Techniques for integrating parameterized information requests into a system for collaborative work

摘要

Techniques used in a system for collaborative work which gives collaborators unskilled in data processing technologies access to a variety of information resources to provide the collaborators with information resources which are obtained in response to parameterized information requests such as queries. The techniques use records in database tables to represent a class of parameterized information requests. Information for instances of the class includes queries that may be used in the instances and default values for bind parameters in the queries. Values for the bind parameters may also be specified for classes of user interfaces that employ the information sources returned by the parameterized information requests and for instances of the user interface. A user may also use specify values for bind parameters in his or her instance of the user interface.

主权项

1. A method for collaboratively accessing information resources in a computer network by specifying a class of parameterized information requests and making instances of parameterized information requests that belong to the class, the method implemented by a processor having access to a data storage, the method, comprising:
accessing, by the processor, objects in the data storage including a connector object in the data storage, the connector object representing the class of parameterized information requests; providing, by the processor, a request parameter object in the data storage that defines a request parameter for parameterized information requests belonging to the class; providing, by the processor, a bind parameter and a bind parameter value; using the request parameter in an instance of a parameterized information request, comprising replacing the bind parameter with the bind value; and providing, by the processor, an information source access object in the data storage that specifies attributes of an information source which will receive the instances of the parameterized information request that belong to the class, the processor responding to an input specifying creation of an instance of the class of parameterized information requests represented by the connector object by using the request parameter defined in the request parameter object and the attributes of the source of information to make the instance of the class.