Dynamically generated HTML formatted reports

Claim 2

A computer report generating method for generating reports from data in a database, the method comprising: a) reading the database to access specified portions of data; b) generating an intermediate file including the accessed data, the data being organized by rows and columns, the intermediate file also including meta data that facilitates generation of a plurality of different available reports each incorporating at least one associated row and at least one associated column of the accessed data, the meta data having a plurality of report sections each defining an associated one of the available reports; c) storing the intermediate file in a data storage medium; d) receiving a request to generate a report in accordance with a specified one of the report sections of the intermediate file; e) accessing the intermediate file from the data storage medium; and f) parsing the intermediate file to produce a report defined by the specified report section.

Claim 3

The computer report generating method of claim 1 , wherein: steps a, b, and c are accomplished when a user requests that the report be created.

Claim 4

The computer report generating method of claim 2 , wherein: a message is sent from a browser, though the internet, to a server; and steps a, b, and c are performed within the server.

Claim 5

The computer report generating method of claim 1 , wherein: steps d, e, and f are performed when a user requests to view the report.

Claim 6

The computer report generating method of claim 4 , wherein: a message is sent from a browser, through the internet, to a server; and steps d, e, and f are performed within the server.

Claim 7

The computer report generating method of claim 1 , wherein: steps d, e, and f can be accomplished upon a request from a browser after the intermediate files are created.

Claim 8

The computer report generating method of claim 1 , wherein said steps d and e further include: parsing the intermediate file to create a menu of the available reports, each of the available reports being defined by an associated one of the report sections; and enabling a user to select from the available reports.

Claim 9

The computer report generating method of claim 7 , wherein: steps a, b, and c are accomplished in a server; and the report is sent to a browser to be viewed by the user after performance of steps d, e, and f.

Claim 10

The computer report generating method of claim 7 , wherein: steps a, b, and c are accomplished in a server; and the report is sent over the internet to be viewed by the user after performance of steps d, e, and f.

Claim 11

The computer report generating method of claim 1 , wherein: the report is in hyper text markup language format.

Claim 12

The computer report generating method of claim 1 , wherein each of the report sections of the meta data includes: a chart entry indicating a beginning of the associated report section; a subtitle entry indicating a name of the associated report section; a domain label entry listing a domain name associated with a heading of a corresponding one of the columns of the associated report section; and a data entry line for each entry in a column of the associated report section.

Claim 13

A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable code embodied thereon configured to operate on a computer, comprising: a report generating program for performing the steps of, a) reading a database to access specified portions of data, b) generating an intermediate file including the accessed data, the data being organized by rows and columns, the intermediate file also including meta data that facilitates generation of a plurality of different available reports each incorporating at least one associated row and at least one associated column of the accessed data, the meta data having a plurality of report sections each defining an associated one of the available reports, and c) storing the intermediate file in a data storage medium; and a report viewing program for performing the steps of, d) receiving a request to generate a report in accordance with a selected one of the report sections of the intermediate file, e) accessing the intermediate file from the data storage medium, and f) parsing the intermediate file to produce a report defined by the selected report section.

Claim 14

A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable code embodied thereon configured to operate on a computer, comprising: a report generating program for performing the steps of, a) reading a database to access specified portions of data, b) generating an intermediate file including the accessed data, the data being organized by rows and columns, the intermediate file also including meta data that facilitates generation of a plurality of different available reports each incorporating at least one associated row and at least one associated column of the accessed data, the meta data having a plurality of report sections each defining an associated one of the available reports, and c) storing the intermediate file in a data storage medium; and a report viewing program for performing the steps of, d) receiving a request to generate a report in accordance with a selected one of the report sections of the intermediate file, e) accessing the intermediate file from the data storage medium, and f) parsing the intermediate file to produce a report defined by the selected report section.

Claim 15

The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein each of the report sections of the meta data includes: a chart entry indicating a beginning of the associated report section; a subtitle entry indicating a name of the associated report section; a domain label entry listing a domain name associated with a heading of a corresponding one of the columns of the associated report section; and a data entry line for each entry in a column of the associated report section.

Claim 16

The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein: said report generating program and said report viewing program reside in a server which is accessible through the internet from a browser.

Claim 17

The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein: said report viewing program is initiated when a request is sent from a browser to view the report.

Claim 18

The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein: the report viewing program parses the intermediate file to produce an index.

Claim 19

The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein: the report viewing program parses the intermediate file to generally simultaneously derive the information necessary to produce an index of available reports, and further to derive the information necessary to produce the report.

Claim 20

The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein: more than one intermediate file is produced.

Claim 21

The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein: more than one report is available to be selected from an index when the report viewing program is initiated.