

comparing the first data value with other data values contained in the plurality of entries of the history record;

if a match is found between the first data value and a second data value in the plurality of entries of the history record, further determining if the match between the first data value and the second data value has previously happened more than a predetermined number of times,

if the match between the first data value and the second data value has happened more than the predetermined number of times, further calculating a time difference between the entering of the first data value and entering of the second data value based on timecodes of the first and second data values;

comparing the time difference with a predetermined threshold value; and

if the time difference is less than the threshold value, creating a link between the first field and the second field in the file, the link causing data subsequently entered in one of the first and second field to be reflected in the other of the first and second field.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting a user about whether to create the link.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

prompting a user to sever the link.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the link is bi-directional, causing duplication of contents of the first field in the second field and duplication of contents of the second field in the first field.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the link is uni-directional from the first field to the second field, causing duplication of contents of the first field in the second field but not duplication of contents of the second field in the first field.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the link is uni-directional from the second field to the first field, causing duplication of contents of the second field in the first field but not duplication of contents of the first field in the second field.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

discarding entries from the history record after a predetermined amount of time elapses from storing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the match is based on duplicate data in the first field and the second field occurring a predetermined number of times.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the link is recorded in a persistent manner.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the each of the plurality of entries further includes a time code denoting a time on which the data value associated with a field of the field identification in the each of the plurality of entries is entered.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is further based on a time code of a matching entry being less than a pre-determined amount.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the history record includes one or more entries that has a same field identification.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of a match is based on a substantial approximation between the first data value and the second data value.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

entering new data in the first field;

determining if the first field is linked to the second field;

if so, copying the entered new data to the second field.

20. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

entering new data in the second field;

determining if the second field is linked to the first field;

if so, copying the entered new data to the first field.

10. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a user interface device;

a memory coupled to the processor, the processor adapted to perform a method for entering data into a file through a plurality of fields via the user interface device, each of the plurality of fields having a field identification, comprising;

providing a history record, the history record including a plurality of entries, each of the plurality of entries including (a) a field identification (b) a data value previously entered in a field identified by the field identification, and (c) a timecode indicating a time at which the data value was entered;

entering a first data value in a first field;

responsive to entering the first data value, storing the first data value, a timecode of the entering, and an identification of the first field as an entry in the history record;

comparing the first data value with other data values contained in the plurality of entries of the history record;

if a match is found between the first data value and a second data value in the plurality of entries of the history record, further determining if the match between the first data value and the second data value has previously happened more than a predetermined number of times,

if the match between the first data value and the second data value has happened more than the predetermined number of times, further calculating a time difference between the entering of the first data value and entering of the second data value based on timecodes of the first and second data values;

comparing the time difference with a predetermined threshold value; and

if the time difference is less than the threshold value, creating a link between the first field and the second field in the file, the link causing data subsequently entered in one of the first and second field to be reflected in the other of the first and second field.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the link is stored persistently in a database.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the link is stored persistently in a personal profile.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for detecting user input; and

means for storing links.

18. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon executable codes that when executed, are capable of performing a method for entering data into a file through a plurality of fields via a user interface supported by a computer, each of the plurality of fields having a field identification, comprising:

providing a history record, the history record including a plurality of entries, each of the plurality of entries including (a) a field identification, (b) a data value previously entered in a field identified by the field identification, and (c) a timecode indicating a time at which the data value was entered;

entering a first data value in a first field;

responsive to entering the first data value, storing the first data value, a timecode of the entering, and an identification of the first field as an entry in the history record;

comparing the first data value with data values contained in the plurality of entries of the history record;

if a match is found between the first data value and a second data value in the plurality of entries of the history record, further determining if the match between the first data value and the second data value has previously happened more than a predetermined number of times,

if the match between the first data value and the second data value has happened more than the predetermined number of times, further calculating a time difference between the entering of the first data value and entering of the second data value based on timecodes of the first and second data values;

comparing the time difference with a predetermined threshold value; and

if the time difference is less than the threshold value, creating a link between the first field and the second field in the field, the link causing data subsequently entered in one of the first and second field to be reflected in the other of the first and second field.

21. A computer-implemented method for entering data into a database via a user interface, the database including data fields for storing data, a field history log for storing a history of data previously entered into the data fields, and a link data module for storing link data objects representing links between different data fields, comprising:

entering, via the user interface, a first data value into a first data field of the database;

storing the first data value, an identification of the first data field, and a time code of entering the first data value as a new item in the field history log;

comparing the first data value with data values already stored in other items of the field history log; and

if a match is found between the first data value and a second data value, further determining if the match between the first data value and the second data value has previously happened more than a predetermined number of times,

if the match between the first data value and the second data value has happened more than the predetermined number of times, further calculating a time difference between the entering of the first data value and entering of the second data value based on timecodes of the first and second data values;

comparing the time difference with a predetermined threshold value; and

if the time difference is less than the threshold value, creating a link data object in the link data module as a link between the first data field and the second data field.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

entering new data value in the first data field;

determining if the first data field is linked to the second data field;

if so, copying the entered new data value to the second data field.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

before creating the link data object, determining a time difference between the entering of the first data value and entering of the second data value;

comparing the time difference with a predetermined threshold value;

if the time difference is less than the threshold value, creating a link data object in the link data module as a link between the first data field and the second data field.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the link is bi-directional, causing duplication of contents of the first field in the second field and duplication of contents of the second field in the first field.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the link is uni-directional from the first field to the second field, causing duplication of contents of the first field in the second field but not duplication of contents of the second field in the first field.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the link is uni-directional from the second field to the first field, causing duplication of contents of the second field in the first field but not duplication of contents of the first field in the second field.