Lightweight generic report generation tool

• US 7,797,325 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2005
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: So, Wai Kei
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu; Hexing
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu; Kuen S
• Application Number:
  US11/208,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20070043689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,849 Days
• Field of Search: 707/752, 707/741, 707/736
• US Class Current: 707/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/345 Summarisation for human users

Abstract

Methods for generating a dynamically sortable report from data independent of the original representative format of the data generally include accessing a plurality of files, parsing the accessed files, forming a vector utilizing the parsed files, generating a report from the formed vector, and dynamically sorting the report utilizing the formed vector and a sorting element associated with the report. Such methods reduce consumption of computing resources as a single static report may be generated, and later sorted or otherwise modified, without creating another static report or otherwise accessing the source of the report, such as a data repository.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium encoded with code segments executable by a first computing device for generating, storing, and sorting an HTML report, wherein the computer readable medium is coupled with a memory and the first computing device and comprises computing resources, the computer readable medium comprising:

an access-code segment for accessing a data repository including a plurality of files;

a conversion code segment for converting the plurality of files represented by non-delimited flat files into delimited flat files;

a parsing code segment for defining a plurality of parsed data elements by parsing at least one of the plurality of files by inserting at least one placeholder tag in at least one of the plurality of files to separate groupings of data;

a vector forming code segment for forming a vector corresponding with the plurality of files, wherein the vector includes a plurality of vectors each corresponding to a row of parsed data and at least one of the plurality of vectors contains a data element defined by a template and chosen from among the plurality of parsed data elements;

a generation code segment for generating the HTML report from the formed vector and the template; and

a reporting code segment for storing the HTML report in the memory and prompting a second computing device to dynamically sort the HTML report with a javascript sorting element associated with the HTML report without utilizing the computing resources of the first computing device;

without using the computer readable medium, the non-delimited flat files or the delimited flat files; and

without reloading the HTML report,

wherein the HTML report includes a <

div>

tag corresponding to the formed vector and the javascript sorting element recreates the <

div>

tag to dynamically sort the HTML report.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the template is an HTML file.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the placeholder tag is an ASCII character.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of files are represented in a plurality of different file formats.

5. A method of generating an HTML report, the method comprising:

accessing a data repository including a plurality of files;

converting the accessed files represented by non-delimited flat files into delimited flat files;

parsing at least one of the accessed files utilizing a placeholder tag to insert the placeholder tag in the at least one of the accessed files to separate groupings of data and defining a plurality of parsed data elements;

forming a vector utilizing the parsed files, wherein the vector includes a plurality of vectors each corresponding to a row of parsed data and at least one of the plurality of vectors contains a data element defined by a template and chosen from among the plurality of parsed data elements;

generating the HTML report from the formed vector; and

storing the HTML report on a first computing device and using a second computing device, coupled with the first computing device, to dynamically sort the HTML report with a javascript sorting element associated with the HTML report without utilizing resources of the first computing device, without using the accessed files, and without reloading the HTML report

wherein the HTML report includes a <

div>

tag corresponding to the formed vector and the javascript sorting element recreates the <

div>

tag to dynamically sort the HTML report.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the HTML report is generated from the formed vector and a template.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the template is a HTML file.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the placeholder tag is an ASCII character.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of files are represented in a plurality of different file formats.

10. The method of claim 5, further including publishing the HTML report over a communications network and dynamically sorting the report using a plurality of computing devices coupled with the communications network.

11. A computer program product embodied on one or more physical computer-readable media and coupled with a first computing device, the computer program product comprising:

an access routine executed on the first computing device that accesses a data repository including a plurality of files;

a parsing routine that parses each file utilizing a placeholder tag and defines a plurality of parsed data elements;

a vector forming routine that forms a vector utilizing the parsed files wherein the formed vector includes a plurality of vectors each corresponding to a row of parsed data and at least one of the plurality of vectors contains a data element defined by a template and chosen from among the plurality of parsed data elements;

a generation routine that generates an HTML report from the formed vector; and

a sorting routine that dynamically sorts the HTML report utilizing the formed vector and a javascript sorting element associated with the HTML report on a second computing device without using any of the plurality of files, any resources of the first computing device, and without reloading the HTML report,

wherein the HTML report includes a <

div>

tag corresponding to the formed vector and the javascript sorting element recreates the <

div>

tag to dynamically sort the HTML report.

12. The program product of claim 11, wherein a template is utilized to supply the placeholder tag and to form the vector.

13. The program product of claim 11, further including a converting routine that converts the accessed files represented by non-delimited flat files to delimited flat files and parses each delimited flat file utilizing the placeholder tag.

14. The program product of claim 11, further including a storing routine for storing the HTML report on the first computing device to enable the second computing device, coupled with the first computing device, to dynamically sort the HTML report without utilizing resources of the first computing device.