Configurable view on data models

• US 8,140,581 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Flynn, James Randall, Jayadevan, Siddharth, Mollicone, Laurent, Williams, Anthony Scott, Murray, Michael Charles, Danton, Stephen Michael, Roberts, Scott M., Voss, Florian W. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Waldron, Scott A
• Application Number:
  US12/121,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20090284549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 707/804, 707/805, 707/793, 707/796
• US Class Current: 707/793
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design

Abstract

Data-driven configuration of various views on data models. A framework may be provided that offers one or more parameterized view generation components, each aimed at generating a particular view type in response to configuration data that populates the parameters of the associated component. A user or other computing entity merely provides configuration data to an appropriate view generation component to generate a custom view. That custom view may then optionally perhaps be applied to any number of data models, or perhaps not applied to any data model at all and just saved for perhaps some future use. This view generation may generate composite views on a data model, or even hierarchical views on a data model.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising physical memory for storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method for generating one or more custom views for application to any of a plurality of data models when displaying one or more of the data models, the method comprising:

storing in a memory of the computing system configuration data that defines how one or more custom views will be constructed for one or more data models;

storing in the computing system memory a plurality of view construction modules that each correspond to a particular custom view, each view construction module comprising a plurality of parameters for defining behavior of a particular custom view, and each view construction module comprising logic for using the plurality of parameters to define the behavior of the view;

retrieving from memory the configuration data which is input to a custom view generator of the computing system;

the custom view generator then retrieving from memory at least one of the view construction modules and using the retrieved configuration data to populate the parameters for the at least one view construction module, the populated parameters of the at least one view construction module defining behavior of at least a first custom view;

inputting the first custom view to a rendering module of the computing system;

the rendering module retrieving from memory at least one of the stored data models; and

the rendering module of the computing system presenting the retrieved data model in accordance with the first custom view, wherein the first custom view is a composite view of one or more other views presented in a hierarchy comprising at least a master view and at least one detail view.

2. A computer program product as defined in claim 1 wherein the method is comprised of:

the rendering module of the computing system retrieving from memory at least a second stored data model; and

the rendering module of the computing system presenting the second retrieved data model in accordance with the first custom view.

3. A computer program product as defined in claim 1 wherein the method is comprised of:

the custom view generator of the computing system retrieving from memory at least one other view construction module and then using the retrieved configuration data to populate the parameters for the at least one other view construction module, the populated parameters of the at least one other view construction module defining behavior of a second custom view;

inputting the second custom view to the rendering module of the computing system;

the rendering module of the computing system retrieving from memory at least one of the stored data models; and

the rendering module of the computing system presenting the retrieved data model in accordance with the second custom view.

4. A computer program product as defined in claim 1 wherein the method is

comprised of:

the custom view generator of the computing system retrieving from memory at least one other view construction module and then using retrieved configuration data to populate the parameters for the at least one other view construction module, the populated parameters of the at least one other view construction module defining behavior of a second custom view;

inputting the second custom view to the rendering module of the computing system;

the rendering module of the computing system retrieving from memory at least one of the stored data models; and

the rendering module of the computing system presenting the retrieved data model in accordance with both the first and the second custom views.

5. A computer program product as defined in claim 4 wherein the method is

comprised of:

the rendering module of the computing system presenting in a user interface a display of a plurality of retrieved data models selected for presentation in accordance with a composite view that is comprised of both the first and the second custom views.

6. A method for generating one or more custom views for application to any of a plurality of data models stored in a memory of a computing system when using the computing system to display one or more of the data models, the method comprising:

storing in a memory of the computing system configuration data that defines how one or more custom views will be constructed for one or more data models;

storing in the computing system memory a plurality of view construction modules that each correspond to a particular custom view, each view construction module comprising a plurality of parameters for defining behavior of a particular custom view, and each view construction module comprising logic for using the plurality of parameters to define the behavior of the view;

retrieving from memory configuration data which is input to a custom view generator of the computing system;

the custom view generator then retrieving from memory at least one of the view construction modules and using the retrieved configuration data to populate the parameters for the at least one view construction module, the populated parameters of the at least one view construction module defining behavior of at least a first custom view;

inputting the first custom view to a rendering module of the computing system;

the custom view generator of the computing system retrieving from memory at least one other view construction module and then using retrieved configuration data to populate the parameters for the at least one other view construction module, the populated parameters of the at least one other view construction module defining behavior of a second custom view;

inputting the second custom view to the rendering module of the computing system;

the rendering module of the computing system retrieving from memory at least one of the stored data models; and

the rendering module of the computing system presenting the retrieved data model in accordance with both the first and the second custom views, wherein at least the first custom view is a composite view of one or more other views presented in a hierarchy comprising at least a master view and at least one detail view.

7. A method as defined in claim 6 wherein the data model is presented in accordance with a composite view that is comprised of the both the first and the second custom views.