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US5752018A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Buffered database table interface object system

Assignee: Sybase Inc
•
Filing: 1996-05-22
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Granted: 1998-05-12
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Expires: 2016-05-22
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Abstract

Abstract A program object providing an interface between a computer database manager and a client application program external to the interface object. The interface object includes associations between columns of the table and associated editing styles, a retrieve method, and an update method. Each editing style specifies a display format for data of the associated column. The column/style associations specify modifying methods for modifying data of respective columns of the table. The interface object is programmed to allow an applications programmer using the interface object to tailor the column/style associations to the database table without access to source code of the interface object. The retrieve method accepts an invocation message from the client program, and uses the column/style associations to issue commands to the database manager to retrieve data from the database into a buffer maintained by and within the interface object. The modifying methods accept directives to modify the retrieved data in the buffer and store a transcript of corresponding modification directives. The update method uses the column/style associations and the modification directives of the transcript to issue commands to the database manager to update the data of the database table in accordance with the modification directives.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kim A. Sheffield

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 08:58
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/20; G06F16/24; G06F16/242; G06F16/2428; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99932; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99934

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 169 words
A database interface to an application database table containing data elements to be presented to a user via said database interface, the interface executable by a computer and comprising: a data window object tailored. without access to source code of said data window object to said database table by defining: a plurality of visual presentation attributes that determine a display manner of a data window for display of data elements of said database table, and data definition attributes that define both type and value validity criteria of said data elements, said data window object comprising means for indirectly manipulating said data elements by: retrieving said data elements from said application database table into a memory buffer and presenting said data elements in said defined display manner; receiving from a user of said interface commands for altering the retrieved data elements in said memory buffer; and automatically generating database statements to apply results of said indirect manipulation from said data elements in said memory buffer to said application database table.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 169 words
A database interface to an application database table containing data elements to be presented to a user via said database interface, the interface executable by a computer and comprising: a data window object tailored. without access to source code of said data window object to said database table by defining: a plurality of visual presentation attributes that determine a display manner of a data window for display of data elements of said database table, and data definition attributes that define both type and value validity criteria of said data elements, said data window object comprising means for indirectly manipulating said data elements by: retrieving said data elements from said application database table into a memory buffer and presenting said data elements in said defined display manner; receiving from a user of said interface commands for altering the retrieved data elements in said memory buffer; and automatically generating database statements to apply results of said indirect manipulation from said data elements in said memory buffer to said application database table.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 22 words
The database interface of claim 1 wherein said defining of visual presentation attributes is performed by means of a graphical window painter.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 25 words
The database interface of claim 1, wherein said value validity criteria are specified as part of said tailoring in the form of a boolean expression.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 22 words
The database interface of claim 3, wherein said boolean expression includes a term referencing data of a column of said database table.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 15 words
The database interface of claim 3, wherein said boolean expression includes a string pattern match.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 28 words
The database interface of claim 1, wherein said value validity criteria are specified as part of said tailoring in the form of an enumerated list of allowable values.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 35 words
The database interface of claim 1, further comprising a menu of said value validity criteria specified part of said tailoring, and associated as a further part of said tailoring with columns of said database table.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US5121477A Cited
US5594899A Cited
US5179652A Cited
US5204947A Cited
US5293615A Cited
US5148154A Cited
US5566330A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2001-05-11 2001-11-10 2002-05-12 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2005-05-11 2005-11-10 2006-05-12 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2009-05-11 2009-11-10 2010-05-12 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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