Method and system for providing themes for software applications

Abstract

A method includes separately executing a plurality of different applications, each application executing a corresponding query to at least one database to generate results of its query; storing, for each application, a plurality of service parameters that control a makeup of a navigation sequence provided to the user to execute the database query; and receiving a selection of one of a plurality of navigation themes by the user, wherein the selection of each navigation theme changes the value of at least one of the stored service parameters for each of the plurality of applications to at least one value corresponding to the selected navigation theme, the selection of different navigation themes selecting different numbers of user interface states of the navigation sequence provided to execute the database query than the advanced navigation theme.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method, comprising:
 separately executing a plurality of different applications, each application executing a corresponding query to at least one database;   storing, for each application, a plurality of service parameters that control a makeup of a corresponding navigation sequence provided to the user to execute the corresponding query; and   receiving a selection of one of a plurality of navigation themes by the user, wherein the selection of each navigation theme changes the value of at least one of the stored service parameters for each of the plurality of applications to at least one value corresponding to the selected navigation theme, the selection of different navigation themes resulting in different user interface states of the navigation sequences provided to execute the database queries of the plurality of applications.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the navigation themes include a beginner navigation theme and an advanced navigation theme, selection of the beginner navigation theme selecting a greater number of user interface states of the navigation sequences than selection of the advanced navigation theme. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the stored parameters for each application further control display of corresponding query results, including the selection of a subset of the query results to display and an ordering of the display of the selected subset;
 the method further comprising receiving a selection of one of a plurality of data themes by the user, wherein the selection of each of the data themes changes the value of at least one of the stored service parameters of each of the plurality of applications to at least one value corresponding to the selected data theme to control the query result subset selection and display ordering for the plurality of applications.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the stored plurality of service parameters for each application also control a number and type of messages displayed to the user by the application;
 the method further comprising receiving a selection of one of a plurality of usability themes by the user, wherein the selection of each usability theme changes the value of at least one of the stored service parameters for each of the plurality of applications to at least one value corresponding to the selected usability theme to control the number and type of messages displayed to the user by the plurality of applications.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein each of the plurality of applications provides a different business functionality to the user, and the executing of the plurality of applications includes executing, for each of the plurality of applications, computer program instructions by a processor, the computer program instructions of each application being at least partially different than the computer program instructions of the other applications. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising executing computer program instructions of the plurality of applications by a first processor, wherein executing the plurality of applications includes accessing the at least one database, the database including data stored in a memory and computer program instructions executed by a second processor. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the corresponding query of at least one of the plurality of applications is related to employees of an organization. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising providing a role selection to the user, the role selection comprising selecting a role from among a plurality of available roles, the role selection determining which of a plurality of services are provided to the user by the plurality of applications and a predetermined data or navigation theme selection for the user, the plurality of available roles being roles of people associated with an organization, the plurality of available roles including at least one of: employee, manager, or system administrator. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 providing an vendor theme customization to a vendor of the plurality of applications, the vendor theme customization comprising associating data and navigation themes with service parameters by the vendor;   providing an administrator theme customization to a system administrator of the plurality of applications, the administrator customization comprising associating data and navigation themes with service parameters by the system administrator; and   providing a user theme customization to the user, the user theme customization comprising associating data and navigation themes with service parameters by the user.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the vendor theme customization occurs before the administrator theme customization, and the administrator theme customization occurs before the user theme customization. 
     
     
         31 . A computer-readable storage medium having program instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method, the method comprising:
 separately executing a plurality of different applications, each application executing a corresponding query to at least one database,   storing, for each application, a plurality of service parameters that control a makeup of a corresponding navigation sequence provided to the user to execute the corresponding query; and   receiving a selection of one of a plurality of navigation themes by the user, wherein the selection of each navigation theme changes the value of at least one of the stored service parameters for each of the plurality of applications to at least one value corresponding to the selected navigation theme, the selection of different navigation themes resulting in different user interface states of the navigation sequences provided to execute the database queries of the plurality of applications.   
     
     
         32 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 31 , wherein the navigation themes include a beginner navigation theme and an advanced navigation theme, selection of the beginner navigation theme selecting a greater number of user interface states of the navigation sequences than selection of the advanced navigation theme. 
     
     
         33 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 31 , wherein the stored service parameters for each application further control display of corresponding query results, including the selection of a subset of the query results to display and an ordering of the display of the selected subset;
 the method further comprising receiving a selection of one of a plurality of data themes by the user, wherein the selection of each of the data themes changes the value of at least one of the stored service parameters of each of the plurality of applications to at least one value corresponding to the selected data theme to control the query result subset selection and display ordering for the plurality of applications.   
     
     
         34 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 31 , wherein the stored plurality of service parameters for each application also control a number and type of messages displayed to the user by the application;
 the method further comprising receiving a selection of one of a plurality of usability themes by the user, wherein the selection of each usability theme changes the value of at least one of the stored service parameters for each of the plurality of applications to at least one value corresponding to the selected usability theme to control the number and type of messages displayed to the user by the plurality of applications.   
     
     
         35 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 31 , wherein each of the plurality of applications provides a different business functionality to the user, and the executing of the plurality of applications includes executing, for each of the plurality of applications, computer program instructions by a processor, the computer program instructions of each application being at least partially different than the computer program instructions of the other applications. 
     
     
         36 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 31 , the method further comprising executing computer program instructions of the plurality of applications by a first processor, wherein executing the plurality of applications includes accessing the at least one database, the database including data stored in a memory and computer program instructions executed by a second processor. 
     
     
         37 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 31 , wherein the corresponding query of at least one of the plurality of applications is related to employees of an organization. 
     
     
         38 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 31 , the method further comprising providing a role selection to the user, the role selection comprising selecting a role from among a plurality of available roles, the role selection determining which of a plurality of services are provided to the user by the plurality of applications and a predetermined data or navigation theme selection for the user, the plurality of available roles being roles of people associated with an organization, the plurality of available roles including at least one of: employee, manager, or system administrator. 
     
     
         39 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 31 , the method further comprising:
 providing an vendor theme customization to a vendor of the plurality of applications, the vendor theme customization comprising associating data and navigation themes with service parameters by the vendor;   providing an administrator theme customization to a system administrator of the plurality of applications, the administrator customization comprising associating data and navigation themes with service parameters by the system administrator; and   providing a user theme customization to the user, the user theme customization comprising associating data and navigation themes with service parameters by the user.   
     
     
         40 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 39 , wherein the vendor theme customization occurs before the administrator theme customization, and the administrator theme customization occurs before the user theme customization.