Dimensional data explorer

• US 8,145,635 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Workday Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Workday Incorporated
• Inventors: Ruggiero, Jon, Qayyum, Kashif
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US12/077,086
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 707/736, 707/769
• US Class Current: 707/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A dimensional data explorer for an enterprise system is disclosed. Dimensional data exploration includes providing a list of dimensions by which aggregated data in a report can be disaggregated and reaggregated. Aggregated data comprises a set of measures that have been aggregated for each object of a set of objects. Dimensional data exploration further includes providing the aggregated data disaggregated and reaggregated using a dimension from the list of dimensions.

Claims

1. A method for reporting, comprising:

generating a report from an object instance set, comprising generating a table of data entries, wherein the data entries comprise an attribute or a data entry generated from the object instance set, wherein each data entry generated from the object instance set is displayed with a data exploration button next to the data entry;

wherein the data entry generated from the object instance set comprises a measure or an aggregated data entry, wherein the aggregated data entry comprises a set of measures that have been aggregated for each object in the object instance set;

receiving a user selection of the data exploration button on the report to display a submenu,

causing a list of dimensions to display in the submenu by which the measure or the aggregated data entry in the report can be disaggregated and reaggregated,

receiving a selection by a user of one dimension in the list of dimensions;

providing the measure or the aggregated data entry disaggregated and reaggregated using a dimension from the list of dimensions based at least in part on the selection of the one dimension by the user; and

presenting a new report of the measure or the aggregated data entry disaggregated and reaggregated;

receiving another request to explore the measure or the aggregate data entry in the new report, wherein the request is made by a user selecting another data exploration button next to the measure or the aggregated data entry in the new report.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising receiving another request to disaggregate and reaggregate the measure or the aggregated data entry using the dimension from the list of dimensions and displaying the reaggregated data in another report.

3. A method as in claim 1, further comprising storing the data entry data entry generated from an object instance set in the report with a link to the set of objects.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the set of measures is aggregated using an aggregation function.

5. A method as in claim 4, wherein the aggregation function comprises one of the following:

a summing function, an averaging function, a minimum function, a maximum function, or a counting function.

6. A method as in claim 1, further comprising building the object instance set, wherein the set object instances is built by executing a method of a parent object.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein a set of sets of object instances is built by executing a method of each of a set of parent objects.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein a measure is any method of an object in the object instance set that returns a number.

9. A method as in claim 1, wherein a dimension is any method of an object in the object instance set that returns a set of object instances.

10. A method as in claim 1, wherein aggregated data can be disaggregated and reaggregated using two or more dimensions in a single new report.

11. A method as in claim 1, further comprising building the report, wherein data in the report is aggregated from objects accessible from a parent object.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein data in the report is organized into one or more columns defined by a report creator.

13. A method as in claim 11, wherein each object in an object instance set returned by a report data source method of the parent object is assigned to a row of the report.

14. A method as in claim 1, wherein the data explorer button marks data entries that can be explored and comprises one or more of the following:

a button, a mark, a symbol, a highlighting of the data, a font change, a color change, a surrounding of the data text, a pop-up appearance, an auditory or haptic cue.

15. A system for reporting, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to;

generate a report from an object instance set, comprising generating a table of data entries, wherein the data entries comprise an attribute or a data entry generated from the object instance set, wherein each data entry generated from the object instance set is displayed with a data exploration button next to the data entry;

wherein the data entry generated from an object instance set comprises a measure or an aggregated data entry;

wherein the aggregated data entry comprises a set of measures that have been aggregated for each object in the object instance set;

receive a user selection of the data exploration button on the report to display a submenu,

cause a list of dimensions to display in the submenu by which the measure or the aggregated data entry in the report can be disaggregated and reaggregated,

receive a selection by a user of one dimension in the list of dimensions;

provide the measure or the aggregated data entry disaggregated and reaggregated using a dimension from the list of dimensions based at least in part on the selection of the one dimension by the user; and

present a new report of the measure or the aggregated data entry disaggregated and reaggregated;

receive another request to explore the measure or the aggregate data entry in the new report, wherein the request is made by a user selecting another data exploration button next to the measure or the aggregated data entry in the new report.

16. A system as in claim 15 wherein the processor is further configured to receive another request to disaggregate and reaggregate the measure or the aggregated data entry using the dimension from the list of dimensions and display the reaggregated data in another report.

17. A system as in claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to store the data entry generated from the object instance set in the report with a link to the set of objects.

18. A system as in claim 15, wherein the set of measures is aggregated using an aggregation function.

19. A system as in claim 18, wherein the aggregation function comprises one of the following:

a summing function, an averaging function, a minimum function, a maximum function, or a counting function.

20. A system as in claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to build the object instance set, wherein the object instance set is built by executing a method of a parent object.

21. A system as in claim 15, wherein a set of sets of object instances is built by executing a method of each of a set of parent objects.

22. A system as in claim 15, wherein a measure is any method of an object in the object instance set that returns a number.

23. A system as in claim 15, wherein a dimension is any method of an object in the object instance set that returns a set of object instances.

24. A system as in claim 15, wherein aggregated data can be disaggregated and reaggregated using two or more dimensions in a single new report.

25. A system as in claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to build the report, wherein data in the report is aggregated from objects accessible from a parent object.

26. A system as in claim 25, wherein data in the report is organized into one or more columns defined by a report creator.

27. A system as in claim 25, wherein each object in an object instance set returned by a report data source method of the parent object is assigned to a row of the report.

28. A system as in claim 15, wherein the data explorer button marks data entries that can be explored and comprises one or more of the following:

a button, a mark, a symbol, a highlighting of the data, a font change, a color change, a surrounding of the data text, a pop-up appearance, an auditory or haptic cue.

29. A computer program product for reporting, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

generating a report from an object instance set, comprising generating a table of data entries, wherein the data entries comprise an attribute or a data entry generated from the object instance set, wherein each data entry generated from the object instance set is displayed with a data exploration button next to the data entry;

wherein the data entry generated from an object instance set comprises a measure or an aggregated data entry;

wherein the aggregated data entry comprises a set of measures that have been aggregated for each object in the object instance set;

receiving a user selection of the data exploration button on the report to display a submenu,

causing a list of dimensions to display in the submenu by which the measure or the aggregated data entry in the report can be disaggregated and reaggregated,

receiving a selection by a user of one dimension in the list of dimensions;

providing the measure or the aggregated data entry disaggregated and reaggregated using a dimension from the list of dimensions based at least in part on the selection of the one dimension by the user; and

presenting a new report of the measure or the aggregated data entry disaggregated and reaggregated;

receiving another request to explore the measure or the aggregate data entry in the new report, wherein the request is made by a user selecting another data exploration button next to the measure or the aggregated data entry in the new report.