Method and computer system for graphical assignments in hierarchies

A computer system, comprising:

• a memory storing a rule database that includes one or more tables that define object type assignments between a plurality of object types the object type assignments defining one or more object types that are assigned to at least one of the plurality of object types;
• a display for simultaneously displaying a first object hierarchy and a second object hierarchy, the displayed first and second object hierarchies each including a plurality of objects that include at least one sender object in the first object hierarchy for sending data to a receiver object in the second object hierarchy, wherein at least one of the plurality of objects in the first object hierarchy is displayed as a root of another of the plurality of objects displayed in the first object hierarchy, and at least one of the plurality of objects in the second object hierarchy is displayed as a root of another of the plurality of objects displayed in the second object hierarchy;
• an input device for selecting, from the displayed first object hierarchy, a first object having a first object type;
• the display indicating in the displayed second object hierarchy and based on the selected first object type and an object type assignment stored in the rule database for the selected first object type, which of the plurality of objects in the displayed second object hierarchy have object types assigned to the first object type and are thus capable of being assigned to the selected first object, and which of the plurality of objects in the displayed second object hierarchy have object types not assigned to the first object type and are thus not capable of being assigned to the selected first object;
• and
• an input device for creating an assignment between the selected first object of the first object type displayed in the first object hierarchy and a second object displayed in the second object hierarchy, the assignment including a graphical assignment between the selected first object of the first object type displayed in the first object hierarchy and the second object displayed in the second object hierarchy, the second object having an object type assigned to the first object type.

A computer-readable medium haying computer readable program instructions stored thereon, the program instructions stored on the computer readable medium, when executed, instructing at least one processor to execute the steps of:

• storing in a rule database information that includes one or more tables that define object type assignments between a plurality of object types, the object type assignments defining one or more object types that are assigned to at least one of the pluraity of object types;
• displaying a first object hierarchy including a plurality of objects that include at least one sender object for sending data to a receiver object, at least one of the plurality of objects in the first object hierarchy being displayed as a root of another of the displayed plurality of objects in the first object hierarchy;
• displaying, simultaneously with the displayed first object hierarchy, a second object hierarchy including a plurality of objects that include said receiver object for receiving data from said at least one sender object, at least one of the plurality of objects in the second object hierarchy being displayed as a root of another of the displayed plurality of objects in the second object hierarchy;
• receiving a selection of a first object from the displayed first object hierarchy, the selected first object haying a first object type;
• based on the selected first object and the object type assignments stored in the rule database, indicating in the displayed second object hierarchy, which of the plurality of objects in the displayed second object hierarchy have object types assigned to the first object type and are thus capable of being assigned to the selected first object type, and which of the plurality of objects in the displayed second object hierarchy have object types not assigned to the first object type and are thus not capable of being assigned to the selected first object;
• and
• creating an assignment between the selected first object of the first object type displayed in the first object hierarchy and a second object displayed in the second object hierarchy, including creating a graphical assignment between the selected first object of the first object type displayed in the first object hierarchy and the second object displayed in the second object hierarchy, the second object haying an object type assigned to the first object type.

A computer-implemented method for creating assignments between objects, the method comprising:

• storing a rule database that includes one or more tables that define object type assignments between a plurality of object types, the object type assignments defining one or more object types that are assigned to at least one of the plurality of object types;
• displaying a first object hierarchy as a first displayed hierarchical list, the first displayed hierarchical list including a plurality of icons for a plurality of corresponding objects, each corresponding object haying an object type, wherein at least one of the plurality of icons in the first object hierarchy is displayed as a root of another of the displayed plurality of icons in the first object hierarchy;
• simultaneously displaying a second object hierarchy as a second displayed hierarchical list, the second displayed hierarchical list including a plurality of icons for a plurality of corresponding objects, each corresponding object haying an object type, wherein at least one of the plurality of icons in the second object hierarchy is displayed as a root of another of the displayed plurality of icons in the second object hierarchy;
• receiving a selection of a first object from the first displayed hierarchical list, the selected first object haying a first object type;
• based on the selected first object and the object type assignments stored in the rule database indicating in the second displayed hierarchical list, which of the plurality of objects in the second displayed hierarchical list have object types assigned to the first object type and thus capable of being assigned to the selected first object, and which of the plurality of objects in the second displayed hierarchical list have object types not assigned to the first object type and are thus not capable of being assigned to the selected first object;
• and
• creating an assignment between the selected first object displayed in the first displayed hierarchical list and a second object displayed in the second displayed hierarchical list, the second object haying an object type assigned to the first object type.