System and method for interactively linking data to shapes in a diagram

• US 20060125827A1
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mathew, Abraham, McAllister, Heidi, Munson, Heidi, Adereth, Matthew T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,564,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/287 Visualization; Browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/34 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957

Abstract

A facility for linking data from an external data source to shapes in a diagram is provided. The facility is implemented as a component of a graphical visualization program, and provides a modeless data window that is operable to display data from a data source through a two dimensional table. Users can use the facility to import data from a data source and display the imported data in the modeless data window. Users can then use the modeless data window to select and drag rows displayed in the modeless data window onto shapes on a drawing surface of the graphical visualization program to link the dragged rows to the shapes. Users can also drag rows displayed in the modeless data window onto a blank section of the drawing surface to create shapes on the drawing surface and link the rows to the created shapes.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium whose contents cause a computer to:

execute an instance of a graphical visualization program, the graphical visualization program having a drawing surface and being operable to display a diagram on the drawing surface;

within the instance of the graphical visualization program, import data from a first external data source; and

display the imported data from the first external data source as a first two dimensional table in an interactive display within the instance of the graphical visualization program, the first two dimensional table having zero, one or more rows and zero, one or more columns,

such that at least one row from the two dimensional table in the interactive display can be associated to a preexisting shape or a new shape in a diagram.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising contents that cause the computer to:

within the instance of the graphical visualization program, import data from a second external data source;

display the imported data from the second external data source as a second two dimensional table in the interactive display within the instance of the graphical visualization program,

such that the interactive display displays either the imported data from the first external data source or the imported data from the second external data source.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein each row in the interactive display is provided a link icon.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein at least one column in the interactive display can be excluded.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the link is between a property of the shape and a value from a column in the row from the two dimensional table in the interactive display.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the property and the column have the same name.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, such that a plurality of rows from the two dimensional table in the interactive display can be associated to a plurality of new shapes in a diagram by:

creating an instance of new shapes on the drawing surface for each row; and

for each shape, linking the shape to its corresponding row.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, such that a plurality of rows from the two dimensional table in the interactive display can be associated to a plurality of preexisting shapes in a diagram by:

establishing an order to the plurality of shapes;

establishing an order to the plurality of rows; and

beginning with a first shape and a first row, and proceeding in order until all of the plurality of shapes are associated while cycling through the plurality of rows as needed, linking the shape to the row.

9. A computer-readable storage medium whose contents cause a graphical visualization program to link data from an external data source to a shape in a diagram by:

displaying data from a first external data source as a first two dimensional table in a data grid of an interactive display; and

responsive to a row or multiple rows of the first two dimensional table in the data grid of the interactive display being dragged onto a blank section of a drawing surface;

creating an instance of a shape on the drawing surface for each row dragged onto the drawing surface; and

for each shape created on the drawing surface, linking the shape to the row by, for each column in the row;

responsive to determining that a property of the shape exists that has a name that is the same as a name of the column, populating the property with a value from the column;

responsive to determining that a property of the shape does not exist that has a name that is the same as a name of the column, creating a new property having a name that is the same as the name of the column for the shape, and populating the new property with a value from the column.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 further comprising contents that cause the graphical visualization program to link data from an external data source to a shape in a diagram by:

responsive to a first row of the first two dimensional table in the data grid of the interactive display being dragged onto an existing shape being displayed on the drawing surface, linking the existing shape to the first row by, for each column in the first row;

responsive to determining that a property of the existing shape exists that has a name that is the same as a name of the column, populating the property with a value from the column; and

responsive to determining that a property of the existing shape does not exist that has a name that is the same as a name of the column, creating a new property having a name that is the same as the name of the column for the existing shape, and populating the new property with a value from the column.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 further comprising contents that cause the graphical visualization program to link data from an external data source to a shape in a diagram by:

responsive to a second row of the first two dimensional table in the data grid of the interactive display being dragged onto the existing shape being displayed on the drawing surface, linking the existing shape to the second row by;

removing the link between the existing shape and the first row; and

for each column in the second row;

responsive to determining that a property of the existing shape that has a name that is the same as a name of the column exists, populating the property with a value from the column; and

responsive to determining that a property of the existing shape that has a name that is the same as a name of the column does not exist, creating a new property having a name that is the same as the name of the column for the existing shape, and populating the new property with a value from the column.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein removing the link between the existing shape and the first row further causes providing an indication by each property in a view that shows the values of the properties.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the link between the existing shape and the first row is removed by removing the custom properties created as a result of the link between the existing shape and the first row.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the linking is only of active columns in the row.

15. One or more computer memories collectively containing a modeless external data window being operable to be displayed as part of a graphical visualization program and for displaying a two dimensional table, the two dimensional table comprising at least one row and at least one active column, such that a row in can be associated to a shape in a diagram by selecting the row and dragging the row from the modeless external data window onto a drawing surface of the graphical visualization program.

16. The computer memories of claim 15, wherein the link is made in response to dragging the row onto a blank section of the drawing surface and creating the shape.

17. The computer memories of claim 15, wherein the link is made in response to dragging the row onto the shape being displayed on the drawing surface.

18. The computer memories of claim 15, wherein the link is made by, for each active column in the row, populating a property of the shape with a value of the column.

19. A computer-implemented method in a graphical visualization program for linking a shape in a diagram to a row of data from a first data source, the method comprising:

for each row of data from a first data source to be associated to a shape;

removing any existing link between the shape and another row of data from the first data source; and

for each active column in a row, populating a property of the shape having a name that is the same as a name of the active column.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the populating comprises creating the property having the name that is the same as the name of the active column.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the row of data from the first data source is displayed as a two dimensional table in an interactive display.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the data from the first data source can be retrieved over a network.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the first data source is a database.

24. A computer-implemented method in a graphical visualization program for refreshing a link between a shape in a diagram and a row of data from a data source, the method comprising:

for each property of a shape populated by a link to a data source;

if a column in a row in the data source that is associated to the property is removed, indicating that a value of the property is stale; and

if the column in the row in the data source that is associated to the property is present and active, updating the value of the property with a value from the column.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

prior to updating the value of the property with a value from the column, determining whether the value of the property was changed;

responsive to determining that the value of the property was changed, providing an option to either overwrite or retain the changed value of the property; and

updating the value of the property with a value from the column in response to a selection of the option to overwrite.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising retaining the changed value of the property in response to a selection of the option to retain.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the indicating that the value of the property is stale is by a visual indication substantially near the property.