Placeholder control for updating database object

• US 7,979,477 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2008
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Karimov, Paul, McCormack, Michael J., Getsch, Timothy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz; Apu M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Hung D
• Application Number:
  US12/049,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20090234881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,214 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/807
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating

Abstract

Updating a graphical database object in a database via a placeholder control is provided. After a database recordset schema or schema is updated, a determination is made as to whether anew field is to be added to the graphical database object in response to the recordset schema or schema change. If a new field is to be added, the new field is automatically added to the graphical database object. The new field may be positioned to a place in the graphical database object as directed by a user or editor of the database object. The graphical database object may be displayed with the new field as positioned based on the recordset schema or schema change.

Claims

1. A method of updating a database object in a relational database, the method comprising:

updating a recordset schema associated with the database object;

loading or activating the database object;

finding a new field to be added to the database object in response to a change in the recordset schema, including;

determining whether a recordset schema has changed, the recordset schema being associated with the database object and being associated with a collection of records made available to the database object,

comparing the updated recordset schema to a previous recordset schema associated with the database object to determine whether the updated recordset schema includes a new field not in the previous recordset schema, and

comparing each field in the updated recordset schema to each field in the previous recordset schema to determine whether each field in the updated recordset schema has a matched field in the previous recordset schema, wherein determining whether each field in the updated recordset schema has a matched field in the previous recordset schema comprises determining, for each field, whether there is at least one of a plurality of bound controls for the field in the updated recordset schema, wherein the plurality of bound controls comprise controls placed on the database object for entering, displaying and editing field data, wherein a field in the updated recordset schema having no matched field indicates the field to be a new field not in the previous recordset schema;

positioning the new field to a determined place in the database object;

displaying a database visualization in the database object associated with the new field; and

positioning the new field to a place determined by a placeholder control, the placeholder control comprising a label and text box pair with a keyword in a placeholder control tag, the tag comprising a string placeholder which is added to the label and the text box, the string placeholder enabling interaction with the label and the text box.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the new field to a place determined by a new control having special properties to specify where to add the new field.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the new field to a place determined by a layout control having a property to indicate where to add the new field.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically adding the new field to the database object.

5. The method of claim 1, positioning the new field to a place determined by a placeholder control comprises positioning the new field to a place determined by a placeholder control comprising at least one of the following keywords:

placeholder left, placeholder right, placeholder up and placeholder down.

6. A method of updating a graphical database object in a database, the method comprising:

updating a recordset schema in the database;

finding a new field to be added to the graphical database object in response to the updated recordset schema, wherein the act of finding a new field to be added for the graphical database object comprises;

determining whether a recordset schema has changed;

comparing the updated recordset schema to a previous recordset schema to determine whether the updated recordset schema includes a new field not in the previous recordset schema; and

comparing each field in the updated recordset schema to each field in the previous recordset schema to determine whether each field in the updated recordset schema has a matched bound control in the previous recordset schema, wherein determining whether each field in the updated recordset schema has a matched bound control in the previous recordset schema comprises determining, for each field, whether there is at least one of a plurality of bound controls for the field in the updated recordset schema, wherein the plurality of bound controls comprise controls placed on the graphical database object for entering, displaying and editing field data, wherein a field in the updated recordset schema having no matched bound control indicates the field to be a new field not in the previous recordset schema;

automatically adding the new field to the graphical database object;

positioning the new field to a determined place in the graphical database object;

displaying the graphical database object with the new field; and

positioning the new field to a place determined by a placeholder control, the placeholder control comprising a label and text box pair with a keyword in a placeholder control tag, the tag comprising a string placeholder which is added to the label and the text box, the string placeholder enabling interaction with the label and the text box.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising positioning the new field to a place determined by a new control having special properties to specify where to add the new field.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising positioning the new field to a place determined by a layout control having a property to indicate where to add the new field.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing a user an option to determine whether to add the new field to the graphical database object.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the graphical database object is selected from the group comprising:

a database object and a database report.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the recordset schema is a collection of records made available to the graphical database object.

12. The method of claim 6, positioning the new field to a place determined by a placeholder control comprises positioning the new field to a place determined by a placeholder control comprising at least one of the following keywords:

placeholder left, placeholder right, placeholder up and placeholder down.

13. A system for updating a graphical database object in a database, the system comprising:

a memory for storing executable program code; and

a processing unit, functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program code and operative to;

utilize a schema update module programmed to update a database schema in the database; and

utilize a graphical database object update module programmed to update the graphical database object in response to detecting a database schema change, wherein the graphical database object update module comprises a find module programmed to find a new field to be added for the graphical database object due to the database schema change, wherein finding a new field comprises;

determining whether the database schema has changed;

comparing the updated database schema to a previous database schema to determine whether the updated database schema includes a new field not in the previous database schema; and

comparing each field in the updated database schema to each field in the previous database schema to determine whether each field in the updated database schema has a matched bound control in the previous database schema, wherein determining whether each field in the updated database schema has a matched bound control in the previous database schema comprises determining, for each field, whether there is at least one of a plurality of bound controls for the field in the updated database schema, wherein the plurality of bound controls comprise controls placed on the graphical database object for entering, displaying and editing field data, wherein a field in the updated database schema having no matched bound control indicates the field to be a new field not in the previous database schema, wherein the graphical database object update module further comprises;

a positioning module programmed to position the new field to a place in the graphical database object, wherein the positioning module comprises a placeholder control to determine where to position the new field in the graphical database object, the placeholder control comprising a label and text box pair with a keyword in a placeholder control tag, the tag comprising a string placeholder which is added to the label and the text box, the string placeholder enabling interaction with the label and the text box;

a display module programmed to display the graphical database object with the new field;

a user option module programmed to provide a user an option to determine whether to add the new field to the graphical database object; and

an auto-update module programmed to automatically add the new field to the graphical database object.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the placeholder control is a label and text box pair with a keyword in a tag of the control.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the positioning module comprises a new control having special properties to specify where to add the new field in the graphical database object.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the positioning module comprises a layout control having a property to indicate where to add the new field in the graphical database object.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the graphical database object is selected from the group comprising:

a database form and a database report.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the keyword comprises at least one of the following:

placeholder left, placeholder right, placeholder up and placeholder down.