Mapping tool graphical user interface

• US 7,676,756 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2004
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bhandarkar, Aditya G, Vedula, Nagender P, Shukla, Dharma K, Taylor, William R
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Basom; Blaine T.
• Application Number:
  US10/920,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20050015732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,029 Days
• Field of Search: 715/746, 715/763, 715/967, 715/810, 715/853, 715/805, 717/109, 717/105, 717/113, 717/125, 345/677, 707/100
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

A graphical user interface and method for creating a mapping between a source object and a destination or target object are provided. The user interface includes a source screen region which displays a graphical representation of a source object, a target screen region which displays a graphical representation of a target object, and a mapping screen region which allows a user to create a mapping between the graphical representation of the source object and the graphical representation of the target object using graphical mapping indicia. The methodology includes displaying a graphical representation of a source object in a source screen region, displaying a graphical representation of a target object in a target screen region, creating a mapping between the graphical representation of the source object and the graphical representation of the target object in a mapping screen region using graphical mapping indicia, and displaying the mapping in the mapping screen region. The source and target objects may be schemas, spreadsheets, documents, databases, or other information sources, and the graphical mapping indicia may include link indicia and/or function objects linking nodes in the target object with nodes in the source object. The mapping may be compiled into code used by a runtime engine to translate source documents into target documents.

Claims

1. A mapping tool graphical user interface presented on a computer display, comprising:

a source screen region that displays a graphical representation of a source object, wherein the source object includes a tree structure comprising at least a source root node, a source record node, and a source field node;

a target screen region that displays a graphical representation of a target object, wherein the target object includes a tree structure comprising at least a target root node, a target record node, and a target field node; and

a mapping screen region that allows a user to create a mapping between the graphical representation of the source object and the graphical representation of the target object using graphical mapping indicia, the graphical mapping indicia are function objects linking the graphical representation of the target object with the graphical representation of the source object, wherein a runtime engine performs a data transformation between the source object and the target object as a function of the mapping, wherein the source field nodes are indented toward the target field nodes in the mapping screen region in hierarchical fashion from the source record nodes, the target field nodes are indented toward the source field nodes in the mapping screen region in hierarchical fashion from the target record nodes, the source record nodes are indented toward the target record nodes in the mapping screen region in hierarchical fashion from the source root nodes, the target record nodes are indented toward the source record nodes in the mapping screen region in hierarchical fashion from the target root nodes;

wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to;

replace at least one of the source object or the target object with at least one of a modified source object or a modified target object, respectively;

reestablish at least a portion of the mapping associated with at least one of the graphical representation of the source object or the graphical representation of the target object with at least one of a displayed graphical representation of the modified source object or a displayed graphical representation of the modified target object, correspondingly, using node name association based at least in part on a node name of at least one of a modified source field node, a modified source record node, a modified target field node, or a modified target record node, of the at least one of the modified source object or the modified target object, respectively, corresponding to a respective node name of at least one of a source field node, a source record node, a target field node, or a target record node, of the at least one of the source object or the target object, respectively; and

display indicia indicating a portion of the mapping associated with at least one of the graphical representation of the source object or the graphical representation of the target object that is not re-established after replacing the at least one of the source object or the target object with the at least one of the modified source object or the modified target object.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the graphical mapping indicia comprises at least one of a link indicia and a function object that associates the at least one target node with the at least one source node.

3. A mapping tool graphical user interface, presented on a computer display comprising:

a source screen region adapted to display a graphical representation of a source object including a source tree structure having a hierarchical representation of nodes, wherein the source object includes a tree structure comprising at least a source root node, a source record node, and a source field node, wherein each node lower in the source hierarchy is indented with respect to nodes higher in the source hierarchy;

a target screen region that displays a graphical representation of a target object including a target tree structure having a hierarchical representation of nodes, wherein the target object includes a tree structure comprising at least a target root node, a target record node, and a target field node, wherein each node lower in the target hierarchy is indented with respect to nodes higher in the target hierarchy; and

a mapping screen region that allows a user to create a mapping between the graphical representation of the source object and the graphical representation of the target object using graphical mapping indicia and a function object that associates the target object to the source object, wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to;

replace at least one of the source object or the target object with at least one of a modified source object or a modified target object, respectively;

reestablish at least a portion of the mapping associated with at least one of the graphical representation of the source object or the graphical representation of the target object with at least one of a displayed graphical representation of the modified source object or a displayed graphical representation of the modified target object, correspondingly, using node name association based at least in part on a node name of at least one of a modified source field node, a modified source record node, a modified target field node, or a modified target record node, of the at least one of the modified source object or the modified target object, respectively, corresponding to a respective node name of at least one of a source field node, a source record node, a target field node, or a target record node, of the at least one of the source object or the target object, respectively; and

display indicia indicating a portion of the mapping associated with at least one of the graphical representation of the source object or the graphical representation of the target object that is not re-established after replacing the at least one of the source object or the target object with the at least one of the modified source object or the modified target object.

4. The user interface of claim 3, wherein the mapping screen region is between the source and target screen regions, and wherein the hierarchical indentation of nodes in the source and target screen regions is toward the mapping screen region.

5. The user interface of claim 3, wherein the graphical mapping indicia comprises at least one of a link indicia.

6. The user interface of claim 3, wherein one of the source screen region and the target screen region further comprises a scroll bar that allows a user to selectively display portions of one of the source object tree structure and the target object tree structure.

7. The user interface of claim 3, further provides for a user to select a node in one of the source screen region and the target screen region, wherein one of the source screen region and the target screen region comprises a node selection indicia that indicates a selected node in one of the source object tree structure and the target object tree structure.

8. The user interface of claim 7, further comprising a node properties page in a node properties page screen region that displays a property associated with the selected node, and allows a user to modify the property associated with the selected node.

9. The user interface of claim 3, wherein one of the source object tree structure and the target object tree structure comprises a collapse indicia associated with one of a root node and a record node in the one of the source object tree structure and the target object tree structure, wherein the collapse indicia allows a user to collapse and expand the one of a root node and a record node in a hierarchical fashion, and wherein the one of the source object tree structure and the target object tree structure is displayed in one of a collapsed form and an expanded form according to the collapse indicia.

10. The user interface of claim 9, wherein the graphical mapping indicia comprises at least one of a link indicia and a function object that associates at least one target node with at least one source node, and wherein the link indicia comprises a collapsed link indicia that indicates the association between the at least one target node and the at least one source node when the one of the source object tree structure and the target object tree structure is displayed in the collapsed form.

11. A mapping tool graphical user interface, presented on a computer display comprising:

a source screen region that displays a graphical representation of a source object, wherein the source object includes a tree structure comprising at least a source root node, a source record node, and a source field node;

a target screen region that displays a graphical representation of a target object, wherein the target object includes a tree structure comprising at least a target root node, a target record node, and a target field node;

a mapping screen region that allows a user to create a mapping between the graphical representation of the source object and the graphical representation of the target object using graphical mapping indicia that connects to the source object and the target object by a graphical link indicia; and

a graphical compiler object that allows the user to generate compiled mapping output code using a compiler,

wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to;

replace at least one of the source object or the target object with at least one of a modified source object or a modified target object, respectively;

reestablish at least a portion of the mapping associated with at least one of the graphical representation of the source object or the graphical representation of the target object with at least one of a displayed graphical representation of the modified source object or a displayed graphical representation of the modified target object, correspondingly, using node name association based at least in part on a node name of at least one of a modified source field node, a modified source record node, a modified target field node, or a modified target record node, of the at least one of the modified source object or the modified target object, respectively, corresponding to a respective node name of at least one of a source field node, a source record node, a target field node, or a target record node, of the at least one of the source object or the target object, respectively; and

display indicia indicating a portion of the mapping associated with at least one of the graphical representation of the source object or the graphical representation of the target object that is not re-established after replacing the at least one of the source object or the target object with the at least one of the modified source object or the modified target object.

12. The user interface of claim 11, wherein the compiler creates a link between the at least one source node and the at least one target node, and wherein the mapping screen region comprises a compiler link indicia associated with the link.

13. The user interface of claim 12, wherein the compiler link indicia comprises a dashed line between the at least one source node and the at least one target node.

14. The user interface of claim 12, wherein the compiler link indicia facilitates the user to select the compiler link indicia and move the compiler link indicia to one of another source node and another target node.

15. The user interface of claim 11, further comprising an output code screen in an output screen region that displays the compiled mapping output code.

16. The user interface of claim 15, wherein the output code screen displays a compiler warning.

17. The user interface of claim 16, wherein the output code screen facilitates the user to select the compiler warning, and wherein the mapping region includes a compiler warning indicia that indicates at least one graphical mapping indicia as being associated with the selected compiler warning.

18. A mapping tool graphical user interface, presented on a computer display comprising:

a source screen region that displays a graphical representation of a source object having a source node, wherein the source node comprises at least a source root node, a source record node, and a source field node;

a target screen region that displays a graphical representation of a target object having a target node, wherein the target node comprising at least a target root node, a target record node, and a target field node; and

a mapping screen region that facilitates a user to create a mapping between the graphical representation of the source object and the graphical representation of the target object using graphical mapping indicia with a graphical link indicia to associate the target node with the source node, the graphical mapping indicia comprises a graphical function object and the graphical link indicia comprises a line in the mapping screen region between the graphical function object and the target object or the source object,

wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to;

replace at least one of the source object or the target object with at least one of a modified source object or a modified target object, respectively;

reestablish at least a portion of the mapping associated with at least one of the graphical representation of the source object or the graphical representation of the target object with at least one of a displayed graphical representation of the modified source object or a displayed graphical representation of the modified target object, correspondingly, using node name association based at least in part on a node name of at least one of a modified source field node, a modified source record node, a modified target field node, or a modified target record node, of the at least one of the modified source object or the modified target object, respectively, corresponding to a respective node name of at least one of a source field node, a source record node, a target field node, or a target record node, of the at least one of the source object or the target object, respectively; and

display indicia indicating a portion of the mapping associated with at least one of the graphical representation of the source object or the graphical representation of the target object that is not re-established after replacing the at least one of the source object or the target object with the at least one of the modified source object or the modified target object.

19. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the graphical link indicia comprises a line in the mapping screen region between the target node, the function object, and the source node.

20. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the graphical mapping indicia further comprises a graphical function object, and wherein the graphical link indicia comprises a line in the mapping screen region between the graphical function object and two of the target node or the graphical function object and two of the source node.

21. The user interface of claim 20, wherein the mapping screen region allows a user to create a link by selecting one of the target node, the source node, and the function object, and selecting another of the target node, the source node, and the function object, and wherein the mapping screen region displays a graphical link indicia between the one of the target node, the source node, and the function object, and the another of the target node, the source node, and the function object.

22. The user interface of claim 20, wherein the mapping screen region provides for a user to move a link by selecting the line near one of the two of the target node, the source node, and the function object, and moving the line to the other of the target node, the source node, and the function object.

23. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the mapping screen region allows a user to select the graphical link indicia and wherein the mapping screen region comprises a link selection indicia to indicate that the graphical link indicia has been selected.

24. The user interface of claim 23, further comprising a link properties page in a link properties screen region to display a property associated with a link associated with the selected graphical link indicia, and to allow the user to modify the property.

25. The user interface of claim 24, wherein the property comprises a compiler directive, and wherein the link properties page is further adapted to allow the user to select one of flattening, top-down, and bottom-up for the compiler directive.

26. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the source object includes a source tree structure having the source root node, the source record node, and the source field node;

wherein the target object includes a target tree structure having the target root node, the target record node, and the target field node;

wherein the field nodes are indented in hierarchical fashion from the record nodes, and the record nodes are indented in hierarchical fashion from the root nodes;

wherein one of the source object tree structure and the target object tree structure comprises a collapse indicia associated with one of a root node and a record node in the one of the source object tree structure and the target object tree structure;

wherein the collapse indicia is adapted to allow a user to collapse and expand the one of a root node and a record node in a hierarchical fashion, and wherein the one of the source object tree structure and the target object tree structure is displayed in one of a collapsed form and an expanded form according to the collapse indicia; and

wherein the graphical link indicia comprises a collapsed link indicia adapted to indicate the association between the target node and the source node when the one of the source object tree structure and the target object tree structure is displayed in the collapsed form.

27. The user interface of claim 26, wherein the collapsed link indicia is a dashed line.

28. The user interface of claim 26, wherein the mapping screen region allows a user to select the collapsed link indicia, whereby the one of a root node and a record node is expanded and displayed in expanded form.

29. A mapping tool graphical user interface, presented on a computer display comprising:

a source screen region that displays a graphical representation of a source object;

a target screen region that displays a graphical representation of a target object, wherein the source object has a first format and the target object has a second format; and

a mapping screen region that allows a user to create a mapping between the graphical representation of the source object and the graphical representation of the target object using graphical mapping indicia;

wherein the source and target objects comprise at least one source node and at least one target node respectively, and wherein the graphical mapping indicia comprises a function object adapted to associate the at least one target node with the at least one source node and to provide translation functionality between the first format and the second format, wherein the first format and the second format are at least one of a schema, a spreadsheet, a document, and a database,

wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to;

replace at least one of the source object or the target object with at least one of a modified source object or a modified target object, respectively;

reestablish at least a portion of the mapping associated with at least one of the graphical representation of the source object or the graphical representation of the target object with at least one of a displayed graphical representation of the modified source object or a displayed graphical representation of the modified target object, correspondingly, using node name association based at least in part on a node name of at least one of a modified source field node, a modified source record node, a modified target field node, or a modified target record node, of the at least one of the modified source object or the modified target object, respectively, corresponding to a respective node name of at least one of a source field node, a source record node, a target field node, or a target record node, of the at least one of the source object or the target object, respectively; and

display indicia indicating a portion of the mapping associated with at least one of the graphical representation of the source object or the graphical representation of the target object that is not re-established after replacing the at least one of the source object or the target object with the at least one of the modified source object or the modified target object.

30. The user interface of claim 29, wherein the function object is associated with script used by a compiler to generate compiled mapping output code.

31. The user interface of claim 29, further comprising a function object palette screen in a function object palette screen region, wherein the function object palette screen includes a plurality of function objects, and wherein the function object palette screen is adapted to allow a user to drag and drop a function object from the function object palette screen onto the mapping screen region using a user interface selection device.

32. The user interface of claim 29, further adapted to allow a user to select the function object, wherein the mapping screen region comprises a function object selection indicia that indicates that the function object has been selected.

33. The user interface of claim 32, further comprising a function object properties page in a function object properties page screen region that displays a property associated with the selected function object, and allows for a user to modify the property.

34. The user interface of claim 33, wherein the function object properties facilitates the user to enter a constant value in the function object properties page.

35. The user interface of claim 32, further adapted to allow the user to select a plurality of function objects, and wherein the function object selection indicia indicates that the plurality of function objects have been selected.

36. The user interface of claim 35, further adapted to allow the user to select the plurality of function objects by creating a box around the plurality of function objects using a user interface selection device.

37. The user interface of claim 29, wherein the graphical mapping indicia further comprises a user function object that associates the at least one target node with the at least one source node.

38. The user interface of claim 37, wherein the user function object is associated with user script used by a compiler to generate compiled mapping output code, and wherein the mapping screen region further comprises a function object creation interface that facilitates the user to create the user script and to associate the user script with the user function object.

39. A mapping tool graphical user interface, presented on a computer display comprising:

a source screen region that displays a graphical representation of a source object, wherein the source object includes a tree structure comprising at least a source root node, a source record node, and a source field node;

a target screen region that displays a graphical representation of a target object, wherein the target object includes a tree structure comprising at least a target root node, a target record node, and a target field node;

a mapping screen region that allows a user to create a mapping between the graphical representation of the source object and the graphical representation of the target object using graphical mapping indicia that comprise a function object connected between the source object and the target object, and to display at least a portion of the mapping; and

a scrolling indicia in the mapping screen region that allows the user to selectively display portions of the mapping in the mapping screen region,

wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to;

replace at least one of the source object or the target object with at least one of a modified source object or a modified target object, respectively;

reestablish at least a portion of the mapping associated with at least one of the graphical representation of the source object or the graphical representation of the target object with at least one of a displayed graphical representation of the modified source object or a displayed graphical representation of the modified target object, correspondingly, using node name association based at least in part on a node name of at least one of a modified source field node, a modified source record node, a modified target field node, or a modified target record node, of the at least one of the modified source object or the modified target object, respectively, corresponding to a respective node name of at least one of a source field node, a source record node, a target field node, or a target record node, of the at least one of the source object or the target object, respectively; and

display indicia indicating a portion of the mapping associated with at least one of the graphical representation of the source object or the graphical representation of the target object that is not re-established after replacing the at least one of the source object or the target object with the at least one of the modified source object or the modified target object.

40. The user interface of claim 39, wherein the mapping screen region comprises an outer perimeter, wherein the mapping screen is adapted to display the scrolling indicia when the user moves a user interface selection device near the outer perimeter, wherein the scrolling indicia is further adapted to indicate a direction in which scrolling is possible, and wherein the mapping screen region is further adapted to scroll the mapping display in the direction indicated by the scrolling indicia when the user selects the scrolling indicia using the user interface selection device.

41. The user interface of claim 39, further comprising a mapping preview page in a mapping preview page region to display the entire mapping.

42. The user interface of claim 41, wherein the mapping preview page further comprises a current region indicia that indicates the portion of the mapping currently displayed in the mapping screen region.

43. The user interface of claim 42, wherein the mapping preview page allows the user to move the current region indicia within the mapping preview page region, to thereby change the portion of the mapping currently displayed in the mapping screen region accordingly.

44. A mapping tool graphical user interface, presented on a computer display comprising:

a source screen region that displays a graphical representation of a source object, wherein the source object includes a tree structure comprising at least a source root node, a source record node, and a source field node;

a target screen region that displays a graphical representation of a target object, wherein the target object includes a tree structure comprising at least a target root node, a target record node, and a target field node;

a mapping screen region that allows a user to create a mapping between the graphical representation of the source object and the graphical representation of the target object using graphical mapping indicia; and

a test screen region that displays a test target object instance according to the mapping, the test target object instance is output code,

wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to;

replace at least one of the source object or the target object with at least one of a modified source object or a modified target object, respectively;

reestablish at least a portion of the mapping associated with at least one of the graphical representation of the source object or the graphical representation of the target object with at least one of a displayed graphical representation of the modified source object or a displayed graphical representation of the modified target object, correspondingly, using node name association based at least in part on a node name of at least one of a modified source field node, a modified source record node, a modified target field node, or a modified target record node, of the at least one of the modified source object or the modified target object, respectively, corresponding to a respective node name of at least one of a source field node, a source record node, a target field node, or a target record node, of the at least one of the source object or the target object, respectively; and

display indicia indicating a portion of the mapping associated with at least one of the graphical representation of the source object or the graphical representation of the target object that is not re-established after replacing the at least one of the source object or the target object with the at least one of the modified source object or the modified target object.

45. The user interface of claim 44, wherein the test screen region further comprises a test value page that facilitates a user to associate a constant value with a node in one of the source object and the target object.

46. The user interface of claim 44, wherein the test screen region further comprises a test output page that displays the test target object instance.

47. A mapping tool graphical user interface, presented on a computer display comprising:

a source screen region that displays a graphical representation of a source object, wherein the source object includes a tree structure comprising at least a source root node, a source record node, and a source field node;

a target screen region that displays a graphical representation of a target object, wherein the target object includes a tree structure comprising at least a target root node, a target record node, and a target field node; and

a mapping screen region that allows a user to create a mapping between the graphical representation of the source object and the graphical representation of the target object using graphical mapping indicia comprising a function adapted to associate the target object with the source object;

wherein the user interface allows the user to replace one of the source and target objects, and to preserve at least a portion of the mapping,

wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to;

replace at least one of the source object or the target object with at least one of a modified source object or a modified target object, respectively;

reestablish at least a portion of the mapping associated with at least one of the graphical representation of the source object or the graphical representation of the target object with at least one of a displayed graphical representation of the modified source object or a displayed graphical representation of the modified target object, correspondingly, using node name association based at least in part on a node name of at least one of a modified source field node, a modified source record node, a modified target field node, or a modified target record node, of the at least one of the modified source object or the modified target object, respectively, corresponding to a respective node name of at least one of a source field node, a source record node, a target field node, or a target record node, of the at least one of the source object or the target object, respectively; and

display indicia indicating a portion of the mapping associated with at least one of the graphical representation of the source object or the graphical representation of the target object that is not re-established after replacing the at least one of the source object or the target object with the at least one of the modified source object or the modified target object.

48. A mapping tool graphical user interface, presented on a computer display comprising:

a source screen region that displays a graphical representation of a source object, wherein the source object includes a tree structure comprising at least a source root node, a source record node, and a source field node;

a target screen region that displays a graphical representation of a target object, wherein the target object includes a tree structure comprising at least a target root node, a target record node, and a target field node; and

a mapping screen region to allow a user to create a mapping between the graphical representation of the source object and the graphical representation of the target object using graphical mapping indicia that comprises a function object and a line connecting the function object to at least one of the source object and the target object;

wherein one of the source and target objects is at least one of;

a schema, a spreadsheet, a document, and a database,

wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to;

replace at least one of the source object or the target object with at least one of a modified source object or a modified target object, respectively;

reestablish at least a portion of the mapping associated with at least one of the graphical representation of the source object or the graphical representation of the target object with at least one of a displayed graphical representation of the modified source object or a displayed graphical representation of the modified target object, correspondingly, using node name association based at least in part on a node name of at least one of a modified source field node, a modified source record node, a modified target field node, or a modified target record node, of the at least one of the modified source object or the modified target object, respectively, corresponding to a respective node name of at least one of a source field node, a source record node, a target field node, or a target record node, of the at least one of the source object or the target object, respectively; and

display indicia indicating a portion of the mapping associated with at least one of the graphical representation of the source object or the graphical representation of the target object that is not re-established after replacing the at least one of the source object or the target object with the at least one of the modified source object or the modified target object.