Records filter

• US 20020120604A1
• Filed: 02/27/2001
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bailey, Eric D., Labarge, Matthew R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,139,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• 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 16/2457 with adaptation to user needs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A records filter filters database records based on general and/or specific filter criteria. The records filter is effectively utilized in the context of a mail merge process in a document editor, such as a word processor application. The records filter can be provided to a user in the form of a graphical user interface that allows the user to intuitively set and modify filters to process the database records from a database source file. The graphical user interface permits a user to implement general and specific filters to process the records of a database. Specific filters can be designed to exclude specific records from the list of database records. Specific record exclusion can be performed by enabling a user to select or de-select a checkbox associated with each database record. General database record filtration is performed by processing general filter criteria input from the user. The user can input general filter criteria by clicking on a criteria button to expose a criteria list containing all of the unique values in the column. By selecting a value in the criteria list, the user indicates that the record filter'"'"'s output should include only records containing the selected value in the selected column.

Claims

1. A method for eliminating records from a list of records, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving the list of records from a database source file;

receiving a general filter criteria;

receiving a specific filter criteria;

eliminating a first record from the list of records, in accordance with the specific filter criteria;

eliminating a second record from the list of records, in accordance with the general filter criteria; and

creating an output list, the output list comprising the list of records;

wherein the specific criteria and the general criteria are received as input to a single graphical user interface.

2. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific criteria is entered by use of a checkbox that is displayed within a portion of the graphical user interface.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting the checkbox indicates that the first record should not be removed from the records list.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein de-selecting the checkbox indicates that the first record should be removed from the records list.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the general criteria is entered by use of a criteria button that is displayed within a portion of the graphical user interface, the criteria button corresponding to a first field of the second record.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the criteria button is operative to display a unique values list, representing unique values found in the first field of the second record and in a second field of a third record.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of eliminating the second record is performed in response to a selection of a unique value corresponding to the second field of the third record.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the criteria button is further operative to display a blank entry selection, representing blank values found in a third field of a fourth record.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the criteria button is further operative to display a non-blank entry selection, representing non-blank values found in a fourth field of a fifth record.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the criteria button is further operative to display a multiple-term criteria selection, the multiple-term criteria selection operative to enable the input of multiple-term general criteria.

13. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 10.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of adding the first record to the records list, in response to a determination that the checkbox has been selected.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the criteria button is operative to display a unique field values list, representing unique field values found in the first field of the second record and in a second field of a third record.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of eliminating the second record is performed in response to a selection of a unique value corresponding to the second field of the third record.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the criteria button is further operative to display a blank entry selection, representing blank values found in a third field of a fourth record.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the criteria button is further operative to display a non-blank entry selection, representing non-blank values found in a fourth field of a fifth record.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the criteria button is further operative to display a multiple-term criteria selection, the multiple-term criteria selection operative to enable the input of multiple-term general criteria.

12. A method for enabling the input and processing of specific filter criteria and of general filter criteria within a single graphical user interface for eliminating records from a records list, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying the records list;

displaying a checkbox associated with a first record in the records list;

displaying a criteria button associated with a first field of a second record in the record list, the criteria button being operative to select a field value;

determining whether the checkbox has been de-selected;

determining whether the first field of the second record includes the selected field value;

removing the first record from the records list, in response to a determination that the checkbox has been de-selected; and

removing the second record from the records list, in response to a determination that the first field of the second record does not include the selected field value.

20. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method for enabling the input of specific filter criteria and of general filter criteria for eliminating records from a records list, the method comprising the steps of:

copying the contents of the records list into a view list and displaying the view list;

displaying a checkbox associated with a first record in the records list;

displaying a criteria button associated with a field of a second record in the record list, the criteria button being operative to select a field value;

determining whether the checkbox has been de-selected;

determining whether the second record includes the selected field value;

removing the first record from the records list, in response to a determination that the checkbox has been de-selected; and

removing the second record from the records list and from the view list, in response to a determination that the second record includes the selected field value.