Data viewer management

• US 8,140,593 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Murray, Michael Charles, Flynn, James R., Williams, Antony Scott, Mollicone, Laurent, Jayadevan, Siddharth
• Primary Examiner(s): FILIPCZYK, MARCIN R
• Application Number:
  US12/121,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20090287724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 707/793, 707/805, 707/999.003, 707/999.101, 707/999.102, 707/619, 715/764, 715/802
• US Class Current: 707/805
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Embodiments described herein are directed to generating a customized data viewer, where the viewer is configured to display data at any level in a data model. In one embodiment, a computer system receives a user request indicating that portions of data are to be displayed in a user-customized manner using a data viewer. The computer system accesses the requested data portions that are to be displayed with the data viewer. The computer system generates a dynamic data viewer configured to display the accessed data portions in the user-customized manner indicated in the received user request. The computer system also applies the generated dynamic data viewer to the accessed data portions, such that the generated viewer displays the requested data portions in the user-customized manner.

Claims

1. At a computer system in computer networking environment, the computer system comprising a memory operatively coupled to a processor, a method for dynamically applying a new data viewer at any level in a data model, the method comprising:

an act of a computer system, having a memory operatively coupled to a processor, accessing a data model that is to be displayed using an initial data viewer,

wherein the accessed data model comprises a first data portion having a first data type and a second data portion having a second different data type, and

wherein the initial data viewer is configured to simultaneously display each data portion according to (i) stored data type mappings that map each data portion to a corresponding display format based on data type, and (ii) a context of each data portion relative to one another within the data model, such that the initial data viewer is configured to display the first data portion in a first display format and the second data portion in a second display format that are selected based on a combination of the stored data type mappings and context;

an act of the computer system selecting the first display format and the second display format, including selecting at least the second display format based on a context of the second data portion relative to the first data portion within the data model overriding the corresponding display format for the second data portion as defined in the stored data type mappings;

an act of presenting the accessed data model using the initial data viewer by simultaneously presenting the first data portion in the first display format while also presenting the second data portion in the second display format;

an act of receiving user input from a first user simultaneous to the accessed data model being presented, the user input expressly mapping the first data type with a new display format that is different from the first display format;

subsequent and in response to receiving the user input, an act of changing the stored data type mappings by at least mapping the first data type with the new display format that is different from the first display format;

an act of dynamically modifying the initial data viewer based on the received user input, including the changes to the stored data type mappings, while the accessed data model is being displayed, to create a new data viewer;

an act of assigning a name to the new data viewer;

an act of dynamically applying the new data viewer to the accessed data model by at least displaying the accessed data model using the new data viewer, thereby simultaneously presenting the first data portion in the new display format while also presenting the second data portion in the second display format; and

an act of storing the new data viewer in a viewer repository by reference to the assigned name, such that other users can access and use the new data viewer by reference to the assigned name.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the initial data viewer based on the stored data type mappings.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the context of the second data portion relative the first data portion within the data model comprises at least one of:

top-level with respect to the first data portion, embedded within the first data portion, part of a collection with the first data portion, single relative to the first data portion, or an item in a list with the first data portion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of storing the new data viewer in a viewer repository comprises storing only the changes made to the initial data viewer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

an act of receiving a user input requesting to use new data viewer to display at least a portion of requested data; and

an act of displaying the requested data using the new data viewer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second display format is the same as the first display format, and wherein the new display format is different from the first display format and the second display format.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein both of the initial data viewer and the new data viewer present at least the first data portion and the second data portion while also illustrating relationships between the first data portion and the second data portion within the data model based on the context of the first data portion relative to the second data portion within the data model.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second display format is different from the first display format, and wherein the new display format is different from the first display format and the second display format.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second display format is different from the first display format, and wherein the new display format is the same as the second display format.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the new display format comprises a list item display format or an embedded spreadsheet display format.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first display format is the same as the second display format.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the first display format and the second display format comprise a hierarchical display format.

13. A storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method, comprising:

an act of a computer system, having a memory operatively coupled to a processor, accessing a data model that is to be displayed using a first data viewer,

wherein the accessed data model comprises a first data portion having a first data type and a first context within the data model and a second data portion having a second different data type and a second context within the data model, and

wherein the initial data viewer is configured to simultaneously display each data portion according to (i) stored data type mappings that map the first and second data portions to different display formats based on the first and second data types, and (ii) the corresponding context of each data portion relative to one another within the data model, such that the first data viewer is configured to display the first data portion in a first display format based on the stored data type mappings and the first context and displays the second data portion in a second display format based on the stored data type mappings and the second context;

an act of the computer system selecting the first display format and the second display format, including selecting at least the second display format based on the second context of the second data portion relative to the first data portion within the data model overriding the mapped to display format for the second data portion as defined in the stored data type mappings;

an act of presenting the accessed data model using the initial first data viewer by simultaneously presenting the first data portion in the first display format while also presenting the second data portion in the second display format;

an act of receiving user input from a first user simultaneous to the accessed data model being presented, the user input expressly mapping the first data type with a new display format that is different from the first display format;

subsequent to and in response to receiving the user input, an act of changing the stored data type mappings by at least mapping the first data type with the new display format that is different from the first display format;

based on the received user input, including the changes to the stored data type mappings, an act of dynamically modifying the first data viewer to create a second data viewer, while the accessed data model is being displayed by the first data viewer;

an act of assigning a name to the second data viewer;

an act of dynamically applying the second data viewer to the accessed data model by at least displaying the accessed data model using the second data viewer, thereby simultaneously presenting the first data portion in the new display format while also presenting the second data portion, without modifying the second display format used to display the second portion; and

an act of storing the second data viewer in a viewer repository by reference to the assigned name, such that other users can access and use the second data viewer by reference to the assigned name.

14. The storage media of claim 13, wherein the first context within the data model comprises the first data portion being part of a list of data items and first display format presents the first data portion in list form, and wherein the second context within the data model comprises the second data portion being part of a table or spreadsheet and the second display format presents the first data portion in table or spreadsheet form.

15. A computer system comprising a processor operatively coupled to a memory and one or more storage media having stored there on computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform a method, comprising:

an act of a computer system, having a memory operatively coupled to a processor, accessing a data model that is to be displayed using a first data viewer,

wherein the accessed data comprises a first data portion having a first data type and a first data context within the data model and a second data portion having a second data type and a second data context within the data model, and

wherein the first data viewer is configured to simultaneously display each data portion according to (i) stored data type mappings that map each data portion to corresponding display formats based on the first and second data types and (ii) data context of each data portion relative to one another within the data model, such that the first data viewer is configured to display the first data portion in a first display format and the second data portion in a second display format based on the data mappings and on and the data contexts of each data portion relative to one another within the data model;

an act of the computer system selecting the first display format and the second display format, including selecting at least the second display format based on the data context of the second data portion relative to the first data portion within the data model overriding the mapped to display format for the second data portion as defined in the stored data type mappings;

an act of presenting the accessed data using the first data viewer by simultaneously presenting the first data portion in the first display format while also presenting the second data portion in the second display format;

an act of receiving user input from a first user simultaneous to the accessed data being presented, the user input expressly mapping the first data type with a new display format that is different from the first display format;

subsequent and in response to receiving the user input, an act of changing the stored data type mappings by mapping one or more of the first data type or the first data context with the new display format that is different from the first display format;

an act of dynamically creating a second data viewer based on the received user input, including the changes to the stored data type mappings, while the accessed data is being displayed;

an act of assigning a name to the second data viewer;

an act of dynamically applying the second data viewer to the accessed data by at least displaying the accessed data using the second data viewer, thereby simultaneously presenting the first data portion in the new display format while also presenting the second data portion in the second display format; and

an act of storing the second data viewer in a viewer repository by reference to the assigned name, such that other users can access and use the second data viewer by reference to the assigned name.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the act of changing the stored data type mappings comprises mapping both of the first data type and the first data context with the new display format.