Visual manipulation of database schema

• US 8,296,332 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2010
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Boley, Jesse Leon, Shelby, Ryan David, Griggs, Ryan Christopher, Smith, Kevin Iversen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Cheryl
• Application Number:
  US12/752,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20110246538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 707/803, 707/946, 707/975, 707/999.102
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

Methods, program products, and systems for visual manipulation of database schema are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a system can display a schema view and a data view in graphic representation in an integrated GUI on a display device. The system can display a schema in the schema view, and one or more data records in the data view. The system can receive a touch input from the display device in the schema view, or the data view, or both. In response to the touch input, the system can modify the schema, or the data records, or both. The system can update the schema view and data view substantially simultaneously to reflect the modification in the schema or data records.

Claims

1. A method executed on a mobile device, comprising:

displaying on a display of the mobile device a schema view and a data view, the schema view displaying a schema of a database, the data view displaying at least one data record, the data record including a first data field defined by the schema;

receiving a touch input on the display in at least one of the two views;

in response to the received touch input, modifying the schema and the data record; and

updating the schema view and the data view displayed on the display substantially simultaneously, according to the modified schema and the modified data record.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch input includes a movement of a pointing means across the display device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the schema of the database includes displaying in the schema view an icon of a second data field of the database, the second data field being defined by the schema, wherein the second data field is hidden from the data view.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the touch input includes:

receiving a touch of the display device on the icon displayed in the schema view by a pointing means;

detecting a movement of the pointing means from the schema view into the data view; and

detecting that the pointing means is no longer in contact with the display device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein updating the data view includes displaying the second data field in the data view.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the touch input on the display device includes receiving a touch, by a pointing means, of a first handle of the first data field displayed in the data view;

modifying the schema includes deleting the first data field from the schema; and

updating the schema view and the data view displayed on the display device includes deleting the data field from the data view and deleting an icon of the first data field from the schema view.

7. The method of claim 6, where deleting the data field is visualized using a crumpling animation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the touch input on the display device includes receiving a touch, by a pointing means, of a second handle of the first data field displayed in the data view; and

updating the schema view and the data view displayed on the display device includes;

deleting the first data field from the data view; and

changing an icon displayed the schema view into a hidden state, the icon corresponding to the first data field.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a text data field in the data view, the text data field including multiple lines of text;

receiving a user input, the user input including a pinching action of multiple pointing means on the display device; and

reducing a number of the lines of the text according to the pinching action, including replacing at least one line of the text with an ellipsis.

10. A computer program product stored on a mobile device, operable to cause the mobile device to perform operations comprising:

displaying on a display of the mobile device a schema view and a data view, the schema view displaying a schema of a database, the data view displaying at least one data record, the data record including a first data field defined by the schema;

receiving a touch input on the display in at least one of the two views;

in response to the received touch input, modifying the schema and the data record; and

updating the schema view and the data view displayed on the display substantially simultaneously, according to the modified schema and the modified data record.

11. The product of claim 10, wherein the touch input includes a movement of a pointing means across the display device.

12. The product of claim 10, wherein displaying the schema of the database includes displaying in the schema view an icon of a second data field of the database, the second data field being defined by the schema, wherein the second data field is hidden from the data view.

13. The product of claim 12, wherein receiving the touch input includes:

receiving a touch of the display device on the icon displayed in the schema view by a pointing means;

detecting a movement of the pointing means from the schema view into the data view; and

detecting that the pointing means is no longer in contact with the display device.

14. The product of claim 13, wherein updating the data view includes displaying the second data field in the data view.

15. The product of claim 10, wherein:

receiving the touch input on the display device includes receiving a touch, by a pointing means, of a first handle of the first data field displayed in the data view;

modifying the schema includes deleting the first data field from the schema; and

updating the schema view and the data view displayed on the display device includes deleting the data field from the data view and deleting an icon of the first data field from the schema view.

16. The product of claim 15, where deleting the data field is visualized using a crumpling animation.

17. The product of claim 15, wherein:

receiving the touch input on the display device includes receiving a touch, by a pointing means, of a second handle of the first data field displayed in the data view; and

updating the schema view and the data view displayed on the display device includes;

deleting the first data field from the data view; and

changing an icon displayed the schema view into a hidden state, the icon corresponding to the first data field.

18. A system, comprising a mobile device configured to perform operations comprising:

displaying on a display of the mobile device a schema view and a data view, the schema view displaying a schema of a database, the data view displaying at least one data record, the data record including a first data field defined by the schema;

receiving a touch input on the display in at least one of the two views;

in response to the received touch input, modifying the schema and the data record; and

updating the schema view and the data view displayed on the display substantially simultaneously, according to the modified schema and the modified data record.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the touch input includes a movement of a pointing means across the display device.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein displaying the schema of the database includes displaying in the schema view an icon of a second data field of the database, the second data field being defined by the schema, wherein the second data field is hidden from the data view.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein receiving the touch input includes:

receiving a touch of the display device on the icon displayed in the schema view by a pointing means;

detecting a movement of the pointing means from the schema view into the data view; and

detecting that the pointing means is no longer in contact with the display device.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein updating the data view includes displaying the second data field in the data view.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein:

receiving the touch input on the display device includes receiving a touch, by a pointing means, of a first handle of the first data field displayed in the data view;

modifying the schema includes deleting the first data field from the schema; and

updating the schema view and the data view displayed on the display device includes deleting the data field from the data view and deleting an icon of the first data field from the schema view.

24. The system of claim 23, where deleting the data field is visualized using a crumpling animation.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein:

receiving the touch input on the display device includes receiving a touch, by a pointing means, of a second handle of the first data field displayed in the data view; and

updating the schema view and the data view displayed on the display device includes;

deleting the first data field from the data view; and

changing an icon displayed the schema view into a hidden state, the icon corresponding to the first data field.