Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Zachary P Woodall

Clinton Dee Covington

Pavel R Karimov

Michael J McCormack

Christopher Warren Bryant

Stephen I Lesser

Kumar Srinivasamurthy

Robert Scott Cooper

Dan Jacob Hough

Richard Lee Dickinson

Brian Eugene Kihneman

Vitore Selca

Nishant Kumar

Vijay Mital

Steven Miles Greenberg

Brian Scott Ruble

Andrew Robert Miller

Gregory Scott Lindhorst

Neil Warren Black

Robert Coggins

Kelly Michael Krout

Richard Shawn McDowell

Adam Russell Kenney

Abigail Elisabeth Short

Michael J Eatough

Tosh Kawai

Robert E Coggins

Michael J Mccormack

Christopher W Bryant

Victore Selca

Technologies are described herein for generating a platform-independent data application. In one method, a definition of a data schema is received for defining data types. A definition of a user interface is also received for access data stored in the data types. Further, a definition of business logic is received for enforcing validation rules and actions associated with the data types. The definitions of the data schema, the user interface, and the business logic are each received in a platform-independent format and used to generate the platform-independent data application.

Platform-independent data application description language

A palette of representations that can be generated by an application for database, spreadsheet, word processing, and the like, is provided in response to a request for a new object within the application. If the application already has one or more objects open at the time of the request, the representations are also determined based on the context of the data such as from any currently open object(s). The new object is then generated based on the selected representation from the palette, the context of the data, and a structure of data consumed by the application. The layout parameters for the new object are automatically set based on the current context, the structure of the data, and the selected representation.

Quick-creating objects in an application

An improved user interface is provided for displaying selectable software functionality controls of a database application. When a task-based functionality tab is selected from the user interface, selectable functionality controls provided by the associated database application for performing aspects of a task related to the selected tab are presented in a ribbon-shaped user interface above a workspace in which a user is entering or editing data. Upon selection of a different task-based functionality tab, the presentation of functionality controls associated with the first task is removed, and selectable functionality controls associated with the second selected task-based functionality tab are presented in the user interface. The selectable functionality controls presented in the user interface are grouped into logical groupings for more efficient utilization. An extensibility model is provided for allowing users to develop and use customized user interfaces and to allow utilization of legacy user interfaces.

Command user interface for displaying selectable functionality controls in a database application

A method and system for the graphical specification and modification of reports is disclosed which enables data reports to be easily created via a report design dialogue. The report design dialogue includes a group-level outline panel containing controls for grouping, as well as other report controls such as those for sorting and aggregating. A method and system for creating a group-level outline panel using an existing database report is also disclosed. Finally, a computer-readable medium storing a computer-interpretable data structure that stores one or more report specifications is disclosed.

Easy-to-use data report specification

A browse mode designer allows an average user of a database application program to easily design reports. The user can use the browse mode designer to build meaningful reports that aggregate data and that combine related data into shaped patterns for easier consumption of information. The browse mode designer can interpret a user's actions and extrapolate what actions are to be performed. A user interface can be used to let the user change the resulting views while being designed.

Dynamically generating a database report during a report building process

A user interface is provided that allows users to create queries interactively. The user interface operates by creating a source query (or, for example, SQL commands) for the user while they select fields from a data source. This provides users with an alternative to using conventional designers, wizards, or other tools to manually generate a query.

Data source task pane

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Issaquah, WA, United States of America

Zachary P Woodall