Method for generating properly formed expressions

• US 7,870,162 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Weinberg, Paul, Endo, Rich, Lo, Wenphing
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong; Cam Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, CECILE H
• Application Number:
  US11/193,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20070027858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,992 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 707/104, 707 1- 9, 707100-101, 707/102, 707/999.001, 707/999.102, 707/736, 707/763, 707/802, 707/999.101, 717101-124, 704/5, 706/59, 706902-925
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for generating properly formed expressions used as validation expressions and search filters for computer system database applications. One or more embodiments of the invention for example comprise an interface that assists users through the use of automatic tokenizing and/or pick lists of field names and fields values, including a measurement builder for entering legal tokenized measurement values with applicable units of measure. Embodiments of the invention allow knowledgeable users to rapidly create expressions to ensure that the legal syntax and semantics of an expression are not violated while providing the user with pick lists and measurement values within legal ranges and with applicable units of measure. Validations rules are generated and performed on desired records in a computer system database without requiring programs, scripts or queries to be written. A validation expression returns a Boolean result that signifies a success or failure result and may be performed manually or automatically.

Claims

1. A method for generating properly formed expressions for validating selected records of a computer system database, said method comprising:

displaying in a metadata user interface a plurality of selected records of a computer system database;

displaying an expression-builder user interface coupled to said metadata user interface, said expression-builder user interface configured to construct at least one conditional validation expression, said expression-builder user interface comprising a token-based menu, said token-based menu automatically generated to comprise tokens representing and coupled to fields of said plurality of selected records;

obtaining at least one branch value selection for at least one of a plurality of expressions comprising at least one tokenized branch value from said token-based menu;

accepting user selections from said token based menu;

computing said plurality of expressions, each expression comprising a properly-formed expression for validating said plurality of selected records comprising said user selections from said token-based menu;

grouping said plurality of said expressions into a validation group;

performing said plurality of expressions in said validation group as a single operation against said plurality of selected records; and

displaying results of performing said plurality of expressions of said validation group, wherein displaying said results comprises displaying;

an indicator of validity of data in each of said plurality of selected records, said indicator of validity of data visually coupled to each of said plurality of selected records and further comprising a plurality of levels of execution for each of said plurality of selected records, said levels of execution selected from the group consisting of;

none, warning and error, wherein said indicator of validity comprises an error message indicating any invalid field of said selected records; and

a parse result indicating a parsing validity of said plurality of expressions.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using said plurality of expressions as a search filter; and

limiting a drill-down search using said plurality of expressions in conjunction with said at least one branch value selection and a hierarchal search tool.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said hierarchal search tool further comprises a free-form search tool.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a tooltip is used to display said error message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of selected records further comprises a non-lookup field.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one branch value selection comprises an audience level of an audience hierarchy, wherein said computer system database comprises a plurality of audio players configured to inherit data based on said audience hierarchy such that entries not found in one audience layer are automatically obtained from another audience layer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one branch value selection comprises a hierarchical family value.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said at least one branch value selection comprises a category value.

9. A method for generating properly formed expressions for validating selected records of a computer system database, said method comprising:

displaying in a metadata user interface a plurality of selected records of a computer system database;

displaying an expression-builder user interface coupled to said metadata user interface, said expression-builder user interface configured to construct at least one conditional validation expression, said expression-builder user interface comprising a token-based menu, said token-based menu automatically generated to comprise tokens representing and coupled to fields of said plurality of selected records;

obtaining at least one branch value selection for at least one of a plurality of expressions comprising at least one tokenized branch value from said token-based menu;

accepting user selections from said token-based menu;

computing said plurality of expressions, each expression comprising a properly-formed expression for validating said plurality of selected records comprising said user selections from said token-based menu;

grouping said plurality of said expressions into a validation group;

performing said plurality of expressions in said validation group as a single operation against said plurality of selected records;

displaying results of performing said plurality of expressions of said validation group, wherein displaying said results comprises displaying;

a name of said plurality of expressions;

a list of tables associated with said plurality of expressions;

at least one branch value for branching at least one of said plurality of expressions;

a description of said plurality of expressions;

an indicator of validity of each of said plurality of selected records, said indicator of validity visually coupled to each of said plurality of selected records and further comprising a plurality of levels of execution for each of said plurality of selected records, said levels of execution selected from the group consisting of;

none, warning and error, wherein said indicator of validity comprises an error message indicating any invalid field of said selected records;

a callable flag; and

a parse result indicating a parsing validity of said plurality of expressions; and

applying said plurality of expressions as a search filter against said plurality of selected records.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one branch value selection comprises an audience level of an audience hierarchy, wherein said computer system database comprises a plurality of audio players configured to inherit data based on said audience hierarchy such that entries not found in one audience layer are automatically obtained from another audience layer.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one branch value selection comprises a hierarchical family value.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one branch value selection comprises a category value.