Browse mode designer

• US 20070067711A1
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lesser, Stephen, Covington, Clinton, Srinivasamurthy, Kumar, Kawai, Tosh, Karimov, Pavel, Woodall, Zachary, Ruble, Brian, Short, Abigail
• Granted Patent: US 7,581,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/207
• 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 16/9032 Query formulation

Abstract

A browse mode designer allows an average user of a database application program to easily design reports. The user can use the browse mode designer to build meaningful reports that aggregate data and that combine related data into shaped patterns for easier consumption of information. The browse mode designer can interpret a user'"'"'s actions and extrapolate what actions are to be performed. A user interface can be used to let the user change the resulting views while being designed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for specifying a visual display of related data, the method comprising:

receiving user commands to position a first field on a display surface;

receiving user commands to position a second field on the display surface, wherein the relative location of the second field position to the first field position determines a visual placement in accordance with an extant logical relationship within a current user context that is established by the received user commands to position the first and second fields;

generating a query such that the generated query produces a results set from the first and second fields in accordance with the extant logical relationship; and

displaying on the display surface the results set in accordance with the first field position and the second field position.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first field position and the second field position are arranged as adjacent columns in a table.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying to the user a valid insertion location relative to the first field position in which to position the second field.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising change one of a tabular layout display of the first and second fields to a stacked layout display of the first and second fields and a stacked layout display of the first and second fields to a tabular layout display.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a control to group or ungroup on a field (that is, to hide or show, respectively, repeated items of one field).

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the generated query comprises commands for joining the first field and the second field.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the results set uses the extant logical relationship to determine the placement of the second field.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting the first field position in response to the received user commands to position the second field.

9. A computer-implemented system for editing objects used to read and interact with data for a database, the system comprising:

a user interface that is configured to receive commands from the user to position a first field on a display surface and to position a second field on the display surface, wherein the relative location of the second field position and the first field position determines a visual placement in accordance with an extant logical relationship within a current user context that is established by the received user commands to position the first and second fields; and

a query generator that is configured to generate a query for producing a results set from the first and second fields in accordance with the determined logical relationship and to display on the display surface the results set in accordance with the current user context.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the first field position and the second field position are visually arranged in accordance with the extant logical relationship.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the user interface is further configured to display to the user a valid insertion location relative to the first field position in which to position the second field.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the user interface is further configured to change a visual arrangement of the first and second fields.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the determined logical relationship is a logical join.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the user interface is further configured to accept commands from the user for modifying the generated query.

15. A computer-implemented system for displaying related data, the system comprising:

means for receiving user commands to position a first field on a display surface and receiving user commands to position a second field on the display surface, wherein the position of the second field relative the to the first field determines a context for exploring an extant logical relationship between the first and second fields;

means for generating a query such that the generated query produces a results set from the primary and secondary fields in accordance with the determined extant logical relationship; and

means for displaying on the display surface the results set in accordance with the determined context.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the means generating a query is further arranged to generate a source file comprising the generated query.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the means for receiving user commands is further arranged to modify the displayed results set by performing one of grouping operations and ungrouping operations for repeated items in a field of the results set.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the results set is displayed as a databound visual representation.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the means for displaying is further arranged to resize lengths of one of the first and second fields in response to lengths of data items in the first and second fields.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the means for displaying further comprises means for listing fields from which the user can select the first and second fields.