Database interaction

• US 7,730,067 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gardner, Scott T., Coggins, Robert E, Bryant, Christopher W., Covington, Clinton D, Hough, Daniel, Naramore, Theresa A, Krout, Kelly M, McCormack, Michael J
• Primary Examiner(s): Jalil; Neveen Abel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Syed; Farhan M
• Application Number:
  US11/027,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20060149768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,979 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1-206, 707/102
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

Database interaction is facilitated by graphically presenting database objects in groups that are not necessarily dictated by object types of the database objects. In an example implementation, database navigation is facilitated by determining object dependency groups for a database in which each object dependency group corresponds to a database source object and includes at least those database objects that depend directly or indirectly from the corresponding database source object. When these data source object-based dependency groups are graphically displayed, selecting a database object thereof provides access thereto. In another example implementation, a user can designate an attribute associated with database objects by which the database objects are to be grouped. Thus, the database objects are grouped by various values that the user-designated associated attribute takes. These designated attribute-based value-driven groups may also be graphically displayed to enable navigation of and access to the different database objects assigned to them.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a command designating an attribute for a custom grouping of a plurality of database objects, at least a portion of the plurality of database objects being associated with the designated attribute;

grouping the at least a portion of the plurality of database objects into one or more attribute value groups that are defined by values held by the designated attribute of each database object of the at least a portion of the plurality of database objects;

displaying the at least a portion of the plurality of database objects in the one or more attribute value groups that are defined by the values held by the designated attribute;

displaying at least one unassigned database object from among the plurality of database objects in an unassigned object group;

detecting a selection of the at least one unassigned database object from the unassigned object group;

detecting a dragging of the selected at least one unassigned database object from the unassigned object group and a dropping of the selected at least one unassigned database object into a particular attribute value group of the one or more attribute value groups that corresponds to a particular value of the designated attribute; and

responsive to the detecting of the dragging and the dropping, imputing the particular value of the designated attribute to the at least one unassigned database object to thereby associate the designated attribute to the at least one unassigned database object, wherein the imputing causes the at least one unassigned database object to become assigned to the particular attribute value group that corresponds to the particular value of the designated attribute,

wherein the at least a portion of the plurality of database objects in the one or more attribute value groups is displayed in a column inside at least a portion of a window, the column including a group for each respective value group,

wherein each group excludes database objects that do not share an association with a designated attribute for a particular attribute value group,

wherein the association is an indirect dependency between a data source object and a data consuming object, wherein the indirect dependency will be traced via (i) upstream dependencies and (ii) downstream dependencies, and wherein the indirect dependency is traceable from a database object directly dependent on the data source object,

wherein an icon is displayed adjacent to each group in the displayed column, the icon being selectable by a user to;

(i) collapse a group of database objects; and

(ii) expand the group of database objects, and

wherein a hotzone is established around each database object in the column and around a graphical icon adjacent to each database object, wherein the graphical icon indicates the database object type, and wherein the hotzone identifies an associated database object as the current target of the pointer icon in response to placing a pointer icon in the hotzone and wherein selection of said hotzone via the pointer causes contents of a corresponding database object to be accessed and displayed via a pop-up window, a bubble or a full window.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

enabling access to the displayed database objects of the at least a portion of the plurality of database objects.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the enabling comprises:

detecting a user selection of a database object from the displayed database objects; and

providing access for the user to the selected database object.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises:

for each respective attribute value group of the one or more attribute value groups, displaying a respective header that indicates a respective value held by the designated attribute for the respective attribute value group.

5. One or more processor-accessible media comprising processor-executable instructions that include a database interaction module, the database interaction module configured to group database objects responsive to an attribute designated by a user,

wherein the database interaction module is adapted to group respective ones of the database objects in accordance with respective values of the designated attribute;

wherein the database interaction module is further adapted to display attribute value groups resulting from the database object grouping, each respective attribute value group corresponding to a respective value of the designated attribute,

wherein the database interaction module is further adapted to group unassigned database objects into at least one unassigned database object group,

wherein the database interaction module is further adapted to display the at least one unassigned database object group,

wherein access to database object descriptive information is configurable to be displayed via a pop-up window, bubble or full window,

wherein the database interaction module is further adapted to detect a dragging of an unassigned database object from the at least one unassigned database object group and a dropping of the unassigned database object into a particular attribute value group of the displayed attribute value groups that corresponds to a particular value of the designated attribute,

wherein the database interaction module is further adapted to impute the particular value of the designated attribute to the unassigned database object in response to the detecting of the dragging and the dropping, the imputing causing the previously unassigned database object to become part of the particular attribute value group that corresponds to the particular value;

wherein each respective attribute value group excludes displaying database objects that do not share an association with a designated attribute for a particular attribute value group,

wherein a hotzone is established around each database object and wherein the hotzone identifies an associated database object as the current target of the pointer icon in response to placing a pointer icon in the hotzone.

6. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 5, wherein the database interaction module is further capable of providing access to the database objects displayed in the attribute value groups;

wherein the database interaction module is further adapted to provide access to a particular database object of the database objects when the particular database object is selected by the user.

7. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 6, wherein the provided access to the particular database object comprises displaying at least one of (i) one or more details of the particular database object or (ii) at least a portion of the particular database object.

8. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 5, wherein the database interaction module is further adapted to display the attribute value groups by presenting the database objects of the attribute value groups as entries that are proximate to a respective group header identifying the respective value corresponding to a respective one of the attribute value groups.

9. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 5, wherein the processor-executable instructions comprise at least part of a database program of which the database interaction module forms a portion.

10. A device comprising one or more processors and one or more storage media executable on the one or more processors, the one or more storage media comprising:

a database that includes a first database object associated with an attribute having a first value, a second database object associated with the attribute having a second value, and an unassigned database object that is not associated with the attribute; and

a database program that is adapted to assign the first database object to a first group corresponding to the first value, to assign the second database object to a second group corresponding to the second value, and to assign the unassigned database object to an unassigned database object group responsive to a user designation of the attribute for a custom group by operation,

wherein the database program is further adapted to detect a dragging of the unassigned database object from the unassigned database object group and a dropping of the unassigned database object into a particular attribute value group of the attribute value that corresponds to a particular value of the attribute,

wherein the database program is further adapted to impute the particular value of the attribute to the unassigned database object in response to the detecting of the dragging and the dropping, the imputing causing the previously unassigned database object to become part of the particular attribute value group that corresponds to the particular value, and

wherein the database program establishes a hotzone around each database object in the column and wherein the hotzone identifies an associated database object as the current target of the pointer icon in response to placing a pointer icon in the hotzone, and

an indirect dependency between a data source object and a data consuming object, wherein the indirect dependency will be traced via (i) upstream dependencies and (ii) downstream dependencies.

11. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein:

the database further includes a third database object associated with the attribute having the first value; and

the database program is further adapted to assign the third database object to the first group corresponding to the first value responsive to the user designation of the attribute for the custom group by operation.

12. The device as recited in claim 11, wherein:

the database program is capable of creating a graphical user interface (GUI) to facilitate interaction with the database; and

the database program is adapted to display a navigational map including the first group and the second group;

the first and third database objects displayed in the first group, and the second database object displayed in the second group.

13. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein:

the database program is further adapted to enable access to the first, second, and third database objects upon user selection of a database object via the GUI.