Visual approach to searching databases

摘要

A visual approach to searching a database includes displaying a plurality of logical rules for searching a database, narrowing a search scope in response to a first selection of at least one logical rule, dividing the search scope into divisions in response to a second selection of at least one displayed criterion, and displaying each of the divisions in a search tree structure.

主权项

1. A method of a visual approach to searching databases, comprising:
generating a user interface viewable on a display of a computer, wherein the user interface includes a listing section that includes a rules listing subsection and a criteria listing subsection, a drop space section, and an analysis chart section including an analysis chart, and wherein a plurality of logical rules are displayed in the rules listing subsection for searching a database and a plurality of criteria are displayed in the criteria listing subsection; in response to a logical rule being moved from the rules listing subsection into the drop space section,
narrowing an initial search scope, andgenerating a search tree structure in the drop space section, wherein the search tree structure includes a base node representing the initial search scope and a branch node connected to the initial node representing the narrowed, initial search scope; in response to a criterion being moved from the criteria listing subsection into the drop space section,
dividing the narrowed, initial search scope into divisions, andincluding a leaf node for each of the divisions in the search tree structure, wherein each leaf node is connected to the branch node, and each leaf node represents search objects from the database that are in a respective one of the divisions; and in response to a selected leaf node from the search tree structure being moved into the analysis chart,
determining categories in the analysis chart, andfor each of the categories, determining the search objects for the selected leaf node that fall within the category, and displaying information in the analysis chart for the search objects that are determined to fall within the category.