Automated Generation of Dynamic Data Entry User Interface for Relational Database Management Systems

Abstract

Computer software for, computer apparatus for, and a method of automatically generating a user interface for a relational database comprising extracting schema information from the relational database and automatically generating corresponding schema and user interface metadata, storing the metadata in a repository, and automatically developing from the metadata a user interface appropriate to the relational database.

1 . Computer software for automatically generating a graphical user interface for a relational database, said software embodied in a computer readable medium having a set of computer instructions encoded thereon and comprising:
 utility software extracting schema information from the relational database and automatically generating corresponding schema and graphical user interface metadata comprising entity fields stored in a repository; and   user interface software at runtime automatically, and without compilation of code before runtime, developing from the metadata a graphical user interface for the relational database.   
     
     
         2 . The computer software of  claim 1  wherein said utility software assigns to each entity field a type attribute based on attributes of a corresponding table field in the relational database. 
     
     
         3 . The computer software of  claim 2  wherein said utility software assigns to an entity field a numeric format type if the corresponding table field is a primary key. 
     
     
         4 . The computer software of  claim 3  wherein said utility software assigns to an entity field a numeric format type if the corresponding table field is a primary key and marks that entity field as read-only so that it is not alterable by an end user. 
     
     
         5 . The computer software of  claim 2  wherein said utility software assigns to an entity field a dropdown list type if the corresponding table field is a foreign key. 
     
     
         6 . The computer software of  claim 5  wherein said utility software assigns to an entity field a dropdown list type permitting display of values from more than one field if the corresponding table field is a foreign key. 
     
     
         7 . The computer software of  claim 2  wherein said utility software assigns to an entity field one of a predetermined set of types if the corresponding table field is neither a primary nor a foreign key. 
     
     
         8 . Computer apparatus for automatically generating a graphical user interface for a relational database, said apparatus comprising:
 means embodied in a computer readable medium having a set of computer instructions encoded thereon for extracting schema information from the relational database and automatically generating corresponding schema and graphical user interface metadata comprising entity fields;   repository means for containing said metadata; and   means embodied in a computer readable medium having a set of computer instructions encoded thereon for at runtime automatically, and without compilation of code before runtime, developing from the metadata a graphical user interface for the relational database.   
     
     
         9 . The computer apparatus of  claim 8  wherein each entity field in said repository has a type attribute based on attributes of a corresponding table field in the relational database. 
     
     
         10 . The computer apparatus of  claim 9  wherein an entity field in said repository has a numeric format type if the corresponding table field is a primary key. 
     
     
         11 . The computer apparatus of  claim 10  wherein an entity field in said repository has a numeric format type if the corresponding table field is a primary key and is marked as read-only so that it is not alterable by an end user. 
     
     
         12 . The computer apparatus of  claim 9  wherein an entity field in said repository has a dropdown list type if the corresponding table field is a foreign key. 
     
     
         13 . The computer apparatus of  claim 12  wherein an entity field in said repository has a dropdown list type permitting display of values from more than one field if the corresponding table field is a foreign key. 
     
     
         14 . The computer apparatus of  claim 9  wherein an entity field in said repository has one of a predetermined set of types if the corresponding table field is neither a primary nor a foreign key. 
     
     
         15 . A method of automatically generating a graphical user interface for a relational database, the method comprising the steps of:
 extracting schema information from the relational database and automatically generating corresponding schema and graphical user interface metadata comprising entity fields;   storing the metadata in a repository; and   at runtime automatically, and without compilation of code before runtime, developing from the metadata a graphical user interface for the relational database.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein each entity field in said repository has a type attribute based on attributes of a corresponding table field in the relational database. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein an entity field in said repository has a numeric format type if the corresponding table field is a primary key. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein an entity field in said repository has a numeric format type if the corresponding table field is a primary key and is marked as read-only so that it is not alterable by an end user. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein an entity field in said repository has a dropdown list type if the corresponding table field is a foreign key. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein an entity field in said repository has a dropdown list type permitting display of values from more than one field if the corresponding table field is a foreign key. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16  wherein an entity field in said repository has one of a predetermined set of types if the corresponding table field is neither a primary nor a foreign key.