Method and system for generating relational spreadsheets

• US 8,869,020 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Daga, Rakshit
• Primary Examiner(s): Queler, Adam M
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMIN, MUSTAFA A
• Application Number:
  US11/646,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20080162532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,855 Days
• Field of Search: 715/212
• US Class Current: 715/212
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A method and system are described that may generate and process relational spreadsheets, for example, for database entities such as objects. An example method may include generating a relational spreadsheet page including relational spreadsheet entries indicating one or more hierarchical relationships among a plurality of database entities associated with a database based on a relational graph indicating relational relationships among the database entities and based on information associated with a plurality of objects. The method may include displaying the relational spreadsheet page.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, by at least one processor, a relational graph for a requested relational spreadsheet based on database objects stored in a relational database, the relational graph including a graph structure indicating relational relationships among the database objects stored in the relational database, the graph structure having a plurality of nodes and edges connecting at least two nodes of the plurality of nodes, each node being associated with a database object within the relational database, and each edge representing a hierarchical relationship between the at least two nodes;

storing, by the at least one processor, the relational graph in a relational graph storage database;

displaying, by the at least one processor, a single relational spreadsheet page providing a plurality of spreadsheet entries arranged in at least one of columns and rows according to a relational spreadsheet page format based on the relational graph;

receiving, by the at least one processor, a request to expand a column or row in the single relational spreadsheet page based on an interaction with an indicator associated with the column or row;

determining, by the at least one processor, a portion of the relational graph including navigating edges connected to a node that represents the column or row to be expanded and determining nodes connected to the node of the column or row to be expanded on a node-by-node basis based on the navigated edges such that nodes having relational relationships with the column or row to be expanded are identified;

querying, by the at least one processor, the relational database for the identified nodes, and retrieving information associated with the identified nodes from the database objects stored in the relational database that correspond to the identified nodes in response to the query such that database objects without relational relationships to the column or row to be expanded are not retrieved from the relational database; and

displaying, by the at least one processor, the retrieved information via the expanded column or row in the single relational spreadsheet page.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each database object includes an object identifier that identifies a respective database object, wherein at least some of the database objects further includes a secondary object identifier that identifies a related database object, wherein the relational graph is generated based on the object identified and the secondary object identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one processor, a request to modify the single relational spreadsheet page;

updating, by the at least one processor, the relational graph and the relational database based on the request.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one processor, relationship information representing a database schema indicating the hierarchical relationships among the database objects; and

generating, by the at least one processor, the relational graph based on the relationship information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying, by the at least one processor, a relational spreadsheet page includes:

displaying the indicator showing whether a respective column or row is expanded such that all spreadsheet entries, if any, associated in a direct subordinate hierarchal relationship with the column or row are currently displayed, or is collapsed such that not all spreadsheet entries associated in the direct subordinate hierarchal relationship with the respective column or row are currently displayed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the spreadsheet entries arranged in the columns or rows display one or more values, wherein the method further includes:

changing, by the at least one processor, the one or more values such that the relational graph and the relational database are dynamically updated with the one or more changed values.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the relational spreadsheet page format arranges the plurality of nodes in a manner indicated by the relational relationships of the relational graph.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the relational database stores address strings representing the relational relationships among the database objects stored in the relational database, the address strings including navigation paths for retrieving the database objects based on the query, the relational database further storing unique database identifiers in association with the address strings, the unique database identifiers indicating locations of the database objects.

7. A relational spreadsheet apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions executable by the at least one processor, the instructions configured to implement,

a relational graph generator configured to generate a relational graph for a requested relational spreadsheet based on database objects stored in a relational database, the relational graph including a graph structure indicating relational relationships among the database objects stored in the relational database, the graph structure having a plurality of nodes and edges connecting at least two nodes of the plurality of nodes, each node being associated with a database object, and each edge representing a hierarchical relationship between the at least two nodes,

the relational graph generator configured to store the relational graph in a relational graph storage database;

a relational spreadsheet manager configured to display a single relational spreadsheet page providing a plurality of spreadsheet entries arranged in at least one of columns and rows according to a relational spreadsheet page format based on the relational graph, and configured to receive a request to expand a column or row in the single relational spreadsheet page based on an interaction with an indicator associated with the column or row;

a relational graph manager configured to determine a portion of the relational graph including navigating edges connected to a node that represents the column or row to be expanded and determining nodes connected to the node of the column or row to be expanded on a node-by-node basis based on the navigated edges such that nodes having relational relationships with the column or row to be expanded are identified; and

a retrieval engine configured to query the relational database for the identified nodes, and retrieve information associated with the identified nodes from the database objects stored in the relational database that correspond to the identified nodes in response to the query, such that database objects without relational relationships to the column or row to be expanded are not retrieved from the relational database,

wherein the relational spreadsheet manager is configured to display the retrieved information via the expanded column or row in the single relational spreadsheet page.

8. The relational spreadsheet apparatus of claim 7, wherein each database object includes an object identifier that identifies a respective database object, wherein at least some of the database objects further includes a secondary object identifier that identifies a related database object, wherein the relational graph generator is configured to generate the relational graph based on the object identifier and the secondary object identifier.

9. The relational spreadsheet apparatus of claim 7,

wherein the relational spreadsheet manager is configured to receive a request to modify the single relational spreadsheet page,

wherein the relational graph manager is configured to update the relational graph and the relational database based on the request.

10. The relational spreadsheet apparatus of claim 7,

wherein the relational graph generator is configured to receive relationship information representing a database schema indicating the hierarchical relationships among the database objects, and generate the relational graph based on the relationship information.

11. The relational spreadsheet apparatus of claim 7,

wherein the relational spreadsheet manager is configured to display the indicator showing whether a respective column or row is expanded such that all spreadsheet entries, if any, associated in a direct subordinate hierarchal relationship with the column or row are currently displayed, or is collapsed such that not all spreadsheet entries associated in the direct subordinate hierarchal relationship with the respective column or row are currently displayed.

12. The relational spreadsheet apparatus of claim 7, wherein the spreadsheet entries arranged in the columns or rows display one or more values, wherein the relational spreadsheet manager is configured to change the one or more values such that the relational graph and the relational database are dynamically updated with the one or more changed values.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed cause at least one processor to implement a relational spreadsheet processor, the instructions comprising instructions to:

generate a relational graph for a requested relational spreadsheet based on database objects stored in a relational database, the relational graph including a graph structure indicating relational relationships among the database objects stored in the relational database, the graph structure having a plurality of nodes and edges connecting at least two nodes of the plurality of nodes, each node being associated with a database object, and each edge representing a hierarchical relationship between the at least two nodes;

store the relational graph in a relational graph storage database;

display a single relational spreadsheet page providing a plurality of spreadsheet entries arranged in at least one of columns and rows according to a relational spreadsheet page format based on the relational graph;

receive a request to expand a column or row in the single relational spreadsheet page based on an interaction with an indicator associated with the column or row;

determine a portion of the relational graph including navigating edges connected to a node that represents the column or row to be expanded and determining nodes connected to the node of the column or row to be expanded on a node-by-node basis based on the navigated edges such that nodes having relational relationships with the column or row to be expanded are identified;

query the relational database for the identified nodes, and retrieve information associated with the identified nodes from the database objects stored in the relational database that correspond to the identified nodes in response to the query such that database objects without relational relationships to the column or row to be expanded are not retrieved from the relational database; and

display the retrieved information via the expanded column or row in the single relational spreadsheet page.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein each database object includes an object identifier that identifies a respective database object, wherein at least some of the database objects further includes a secondary object identifier that identifies a related database object.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions to generate a relational graph based on database objects stored in a relational database includes instructions to generate the relational graph based on the object identifier and the secondary object identifier.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions to:

receive a request to modify the single relational spreadsheet page;

update the relational graph and the relational database based on the request.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions to:

receive relationship information representing a database schema indicating the hierarchical relationships among the database objects; and

generate the relational graph based on the relationship information.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions to display a relational spreadsheet page include instructions to:

display the indicator showing whether a respective column or row is expanded such that all spreadsheet entries, if any, associated in a direct subordinate hierarchal relationship with the column or row are currently displayed, or is collapsed such that not all spreadsheet entries associated in the direct subordinate hierarchal relationship with the respective column or row are currently displayed.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the spreadsheet entries arranged in the columns or rows display one or more values, wherein the instructions include instructions to:

change the one or more values such that the relational graph and the relational database are dynamically updated with the one or more changed values.