EP0690367A1 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

User interface for managing media spanning for database tables

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp

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Filing: 1995-05-18

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Granted: —

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Expires: 2015-05-18

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Abstract

Abstract A graphical user interface provides a comprehensive, topographical map of all the table parts in a database which spans multiple virtual and/or real storage media. This interface allows a user, such as a database administrator, a view of all the files that belong to a table of the database and facilitates managing media spanning for the database tables. The user interface allows a user to drag a created table part entry from one directory location and drop it on another, without regard to media boundaries. This direct manipulation minimizes keyboard input since no typing of new directory paths is required. The user interface for database table media spanning provides a user interface design based on a model that matches the user (i.e., database administrator) view or perspective. It offers the user a comprehensive, topographical map of all the table parts in the database in a manner that all the files (or parts of the database) that belong to a table can be quickly and uniquely identified. Direct manipulation techniques are extensively used, promoting ease of use by minimizing keyboard input. For example, the user can drag a created table part entry from one directory location and drop it on another. No typing in new directory paths are required. To assist in discovering a performance problem, the database administrator can use the database table media spanning to graphically view where all the tables in the database are located.

Inventors

👤 Shih-Gong Li
👤 Theodore Jack London Shrader

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —

Jurisdiction EP

Data Source google_patents

Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 10:51

CPC Classifications

G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/14; G06F3/01; G06F3/048; G06F3/0481

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 3

Claim 1

Independent Claim 403 words

A user interface for managing media spanning for database tables on a computer system wherein a data structure for the database is stored in multiple virtual and/or physical media, said data structure comprising a table list of all tables in the database, said user interface being implemented on the computer system including a display (38) for displaying objects and a cursor controlled by a mouse (26) which can be used to select a displayed object by a single click of a mouse button, to invoke an action by a double click of a mouse button, or a drag-and-drop action by selecting an object by pressing and holding a mouse button and then moving the selected object across the display and releasing the mouse button, said user interface comprising the steps of: initializing (501) the data base by updating the table list and creating (508) a directory root in a hierarchical tree structure for each of said multiple media; displaying (509) a root directory icon for each of said multiple media in a media spanning primary window; detecting a user double-click on a directory icon and if the directory icon does not show directory or table part icons in a hierarchical tree structure displayed under the directory icon, expanding the display to show child directory icons and/or table part icons if they exist, otherwise, collapsing the hierarchical tree structure to show only the directory icon; detecting a user double-click on a table part icon and prompting the user to input changes to fields of a table corresponding to the table part icon; detecting (518) a user drag-and-drop action of a table part icon from one directory icon to another directory icon and updating (519) a resulting changed directory path in the hierarchical tree structure display and updating the data structure of the database; displaying an add table part icon and a delete table part icon in said media spanning primary window; detecting (532) a user drag-and-drop action of the add table part icon to a directory icon and prompting (533) the user to input changes to fields of a table to be added to a directory corresponding to the directory icon; and detecting (516) a user selection of a table part icon in a directory tree and a user selection of the delete table part icon and removing the selected table part icon from the media spanning primary window display and updating the database.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 114 words

A user interface as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps of: displaying a table list secondary window in said media spanning primary window; displaying a table details list secondary window in said media spanning primary window; detecting a user selection from said table list secondary window and refreshing the table details list with table details list entries by parsing the table data structure; and detecting a user selection from said table details secondary window and if the user selection is a main table entry, highlighting all table parts in the directory trees, but if the user selection is a table part entry, highlighting the individual table part icon in the directory tree.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 439 words

A computer system for managing media spanning for database tables on the computer system comprising: a central processing unit (10) connected to a system bus (12); a mouse (26) controlled by a user and connected to said system bus; multiple virtual and/or physical media connected to said system bus and storing a data structure for the database, said data structure comprising a table list of all tables in the database; a display (38) connected to said system bus and displaying objects in a graphic user interface and a cursor controlled by said mouse which can be used by the user to select a displayed object by a single click of a mouse button, to invoke an action by a double click of a mouse button, or a drag-and-drop action by selecting an object by pressing and holding a mouse button and then moving the selected object across the display and releasing the mouse button; said central processor being programmed to initialize (501) the data base by updating the table list and creating (508) a directory root in a hierarchical tree structure for each of said multiple media, to display (509) a root directory icon for each of said multiple media in a media spanning primary window, to detect a user double-click on a directory icon and if the directory icon does not show directory or table part icons in a hierarchical tree structure displayed under the directory icon, expanding the display to show child directory icons and/or table part icons if they exist, otherwise, collapsing the hierarchical tree structure to show only the directory icon, to detect a user double-click on a table part icon and prompting the user to input changes to fields of a table corresponding to the table part icon, to detect (518) a user drag-and-drop action of a table part icon from one directory icon to another directory icon and updating (519) a resulting changed directory path in the hierarchical tree structure display and updating the data structure of the database, to display an add table part icon and a delete table part icon in said media spanning primary window, to detect (532) a user drag-and-drop action of the add table part icon to a directory icon and prompting (533) the user to input changes to fields of a table to be added to a directory corresponding to the directory icon, and to detect (516) a user selection of a table part icon in a directory tree and a user selection of the delete table part icon and removing the selected table part icon from the media spanning primary window display and updating the database.

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