Method and apparatus for expression building editors

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of allowing user replacement of a relational operator in said selected generic expression.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of allowing the user to add generic arguments to said selected generic expression.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of allowing one of said plurality of generic expressions to be deleted from said selected generic expression.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of indicating completion of expression building by activating an OK selector, said OK selector activated only when all of said at least one generic arguments in said selected generic expression have been replaced by said selected specific arguments, wherein selection of said OK selector passes said selected generic expression to a data query tool.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of allowing user selection of a specific argument of said plurality of specific arguments comprises the step of allowing user definition of a new constant.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of allowing user selection of generic argument comprises activating a selector associated with said at least one generic argument.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of allowing one of said plurality of generic expressions to be appended to said selected generic expression.

Claim 10

The method of claim 8 , wherein said generic expressions can be appended to said selected generic expression conjunctively.

Claim 11

The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of providing a plurality of specific arguments includes the step of providing a category of specific arguments.

Claim 12

The method of claim 10 , wherein said category of specific arguments comprises identifiers of fields in a data source.

Claim 13

The method of claim 10 , wherein said category of specific arguments includes constants.

Claim 14

The method of claim 1 , wherein each of said at least one generic argument has an associated data type, and wherein each of said plurality or specific arguments have an associated data type.

Claim 15

The method of claim 13 , wherein said step of allowing user selection of a generic argument includes requiring that said data type associated with said generic argument matches said data type associated with said specific argument.

Claim 16

The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of allowing user selection of a generic argument further comprises activating a selector that selects said generic argument.

Claim 19

The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of allowing user definition of new generic arguments in said user-selected computed function.

Claim 20

The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of allowing user definition of a new specific argument in said plurality of specific arguments.

Claim 21

The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of providing a plurality of computed functions comprises selecting a category of computed functions, which displays a list of available computed functions.

Claim 22

The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of indicating completion of expression building by activating an OK selector, said OK selector activated only when all of said at least one generic arguments in said user-selected computed function have been replaced by said selected specific arguments, and wherein selection of said OK selector passes said user-selected computed function to a data query tool.

Claim 23

The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of allowing user selection of a generic argument comprises the steps of displaying at least one argument selector corresponding to said at least one generic argument, and activating said argument selector when said data type of said generic argument matches said data type associated with said selected specific argument.

Claim 26

The method of claim 22 , further comprising the step of allowing user definition of new specific arguments in said plurality of displayed specific arguments.

Claim 27

The method of claim 22 , wherein the step of displaying a plurality of specific arguments comprises displaying a plurality of specific argument categories.

Claim 28

The method of claim 22 , wherein the step of allowing user selection of a specific argument comprises allowing user activation of one of two argument selectors, said argument selectors activatable when one of said plurality of specific arguments has been selected.

Claim 29

The method of claim 22 , further comprising the step of allowing said selected generic clause to be deleted from said text area.

Claim 30

The method of claim 22 , further comprising the step of indicating completion of expression building by activating an OK selector, said OK selector activated only when each of said two generic arguments in all of said at least one selected generic clause in said text area have been replaced by said selected specific arguments, and wherein selection of said OK selector passes said at least one selected genetic clauses clause in said text area to a data query tool.

Claim 31

A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein for building syntactically correct expressions, said computer code adapted to have the followings steps executed in the indicated sequential order: providing a plurality of generic expressions, each of said plurality of generic expressions including at least one generic argument; allowing user selection of a generic expression of said plurality of generic expressions; providing a plurality of specific arguments relating to said selected generic expression; allowing user selection of a specific argument of said plurality of specific arguments relating to said selected generic expression; allowing user selection of a generic argument of said at least one generic argument, for subsequent replacement of said selected generic argument in said selected generic expression with said selected specific argument, and replacing said selected generic argument in said selected generic expression with said selected specific argument.

Claim 32

A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein for building syntactically correct expressions, said computer code adapted to have the followings steps executed in the indicated sequential order: providing a plurality of generic expressions, each of said plurality of generic expressions including at least one generic argument; allowing user selection of a generic expression of said plurality of generic expressions; providing a plurality of specific arguments relating to said selected generic expression; allowing user selection of a specific argument of said plurality of specific arguments relating to said selected generic expression; allowing user selection of a generic argument of said at least one generic argument, for subsequent replacement of said selected generic argument in said selected generic expression with said selected specific argument, and replacing said selected generic argument in said selected generic expression with said selected specific argument.

Claim 33

The method of claim 28 , further comprising the step of allowing user replacement of a relational operator in said selected generic expression.

Claim 34

The method of claim 28 , further comprising the step of allowing the user to add generic arguments to said selected generic expression.

Claim 35

The method of claim 28 , further comprising the step of allowing one of said plurality of generic expressions to be deleted from said selected generic expression.

Claim 36

The method of claim 28 , further comprising the step of indicating completion of expression building by activating an OK selector, said OK selector activated only when all of said at least one generic arguments in said selected generic expression have been replaced by said selected specific arguments, wherein selection of said OK selector passes said selected generic expression to a data query tool.

Claim 37

The method of claim 28 , wherein said step of allowing user selection or a specific argument of said plurality of specific arguments comprises the step of allowing user definition of a new constant.

Claim 38

The method of claim 28 , wherein the step of allowing user selection of a generic argument comprises activating a selector associated with said at least one generic argument.

Claim 39

The method of claim 28 , further comprising the step of allowing one of said plurality of generic expressions to be appended to said selected generic expression.

Claim 40

The method of claim 35 , wherein said generic expressions can be appended to said selected generic expression conjunctively.

Claim 41

The method of claim 28 , wherein said step of providing a plurality of specific arguments includes the step of providing a category of specific arguments.

Claim 42

The method of claim 37 , wherein said category of specific arguments comprises identifiers of fields in a data source.

Claim 43

The method of claim 37 , wherein said category of specific arguments includes constants.

Claim 44

The method of claim 28 , wherein each of said at least one generic argument has an associated data type, and wherein each of said plurality or specific arguments have an associated data type.

Claim 45

The method of claim 40 , wherein said step of allowing user selection of a generic argument includes requiring that said data type associated with said generic argument matches said data type associated with said specific argument.

Claim 46

The method of claim 28 , wherein the step or allowing user selection of a generic argument further comprises activating a selector that selects said generic argument.

Claim 47

A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein for building syntactically correct processing specifications, said computer code adapted to have the followings steps executed in the indicated sequential order: providing a plurality of computed functions, each of said plurality of computed functions including at least one generic argument, each of said at least one generic arguments having an associated data type; allowing user selection of a computed function of said plurality of computed functions; allowing user selection of a specific argument category of a plurality of specific argument categories; providing a plurality of specific arguments in said selected specific argument category, each of said plurality of specific arguments having an associated data type; allowing user selection of a specific argument of said plurality of specific arguments; conditionally allowing user selection of a generic argument of said at least one generic argument, for subsequent replacement of said at least one generic argument in said user-selected computed function with said selected specific argument, said user selection of said generic argument being allowed only if said data type associated with said selected specific argument matches said data type associated with said generic argument, and replacing said selected generic argument in said selected computed function with said user-selected specific argument.

Claim 48

A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein for building syntactically correct processing specifications, said computer code adapted to have the followings steps executed in the indicated sequential order: providing a plurality of computed functions, each of said plurality of computed functions including at least one generic argument, each of said at least one generic arguments having an associated data type; allowing user selection of a computed function of said plurality of computed functions; allowing user selection of a specific argument category of a plurality of specific argument categories; providing a plurality of specific arguments in said selected specific argument category, each of said plurality of specific arguments having an associated data type; allowing user selection of a specific argument of said plurality of specific arguments; conditionally allowing user selection of a generic argument of said at least one generic argument, for subsequent replacement of said at least one generic argument in said user-selected computed function with said selected specific argument, said user selection of said generic argument being allowed only if said data type associated with said selected specific argument matches said data type associated with said generic argument, and replacing said selected generic argument in said selected computed function with said user-selected specific argument.

Claim 49

The method of claim 43 , further comprising the step of allowing user definition of new generic arguments in said user-selected computed function.

Claim 50

The method of claim 43 , further comprising the step of allowing user definition of a new specific argument in said plurality, of specific arguments.

Claim 51

The method of claim 43 , wherein the step of providing a plurality or computed functions comprises selecting a category of computed functions, which displays a list of available computed functions.

Claim 52

The method of claim 43 , further comprising the step of indicating completion of expression building by activating an OK selector, said OK selector activated only when all of said at least one generic arguments in said user-selected computed function have been replaced by selected specific arguments, and wherein selection of said OK selector passes said user selected computed function to a data query tool.

Claim 53

The method of claim 43 , wherein the step of allowing user selection of a generic argument comprises the steps of displaying at least one argument selector corresponding to said at least one generic argument, and activating said argument selector when said data type of said generic argument matches said data type associated with said selected specific argument.

Claim 54

A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein for building syntactically correct queries, said computer code adapted to leave the followings steps executed in the indicated sequential order; providing a plurality of generic clause selectors, each of said generic clause selectors corresponding to a generic clause consisting of two generic arguments and a relational operator, each of said generic clause selectors facilitating user selection of at least one of said corresponding generic clauses; displaying a selected generic clause in a text area; providing a plurality of relational operator selectors, each said relational operator selector facilitating user replacement of said relational operator in said selected generic gauzes clause in said text area; displaying a plurality or specific arguments; allowing user selection of a specific argument of said plurality of specific arguments; and allowing user selection of a generic argument of said two generic arguments, for subsequent replacement of said selected generic argument in said generic clause in said text area with said selected specific argument, and replacing said selected generic argument in said generic clause in said text area with said selected specific argument.

Claim 55

A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein for building syntactically correct queries, said computer code adapted to leave the followings steps executed in the indicated sequential order; providing a plurality of generic clause selectors, each of said generic clause selectors corresponding to a generic clause consisting of two generic arguments and a relational operator, each of said generic clause selectors facilitating user selection of at least one of said corresponding generic clauses; displaying a selected generic clause in a text area; providing a plurality of relational operator selectors, each said relational operator selector facilitating user replacement of said relational operator in said selected generic gauzes clause in said text area; displaying a plurality or specific arguments; allowing user selection of a specific argument of said plurality of specific arguments; and allowing user selection of a generic argument of said two generic arguments, for subsequent replacement of said selected generic argument in said generic clause in said text area with said selected specific argument, and replacing said selected generic argument in said generic clause in said text area with said selected specific argument.

Claim 56

The method of claim 49 , further comprising the step of allowing user definition of new specific arguments in said plurality of displayed specific arguments.

Claim 57

The method of claim 49 , wherein the step of displaying a plurality of specific arguments comprises displaying a plurality of specific argument categories.

Claim 58

The method of claim 49 , wherein the step of facilitating user replacement of said at least one generic argument in said generic clause in said text area with a selected specific argument allowing user selection of a specific argument comprises allowing user activation of one of two argument selectors, said argument selectors activatable when one of said plurality of specific arguments has been selected.

Claim 59

The method of claim 49 , further comprising the step of allowing said selected generic clauses clause to be deleted from said text area.

Claim 60

The method of claim 49 , further comprising tile step of indicating completion of expression building by activating an OK selector, said OK selector activated only when each of said two generic arguments in all of said at least one selected generic clause in said text area have been replaced by said selected specific arguments, and wherein selection of said OK selector passes said at least one selected generic clause in said text area to a data query tool.