Computer-implemented system and method for tagged and rectangular data processing
AssigneeSAS Institute Inc.
InventorsAnthony L. Friebel, Thomas Warren Cox
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer-implemented system and method for tagged data and rectangular data conversions. The system and method receive tagged input data that is in a non-rectangular format and uses a hierarchical arrangement of tags to indicate data relationships. Data directives are used to parse the tagged input data. The data directives indicate which tags in the hierarchical arrangement of tags are to form which columns in the rectangular formatted data output. The rectangular formatted data output is generated based upon the parsed tagged input data. The data directives may also be used to convert rectangular data into a tagged data format.
Claims53
A computer-implemented data structure conversion method, comprising the steps of:
- receiving tagged input data that is in a non-rectangular format and that uses a hierarchical arrangement of tags to indicate data relationships;
- using data directives to parse the tagged input data,
- said data directives indicating which tags in the hierarchical arrangement tags are to form which columns in a rectangular formatted data output;
- and
- generating rectangular data output based upon the parsed tagged input data.
A computer-implemented data structure conversion method, comprising the steps of:
- receiving rectangular formatted input data that contains columns and rows of data;
- using data directives to parse the rectangular formatted input data,
- said data directives indicating which columns in the rectangular formatted input data are to occupy which positions in a tagged hierarchical arrangement and with what tags;
- and
- generating tagged data based upon the parsed rectangular formatted data,
- said generated tagged data having, in accordance with the data directive, tags arranged in a hierarchy to indicate data relationships.
A computer-human interface for processing tagged input data, said tagged input data being in a non-rectangular format and using a hierarchical arrangement of tags to indicate data relationships, said graphical user interface comprising:
- a first interface region for displaying the tagged input data to a user;
- a second interface region that allows the user to specify a desired rectangular format, said rectangular format including information about columns to be populated with data from the tagged input data;
- and
- an interface mechanism that allows the user to specify which data within the tagged input data shown in the first interface region is to be a source of data for at least one of the columns specified in the second interface region;
- wherein data directives are to be generated for processing the tagged input data based upon information specified by the user through the interface mechanism, said data directives indicating which tags in the hierarchical arrangement of tags are associated with which of the columns.
A computer-human interface for processing rectangular formatted input data, said rectangular formatted input data containing columns and rows of data, said graphical user interface comprising:
- a first interface region for displaying the rectangular formatted input data to a user;
- a second interface region that allows the user to specify a desired tagged data format structure, said tagged data format structure being in a non-rectangular format and using a hierarchical arrangement of data item tags to indicate data relationships;
- and
- an interface mechanism to allow the user to specify which data within the rectangular formatted input data shown in the first interface region is to populate which data item tags specified in the second interface region;
- wherein data directives are generated for parsing the rectangular formatted input data based upon information specified by the user through the interface mechanism, said data directives indicating which columns in the rectangular formatted input data are to be associated with which tags in the tagged hierarchical arrangement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.