Quick find for data fields

• US 8,321,435 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Zaydman, Oleg, Crim, Christopher, Maeckel, Clay, Johnson, Galt, Iremonger, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital, Pierre
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBISESAN, AUGUSTINE KUNLE
• Application Number:
  US12/540,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20110040745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/755
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2453 Query optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/969 Network layout and operation interface

Abstract

Methods, program products, and systems for automatically searching data in multiple data fields are described. A user can view data retrieved from a database and formatted based on a layout. While viewing the data, the user can perform a search using one or more search terms. A system can automatically examine the database and identify on which tables and on which data fields of the tables to perform the search. The system can identify searchable tables and data fields by analyzing the database schema as well as characteristics of the tables and data fields.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

providing for display a user interface for accessing a database, the user interface including one or more data fields, wherein the user interface is defined by a layout corresponding to a base table in the database, the layout including formatting information of each data field;

identifying, based on a degree of relationship between the base table and the one or more data fields, one or more searchable data fields from the base table and the one or more data fields;

determining, based on the degree of relationship, a search speed for each identified searchable data field, the search speed being an estimated speed of a search operation targeting the corresponding searchable data field; and

providing a badge for display in association with each identified searchable data field, the badge including a user interface item indicative of the search speed associated with the corresponding searchable data field,

wherein the method is performed by one or more computers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more searchable data fields comprises analyzing a static relationship between the base table and a related table based on a schema of the database and the one or more existing database queries.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein analyzing the static relationship comprises:

locating a table based on a number of joins from the base table and a type of each join as specified in the one or more existing database queries;

selecting a located table based on a direction of the joins; and

designating the selected table as the related table.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising analyzing a dynamic relationship between the base table and a related table using characteristics of the tables, the characteristics including table size and field selectivity.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising providing for display a user interface for manually designating a data field to be searchable or unsearchable.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein the badge for each searchable data field has at least one of a “

fast”

designation or a “

slow”

designation, each designation being represented by a distinct color, shape, or label of the badge.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more searchable data fields comprises:

designating one or more groups of searchable fields, each group being accessible when a specified access privilege is present; and

determining that a data field is searchable based on a group to which the data field belongs and a current access privilege.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising performing a search in response to a search request, the search request comprising a search term, wherein performing the search comprises:

evaluating the search term in a context of each identified searchable data field;

expanding the search term to match a field type of the identified searchable data field; and

performing the search using the expanded search term.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein evaluating the search term comprises:

identifying a variable item in the search term using a script that includes a list of one or more variable items and a corresponding list of customizable substitution rules; and

substituting the variable item in the search term using a substitution rule that corresponds to the variable item.

10. A computer program product encoded on a non-transitory computer storage medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

providing for display a user interface for accessing a database the user interface including one or more data fields, wherein the user interface is defined by a layout corresponding to a base table in the database, the layout including formatting information of each data field;

identifying, based on a degree of relationship between the base table and the one or more data fields, one or more searchable data fields from the base table and the one or more data fields;

determining, based on the degree of relationship, a search speed for each identified searchable data field, the search speed being an estimated speed of a search operation targeting the corresponding searchable data field; and

providing a badge for display in association with each identified searchable data field, the badge including a user interface item indicative of the search speed associated with the corresponding searchable data field.

11. The product of claim 10, wherein identifying the one or more searchable data fields comprises analyzing a static relationship between the base table and a related table based on a schema of the database and the one or more existing database queries.

12. The product of claim 11, wherein analyzing the static relationship comprises:

locating a table based on a number of joins from the base table and a type of each join as specified in the one or more existing database queries;

selecting a located table based on a direction of the joins; and

designating the selected table as the related table.

13. The product of claim 10, the operations comprising analyzing a dynamic relationship between the base table and a related table using characteristics of the tables, the characteristics including table size and field selectivity.

14. The product of claim 10, the operations comprising providing for display a user interface for manually designating a data field to be searchable or unsearchable.

15. The product of claim 14, wherein the

badge has at least one of a “

fast”

designation or a “

slow”

designation, each designation being represented by a distinct color, shape, or label of the badge.

16. The product of claim 10, wherein identifying the one or more searchable data fields comprises:

designating one or more groups of searchable fields, each group being accessible when a specified access privilege is present; and

determining that a data field is searchable based on a group to which the data field belongs and a current access privilege.

17. The product of claim 10, the operations comprising performing a search in response to a search request, the search request comprising a search term, wherein performing the search comprises:

evaluating the search term in a context of each identified searchable data field;

expanding the search term to match a field type of the data field; and

performing the search using the expanded search term.

18. The product of claim 17, wherein evaluating the search term comprises:

identifying a variable item in the search term using a script that includes a list of one or more variable items and a corresponding list of customizable substitution rules; and

substituting the variable item in the search term using a substitution rule that corresponds to the variable item.

19. A system comprising:

one or more computers operable to perform operations comprising;

providing for display a user interface for accessing a database, the user interface including one or more data fields, wherein the user interface is defined by a layout corresponding to a base table in the database, the layout including formatting information of each data field;

identifying, based on a degree of relationship between the base table and the one or more data fields, one or more searchable data fields from the base table and the one or more data fields;

determining, based on the degree of relationship, a search speed for each identified searchable data field, the search speed being an estimated speed of a search operation targeting the corresponding searchable data field; and

providing a badge for display in association with each identified searchable data field, the badge including a user interface item indicative of the search speed associated with the corresponding searchable data field.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein identifying the one or more searchable data fields comprises analyzing a static relationship between the base table and a related table based on a schema of the database.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein analyzing the static relationship comprises:

locating a table based on a number of joins from the base table and a type of each join as specified in the one or more existing database queries;

selecting a located table based on a direction of the joins; and

designating the selected table as the related table.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the operations comprising analyzing a dynamic relationship between the base table and a related table using characteristics of the tables, the characteristics including table size and field selectivity.

23. The system of claim 19, the operations comprising providing for display a user interface for manually designating a data field to be searchable or unsearchable.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the badge has at least one of a “

fast”

designation or a “

slow”

designation, each designation being represented by a distinct color, shape, or label of the badge.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein identifying the one or more searchable data fields comprises:

designating one or more groups of searchable fields, each group being accessible when a specified access privilege is present; and

determining that a data field is searchable based on a group to which the data field belongs and a current access privilege.

26. The system of claim 19, the operations comprising performing a search in response to a search request, the search request comprising a search term, wherein performing the search comprises:

evaluating the search term in a context of each identified searchable data field;

expanding the search term to match a field type of the data field; and

performing the search using the expanded search term.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein evaluating the search term comprises:

identifying a variable item in the search term using a script that includes a list of one or more variable items and a corresponding list of customizable substitution rules; and

substituting the variable item in the search term using a substitution rule that corresponds to the variable item.