Grid queries

• US 9,158,809 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2013
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Louvau, Scott M., Fanning, Michael C., Faucon, Christopher M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Casanova, Jorge A
• Application Number:
  US13/909,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20140358961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 707/769
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24553 of query operations

Abstract

Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to grid queries. In aspects, a client sends search criteria that represent two or more dimensions to a service. The service obtains results that satisfy the search criteria and performs intersection operations to populate a data grid. The data grid is then returned to the client for output on an output device of the client. The client may provide a user interface that allows quick updating of the search criteria to obtain a new data grid.

Claims

1. A method implemented at least in part by a computer, the method comprising:

from a requestor, receiving search criteria that indicates a base query, one or more column queries, and one or more row queries;

obtaining base identifiers that identify data items that satisfy the base query;

obtaining column identifiers that identify data items that satisfy the one or more column queries;

obtaining row identifiers that identify data items that satisfy the one or more row queries;

for each data cell of a data grid that has a column for each of the one or more column queries and a row for each of the one or more row queries, performing an intersection operation on the base identifiers, a set of column identifiers that correspond to the data cell, and a set of row identifiers that correspond to the data cell to obtain a value for the data cell and placing the value for the data cell in the data grid; and

sending the data grid to the requestor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the base identifiers, obtaining the column identifiers, and obtaining the row identifiers each comprise obtaining respective identifiers from an inverted index data structure.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising evaluating a regular expression included in the search criteria to identify the one or more column queries or the one or more row queries.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the one or more row queries or the one or more column queries by finding search terms that begin with a prefix provided in the search criteria.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the one or more column queries or the one or more row queries by expanding an alias included in the search criteria.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising counting a number of identifiers that result from the intersection operation and placing the count in the value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising counting a number of identifiers that result from the intersection operation and placing a percentage corresponding to the count in the value.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a column total cell of the grid by counting data items that satisfy one of the column queries.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a row total cell of the grid by counting data items that satisfy one of the row queries.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the search criteria indicates queries for one or more dimensions other than the one or more column queries and the one or more row queries.

11. A computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform actions, comprising:

sending search criteria to a service, the search criteria indicating a base query, one or more column queries, and one or more row queries, the service structured to populate a data grid using the search criteria to obtain base identifiers that identify data items that satisfy the base query, column identifiers that identify data items that satisfy the one or more column queries, and row identifiers that identify data items that satisfy the one or more row queries and to fill in each data cell of the data grid by performing an intersection operation on the base identifiers, a set of column identifiers that correspond to the data cell, and a set of row identifiers that correspond to the data cell to obtain a value for the data cell;

receiving the data grid from the service; and

providing output data corresponding to the data grid on an output device.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 11, further comprising receiving user input that indicates a selected cell of the data grid and in response performing actions, comprising:

sending a request for extended data corresponding to the selected cell to the service, the extended data including details regarding data items obtained from the service by intersecting the base query identifiers, a set of column identifiers, and a set of row identifiers that correspond to the selected cell;

receiving the extended data corresponding to the selected cell from the service; and

providing output data corresponding to the extended data on an output device.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein providing output data corresponding to the data grid on an output device comprises displaying, for a cell, a graphical element that indicates a percentage.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 13, further comprising assigning the graphical element a color that indicates whether the percentage is relative to a column, a row, or a total.

15. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein providing output data corresponding to the data grid on an output device comprises, for each data cell of the data grid, displaying a count that indicates a number of data items satisfying the intersection operation for the data cell.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein sending search criteria comprises sending prefix data for the service to expand into one or more search terms.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein sending criteria comprises sending a regular expression for the service to expand into one or more search terms.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

sending additional search criteria to the service, the additional search criteria indicating queries for one or more dimensions other than the one or more column queries and the one or more row queries;

receiving additional dimension data; and

providing additional output data corresponding to the additional dimension data on the output device.

19. In a computing environment, a system, comprising:

a memory structured to store search data; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to perform actions, the actions comprising;

from a requestor, receiving search criteria that indicates a base query, one or more column queries, and one or more row queries,

obtaining base identifiers that identify data items from the search data that satisfy the base query,

obtaining column identifiers that identify data items from the search data that satisfy the one or more column queries,

obtaining row identifiers that identify data items from the search data that satisfy the one or more row queries,

for each data cell of a data grid that has a column for each of the one or more column queries and a row for each of the one or more row queries, performing an intersection operation on the base identifiers, a set of column identifiers that correspond to the data cell, and a set of row identifiers that correspond to the data cell to obtain a value for the data cell and placing the value for the data cell in the data grid, and

sending the data grid to the requestor.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to perform additional actions, the additional actions comprising expanding data of the received search criteria to determine the one or more column queries.