Templates in a schema editor

• US 8,135,755 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Selca, Vitore, Bryant, Christopher W., Covington, Clinton D., Hough, Dan, Krout, Kelly M., Groff, Shane L., Getsch, Timothy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Bai D.
• Application Number:
  US11/231,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20070005634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,366 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application

Abstract

A schema editor allows for definition, distribution, and use of schema templates. The schema editor allows schema to be edited and then saved in such a way that the saved file can be reimported into the schema editor.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for editing schema for a database, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface comprising a ribbon, the ribbon comprising a top level including a plurality of tabs and a bottom level including a plurality of user interface control groups, the plurality of tabs comprising one or more of an editing tab, a format tab, a page layout tab, and an external data tab, the plurality of user interface control groups comprising a first user interface control group comprising controls for sorting operations, a second user interface control group comprising controls for filtering operations, and a third user interface control group comprising at least one control for adding a field to a database table generated by a schema editor, wherein the plurality of tabs and the plurality of user interface control groups are utilized in editing the schema for the database;

receiving a list of definitions for the schema, the list of definitions comprising at least a two-level hierarchy of database field data types and at least one data format specifying how stored data is to be displayed, the data types comprising at least one of attachment field type, date/time, identification number, and type of currency;

displaying on the user interface the list of definitions for the schema, wherein the list of schema definitions is displayed in at least one of the ribbon and a gallery, the gallery comprising a plurality of menu items and icons for graphically displaying the list of schema definitions on the user interface, wherein the at least one of the ribbon and the gallery further represents the schema in a template form;

in response to a selection of the template schema, dragging and dropping a selected template schema field onto a displayed table grid in the user interface to create a new schema in accordance with the selected template schema;

receiving commands from the user for editing the schema, wherein editing the schema comprises;

receiving a command in the user interface to add the field to the database table;

generating a dialog box overlaying the user interface, the dialog box prompting a confirmation of the command to add the field to the database table;

generating the database table in another user interface, in response to receiving the confirmation of the command, the database table comprising the added field, the added field residing in an Add New Field column in the database table, the another user interface further comprising a task pane adjacent to the database table, the task pane generated in response to the generation of the database table, the database table comprising the added field and the task pane being simultaneously displayed in the another user interface thereby facilitating user entry of additional fields to the database table without having to navigate away from the another user interface; and

closing the database table in the another user interface to make the added field available in the user interface comprising the ribbon;

outputting an output file for the edited schema, wherein the output file is configured to be received by the user interface, wherein the output file comprises instructions for generating a database structure and for manipulating data stored in the database structure, the instructions comprising an export command to export a current database table as a markup language file, wherein the output file is utilized to populate the list of schema definitions, wherein the output file is utilized to re-edit the schema.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving commands from the user for entering data for the database.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying on the user interface data from the database.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the displayed data is displayed as a database table.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the displayed data is displayed as a database form.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a second list of definitions for the schema, receiving a selection from the second list by the user, and displaying the selected field from the second list on the user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the output file is compatible with a file format used for template schema definitions.

8. A computer-implemented system for editing schema for a database, the system comprising:

a display that is configured to display an image representing a received list of template schema definitions, the list of template schema definitions comprising at least a two-level hierarchy of database field data types and at least one a plurality of data format specifying how stored data is to be displayed, the data types comprising at least one of attachment field type, date/time, identification number, and type of currency, wherein the list of template schema definitions is displayed in at least of a ribbon and a gallery, the ribbon comprising a top level including a plurality of user interface tabs and a bottom level including a plurality of user interface control groups, the plurality of user interface tabs comprising one or more of an editing tab, a format tab, a page layout tab, and an external data tab, the plurality of user interface control groups comprising a first user interface control group comprising controls for sorting operations, a second user interface group control group comprising controls for filtering operations, and a third user interface control group comprising at least one control for adding a field to a database table generated by a schema editor, the gallery comprising a plurality of menu items and icons for graphically displaying the list of template schema definition, wherein the at least one of the ribbon and the gallery further represents the schema in a template form;

in response to a selection of the template schema, dragging and dropping a selected template schema field onto a displayed table grid to create a new schema in accordance with the selected template schema;

a user interface for receiving commands from the user for modifying the schema and to change the displayed image in response to the received commands, wherein the schema is modified by;

receiving a command in the user interface to add the field to the database table;

generating a dialog box overlaying the user interface, the dialog box prompting a confirmation of the command to add the field to the database table;

generating the database table in another user interface, in response to receiving the confirmation of the command, the database table comprising the added field, the added field residing in an Add New Field column in the database table, the another user interface further comprising a task pane adjacent to the database table, the task pane generated in response to the generation of the database table, the database table comprising the added field and the task pane being simultaneously displayed in the another user interface thereby facilitating user entry of additional fields to the database table without having to navigate away from the another user interface; and

closing the database table in the another user interface to make the added field available in the user interface comprising the ribbon;

a file reader that is configured to receive the list of template schema definitions; and

a file generator that is configured to output an output file in response to the modified schema, wherein the output file is configured to be received by the file reader, and wherein the output file comprises instructions for generating a database structure and for manipulating data stored in the database structure, the instructions comprising an export command to export a current database table as a markup language file, wherein the output file is utilized to populate the list of schema definitions, wherein the output file is utilized to re-edit the schema.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the user interface is further configured to receive commands from the user for entering data for the database.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the display is further configured to display data from the database.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the displayed data is displayed as a database table.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the output file is compatible with a file format used for template schema definitions.

13. A computer-implemented system for editing schema for a database, the system comprising:

means for displaying a user interface comprising a ribbon, the ribbon comprising a top level including a plurality of tabs and a bottom level including a plurality of user interface control groups, the plurality of tabs comprising one or more of an editing tab, a format tab, a page layout tab, and an external data tab, the plurality of user interface control groups comprising a first user interface control group comprising controls for sorting operations, a second user interface control group comprising controls for filtering operations, and a third user interface control group comprising at least one control for adding a field to a database table generated by a schema editor, wherein the plurality of tabs and the plurality of user interface control groups are utilized in editing the schema for the database;

means for receiving a list of template schema definitions, the list of schema definitions comprising at least a two-level hierarchy of database field data types and at least one data format specifying how stored data is to be displayed, the data types comprising at least one of attachment field type, date/time, identification number, and type of currency, wherein the list of schema template definitions is displayed in at least one of the ribbon and a gallery, the gallery comprising a plurality of menu items and icons for graphically displaying the list of schema template definitions, wherein the at least one of the ribbon and the gallery further represents a template schema form;

in response to a selection of the template schema, means for dragging and dropping a selected template schema field onto a displayed table grid to create a new schema in accordance with the selected template schema;

means for displaying on the user interface the list of template schema definitions, wherein the means for displaying on the user interface is used to display data from the database, wherein the displayed data is displayed as a database form, and wherein the database form is utilized to modify the schema without navigating away from a current view of the displayed data;

means for receiving commands from the user for modifying the schema, wherein editing the schema comprises;

receiving a command in the user interface to add the field to the database table;

generating a dialog box overlaying the user interface, the dialog box prompting a confirmation of the command to add the field to the database table;

generating the database table in another user interface, in response to receiving the confirmation of the command, the database table comprising the added field, the added field residing in an Add New Field column in the database table, the another user interface further comprising a task pane adjacent to the database table, the task pane generated in response to the generation of the database table, the database table comprising the added field and the task pane being simultaneously displayed in the another user interface thereby facilitating user entry of additional fields to the database table without having to navigate away from the another user interface; and

closing the database table in the another user interface to make the added field available in the user interface comprising the ribbon; and

means for outputting an output file for the modified schema, wherein the output file is configured to be received and displayed by the user interface means, and wherein the output file comprises instructions for generating a database structure and for manipulating data stored in the database structure, the instructions comprising an export command to export a current database table as a markup language file, wherein the output file is utilized to populate the list of schema definitions, wherein the output file is utilized to re-edit the schema.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the means for receiving commands is used to enter data into the database.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the output file is compatible with a file format used for template schema definitions.