Methods and systems for entering object assignments

• US 20060230363A1
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Rapp, Roman A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,543,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for entering object assignments. In one implementation, a system is provided that comprises means for storing first and second object hierarchies, the second object hierarchy including a plurality of objects and at least one folder object being the root of a sub-hierarchy of objects, and each object of the first and second object hierarchies having an object type of a pre-defined set of object types. The system may further comprise a rule base for storage of object types and associated sub-sets, means for displaying the object hierarchies on a graphical user interface which enables a user'"'"'s selection of the first object from the first object hierarchy and displays an indicator for the at least one folder object if the sub-hierarchy of the folder object contains at least one object having an object type of the sub-set associated with the first object and, in response, further displays an assignment symbol between the first object and the folder object and/or the at least one object of the sub-hierarchy.

Claims

1. A method for entering at least one assignment of a first object of a first object hierarchy to at least a second object of a second object hierarchy, wherein at least the second object hierarchy includes a plurality of objects and at least one folder object, each object having an object type of a predefined set of object types, the at least one folder object being the root of a sub-hierarchy of objects, and the first object having an associated sub-set of the set of object types, the method comprising:

displaying the first and second object hierarchies;

selecting the first object from the first object hierarchy;

displaying an indicator symbol for the at least one folder object if the sub-hierarchy of the folder object contains at least one object having an object type of the sub-set; and

displaying, in response to a selection of the folder object when the indicator symbol is displayed, an assignment symbol between the first object and the folder object and/or between the first object and the at least one object of the sub-hierarchy.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the sub-hierarchy of the folder object in response to a user input action and displaying assignment symbols between the first object and the folder object and between the first object and the at least one object of the sub-hierarchy, the assignment symbols being representative of respective edges linking the first and second object hierarchies.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the sub-hierarchy of the folder object and displaying the first assignment symbol and second assignment symbols, the first assignment symbol being representative of a defining edge between the first object and the folder object and the second assignment symbols being representative of respective dependent edges between the first object and the objects of the sub-hierarchy.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

assigning a unique identifier to the defining edge;

assigning a unique identifier to each of the dependent edges; and

storing the defining and depending edges in a database table using the respective unique identifiers as keys, whereby the database table includes a column for storing the unique identifier of the defining edge for identification of the dependent edges that depend from the defining edge.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein deletion of the defining edge causes automatic deletion of the dependent edges.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the deletion is performed by a selection of the first assignment symbol and entering a delete command.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding an object having an object type of the sub-set to the sub-hierarchy and displaying an assignment symbol between the first object and the object that has been added to the sub-hierarchy.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a mode selection operation for selecting a first or second assignment entry mode, wherein in the first assignment entry mode a defining edge having dependent edges between the first object and second objects of the sub-hierarchy having an object type of the sub-set is entered, and wherein in the second assignment entry mode independent edges between the first object and user selected second objects having an object type of the sub-set and belonging to the sub-hierarchy are entered, whereby the independent edges may be erased individually.

9. A computer program product for entering at least one assignment of a first object of a first object hierarchy to at least a second object of a second object hierarchy, wherein at least the second object hierarchy includes a plurality of objects and at least one folder object, each object having an object type of a predefined set of object types, the at least one folder object being the root of a sub-hierarchy of objects, and the first object having an associated sub-set of the set of object types, the computer program product comprising computer executable instructions for:

displaying the first and second object hierarchies;

enabling a user'"'"'s selection of the first object from the first object hierarchy by means of a graphical user interface;

displaying an indicator symbol for the at least one folder object if the sub-hierarchy of the folder object contains at least one object having an object type of the sub-set; and

displaying, in response to a user'"'"'s selection of the folder object by means of the graphical user interface when the indicator symbol is displayed, an assignment symbol between the first object and the folder object and/or the at least one object of the sub-hierarchy.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising instructions for accessing a rule base, the rule base storing the sub-set associated with the first object.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising computer executable instructions for assigning a unique identifier to the defining edge, assigning a unique identifier to each of the dependent edges, and storing the defining and depending edges in a database table using the respective unique identifiers as keys, whereby the database table includes a column for storing the unique identifier of the defining edge for identification of the dependent edges that depend from the defining edge.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising computer executable instructions for assigning a unique identifier to the defining edge, assigning a unique identifier to each of the dependent edges, and storing the defining and depending edges in a database table using the respective unique identifiers as keys, whereby the database table includes a column for storing the unique identifier of the defining edge for identification of the dependent edges that depend from the defining edge.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising computer executable instructions to enable a user'"'"'s entry of a mode selection to select a first or a second assignment entry mode, wherein in the first assignment entry mode a defining edge having dependent edges between the first object and second objects of the sub-hierarchy having an object type of the sub-set is entered and wherein in the second assignment entry mode independent edges between the first object and user selected second objects having an object type of the sub-set and belonging to the sub-hierarchy are entered, whereby the independent edges may be erased individually.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising computer executable instructions to enable a user'"'"'s entry of a mode selection to select a first of a second assignment entry mode, wherein in the first assignment entry mode a defining edge having dependent edges between the first object and second objects of the sub-hierarchy having an object type of the sub-set is entered and wherein in the second assignment entry mode independent edges between the first object and user selected second objects having an object type of the sub-set and belonging to the sub-hierarchy are entered, whereby the independent edges may be erased individually.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising computer executable instructions to enable a user'"'"'s entry of a mode selection to select a first of a second assignment entry mode, wherein in the first assignment entry mode a defining edge having dependent edges between the first object and second objects of the sub-hierarchy having an object type of the sub-set is entered, and wherein in the second assignment entry mode independent edges between the first object and user selected second objects having an object type of the sub-set and belonging to the sub-hierarchy are entered, whereby the independent edges may be erased individually.

16. A data processing system, comprising:

means for storing first and second object hierarchies, wherein at least the second object hierarchy includes a plurality of objects and at least one folder object, each object of the first and second object hierarchies having an object type of a pre-defined set of object types, and the at least one folder object being the root of a sub-hierarchy of objects;

a rule base for storage of object types and associated sub-sets of the set of object types; and

means for displaying the first and second object hierarchies on a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface is adapted to enable a user'"'"'s selection of a first object from the first object hierarchy and for displaying an indicator symbol for the at least one folder object if the sub-hierarchy of the folder object contains at least one object having an object type of the sub-set associated with the first object, and in response to a user'"'"'s selection of the folder object when the indicator symbol is displayed, displaying an assignment symbol between the first object and the folder object and/or the at least one object of the sub-hierarchy.

17. The data processing system of claim 16, further comprising means for displaying the sub-hierarchy of the folder object in response to a user input action and displaying assignment symbols between the first object and the folder object and between the first object and the at least one object of the sub-hierarchy, the assignment symbols being representative of respective edges linking the first and second object hierarchies.

18. The data processing system of claim 16, further comprising means for displaying the sub-hierarchy of the folder object and displaying the first assignment symbol and second assignment symbols, the first assignment symbol being representative of a defining edge between the first object and the folder object and the second assignment symbols being representative of respective dependent edges between the first object and the objects of the sub-hierarchy.

19. The data processing system of claim 18, further comprising means for assigning a unique identifier to the defining edge, means for assigning a unique identifier to each of the dependent edges, and means for storing the defining and depending edges in a database table using the respective unique identifiers as keys, whereby the database table includes a column for storing the unique identifier of the defining edge for identification of the dependent edges that depend from the defining edge.

20. The data processing system of claim 16, the graphical user interface being adapted for a user'"'"'s entry of a mode selection to select a first or second assignment entry mode, wherein in the first assignment entry mode a defining edge having dependent edges between the first object and second objects of the sub-hierarchy having an object type of the sub-set is entered, and wherein in the second assignment entry mode independent edges between the first object and user selected second objects having an object type of the sub-set and belonging to the sub-hierarchy are entered, whereby the independent edges may be erased individually.

21. The data processing system of claim 17, the graphical user interface being adapted for a user'"'"'s entry of a mode selection to select a first or second assignment entry mode, wherein in the first assignment entry mode a defining edge having dependent edges between the first object and second objects of the sub-hierarchy having an object type of the sub-set is entered, and wherein in the second assignment entry mode independent edges between the first object and user selected second objects having an object type of the sub-set and belonging to the sub-hierarchy are entered, whereby the independent edges may be erased individually.

22. The data processing system of claim 18, the graphical user interface being adapted for a user'"'"'s entry of a mode selection to select a first or second assignment entry mode, wherein in the first assignment entry mode a defining edge having dependent edges between the first object and second objects of the sub-hierarchy having an object type of the sub-set is entered, and wherein in the second assignment entry mode independent edges between the first object and user selected second objects having an object type of the sub-set and belonging to the sub-hierarchy are entered, whereby the independent edges may be erased individually.

23. The data processing system of claim 19, the graphical user interface being adapted for a user'"'"'s entry of a mode selection to select a first or second assignment entry mode, wherein in the first assignment entry mode a defining edge having dependent edges between the first object and second objects of the sub-hierarchy having an object type of the sub-set is entered, and wherein in the second assignment entry mode independent edges between the first object and user selected second objects having an object type of the sub-set and belonging to the sub-hierarchy are entered, whereby the independent edges may be erased individually.