Method and system for generating a user interface adaptable to various database management systems

A system for generating a user interface adaptable to various database management schemas comprising:

• a database containing a plurality of data items;
• and
• a computer system coupled to the database including:
• means for generating an intermediate data model from the database having a model and a meta-model categorizing the plurality of data items as either a data object type or a functional object type, the data object type representing a type of data contained in the database and the functional object type representing a plurality of relationships existing between instances of a plurality of the data object types, the model containing a plurality of entities and a plurality of relationships, the plurality of data items being instances of the plurality of entities and the plurality of relationships, and the meta-model containing a plurality of entity object types and a plurality of relationship object types, the plurality of entities being instances of the plurality of entity object types and the plurality of relationships being instances of the plurality of relationship object types, and the plurality of entity object types further being instances of the data object type and the plurality of relationship object types further being instances of the functional object type;
• means for executing a plurality of internal dialogs to retrieve data representing the plurality of entity object types, the plurality of relationship object types, the plurality of entities and the plurality of relationships so as to determine the model and the meta-model of the intermediate data model;
• and
• means for generating the user interface independent of the database based on the data retrieved by the internal dialogs;
• and
• a display coupled to the database and the computer system for displaying the user interface.