Interface for arranging order of fields

• US 5,333,252 A
• Filed: 06/30/1993
• Issued: 07/26/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Claris Lifesciences Limited (Athanas Enterprise Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lu, Frank K., Brewer, Glenn A. III, Chen, Paul S., Crim, Christopher L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US08/086,195
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 395/148, 395/153, 395/155, 395/600
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database

Abstract

A method and apparatus of corresponding the order of fields from a first data set to the order of fields in a second data set is provided by displaying the fields from a first record in the first data set on a display. Then, a first field name from the second data set is displayed to correspond with a first field from the first record in the first data set. The position on the display of the first field name from the second data set is then rearranged to correspond with a second field from the first record in the first data set.

Claims

1. A method of associating an order of fields in records of a first database with an order of fields in records of a second database in a computer system comprising a display, a cursor control device for controlling a cursor on said display, and a selection device, comprising the following steps:

a. sequentially displaying in a first column on said display data contained in each of the fields from a first record in the first database;

b. sequentially displaying in a second column on said display field names of the fields from said records of the second database, said second column being adjacent to said first column, such that said data contained in each of the fields from the first record in the first database corresponds on the display with a field name from records of the second database;

c. detecting a user selecting a first field name in the second column using said selection device, said first field name currently associated on said display with first data from a first field of said first record of said first database;

d. detecting said user moving said cursor using said cursor control device while said first field name is selected using said selection device to a position of a second field name in said second column on said display, said second field name currently associated on said display with second data from a second field of said first record of said first database; and

e. updating the display to exchange the position on the display of the first and second field names of records of said second database in said second column to show the first data from said first record of said first database associated with the second field name of said second database, and the first field name of said second database associated with the second data from said first record of said first database.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

a. detecting said user selecting a third field name in the second column using said selection device, said third field name currently associated on said display with third data from a third field of said first record of said first database;

b. detecting said user moving said cursor using said cursor control device while said third field name is selected using said selection device to a position of a fourth field name in said second column on said display, said fourth field name currently associated on said display with fourth data from a fourth field of said first record of said first database; and

c. updating the display to exchange the positions on the display of the third and fourth field names of said second database in said second column to show the third data from said first record of said first database associated with the fourth field name of said second database, and the fourth field name of said second database associated with the third data from said first record of said first database.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of creating new records for each of the records contained in the first database and subsequently copying each of the fields from each of the records in the first database to said new records, in an order defined by the association of the data from the first record displayed in the first column with the field names displayed in the second column of the display.

4. A method of associating an order of fields in records of a first database with an order of fields in records of a second database in a computer system comprising a display, a cursor control device for controlling a cursor on said display, and a selection device, comprising the following steps:

a. sequentially displaying in a first column on said display data contained in each of the fields from a first record in the first database;

b. sequentially displaying in a second column on said display field names of the fields said records of the first database, said second column being adjacent to said first column, such that said data contained in the fields from the first record in the first database corresponds on the display with a field name from records of the second database;

c. sequentially displaying in said first column on said display data contained in each of the fields from a second record in the first database;

d. detecting a user selecting a first field name in the second column using said selection device, said first field name currently associated on said display with first data from a first field of said second record of said first database;

e. detecting said user moving said cursor using said cursor control device while said first field name is selected using said selection device to a position of a second field name in said second column on said display, said second field name currently associated on said display with second data from a second field of said second record of said first database; and

f. updating the display to exchange the positions on the display of the first and second field names of said records of said second database in said second column to show the first data from said second record of said first database associated with the second field name of said records of said second database, and the first field name of said records of said second database associated with the second data from said second record of said first database.

5. An apparatus for associating an order of fields in records of a first database with an order of fields in records of a second database in a computer system comprising a display, a cursor control device for controlling a cursor on said display, and a selection device, comprising:

a. means for sequentially displaying in a first column on said display data contained in each of the fields from a first record in the first database;

b. means for sequentially displaying in a second column on said display field names of the fields from said records of the second database, said second column being adjacent to said first column, such that said data contained in each of the fields from the first record in the first database corresponds on the display with a field name from records of the second database;

c. means for detecting a user selecting a first field name in the second column using said selection device, said first field name currently associated on said display with first data from a first field of said first record of said first database;

d. means for detecting said user moving said cursor using said cursor control device while said first field name is selected using said selection device to a position of a second field name in said second column on said display, said second field name currently associated on said display with second data from a second field of said first record of said first database; and

e. means for updating the display to exchange the positions on the display of the first and second field names of records of said second database in said second column to show the first data from said first record of said first database associated with the second field name of said second database, and the first field name of said second database associated with the second data from said first record of said first database.