Customizable, dynamic and on-demand database-informer for relational databases

An apparatus for automatically displaying a tooltip associated with a displayed database object, the apparatus comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable medium that stores,
• a database containing a plurality of records, wherein each record in the plurality of records includes at least one field;
• a database layout layer configured to display, in a layout or design form, a visual representation of the database, the visual representation including one or more selectable database objects, wherein each database object corresponds to a field stored in the database, wherein each database object is associated with one or more state-variables defined in the database;
• an event handler configured to receive an indication to select a first database object, wherein the indication is determined by satisfying a condition or triggering an event;
• a calculation engine configured to automatically calculate a tooltip corresponding to the first database object, wherein the tooltip has been previously defined for the first database object by a user of the database, wherein the tooltip provides information that is related to the first database object;
• a parser configured to automatically parse an expression that is defined for displaying the tooltip, wherein the expression comprises one or more state-variables that are related to the first database object, wherein the one or more state-variables are stored in one or more records of the database;
• and
• program code configured to automatically determine one or more values for the one or more state-variables of the expression, dynamically evaluate the expression based on the one or more determined values of the one or more state-variables, and automatically display the tooltip with a result of the evaluated expression, wherein the tooltip is displayed proximate to and concurrently with the displayed first database object.

A computer-implemented method for automatically displaying a tooltip associated with a displayed database object, the method comprising:

• displaying in a layout or design form, a visual representation of the database, the visual representation including over one or more selectable database objects, wherein each database object corresponds to a field stored in a database, the database containing a plurality of records, wherein each record in the plurality of records includes at least one field, wherein each database object is associated with one or more state-variables defined in the database;
• receiving an indication to select a first database object, wherein the indication is determined by satisfying a condition or triggering an event;
• and
• automatically displaying a tooltip proximate to and concurrently with the displayed first database object, wherein the tooltip was previously defined for the first database object by a user of the database and provides information that is related to the first database object, wherein the tooltip is displayed by receiving an automatically parsed expression that is defined for displaying the tooltip, wherein the expression comprises one or more state-variables that are related to the first database object, wherein the one or more state-variables are stored in one or more records of the database, wherein the parsing includes automatically determining one or more values for the one or more state-variables of the expression and dynamically evaluating the expression based on the one or more determined values of the one or more state-variables.

A computer-implemented method for operating a database program for a database containing a plurality of records, wherein each record in the plurality of records includes at least one field, the method comprising:

• sending information to a graphical user interface allowing the graphical user interface to display, in a layout or design form, a visual representation of the database, the visual representation including one or more selectable database objects, wherein each database object corresponds to a field stored in the database, wherein each database object is associated with one or more state-variables defined in the database;
• receiving an indication that the first database object has been selected, wherein the indication is determined by satisfying a condition or triggering an event;
• automatically calculating a tooltip corresponding to the first database object, wherein the tooltip has been previously defined for the first database object by a user of the database, wherein the tooltip provides information that is related to the first database object;
• automatically parsing an expression that is defined for displaying the tooltip, wherein the expression comprises one or more state-variables that are related to the first database object, wherein the one or more state-variables are stored in one or more records of the database;
• automatically determining one or more values for the one or more state-variables of the expression;
• dynamically evaluating the expression based on the one or more determined values of the one or more state-variables;
• and
• sending the tooltip to the graphical user interface for automatic display with a result of the evaluated expression, wherein the tooltip is displayed proximate to and concurrently with the displayed first database object.

A database program embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium for communicating with a graphical user interface, the database program configured to:

• send information to a graphical user interface allowing the graphical user interface to display, in a layout or design form, a visual representation of the database, the visual representation including one or more selectable database objects, wherein each database object corresponds to a field stored in the database, wherein each database object is associated with one or more state-variables defined in the database;
• receive an indication that the first database object has been selected, wherein the indication is determined by satisfying a condition or triggering an event;
• automatically calculate a tooltip corresponding to the first database object, wherein the tooltip has been previously defined for the first database object by a user of the database, wherein the tooltip provides information that is related to the first database object;
• automatically parse an expression that is defined for displaying the tooltip, wherein the expression comprises one or more state-variables that are related to the first database object, wherein the one or more state-variables are stored in one or more records of the database;
• automatically determine one or more values for the one or more state-variables of the expression;
• dynamically evaluate the expression based on the one or more determined values of the one or more state-variables;
• and
• sending the tooltip to the graphical user interface for automatic display with a result of the evaluated expression, wherein the tooltip is displayed proximate to and concurrently with the displayed first database object.

A computer-implemented method for operating a database program for a database containing a plurality of records, wherein each record in the plurality of records includes at least one field, the method comprising:

• sending information to a graphical user interface allowing the graphical user interface to display, in a layout or design form, a visual representation of the database, the visual representation including one or more selectable database objects, wherein each database object corresponds to a field stored in the database, wherein each database object is associated with one or more state-variables defined in the database;
• receiving an indication that the first database object has been selected, wherein the indication is determined by satisfying a condition or triggering an event;
• determining a group of database objects to which the first database object belongs;
• automatically calculating a tooltip corresponding to the group of database objects, wherein the tooltip has been previously defined for the group of database objects by a user of the database, wherein the tooltip provides information that is related to the group of database objects;
• automatically parsing an expression that is defined for displaying the tooltip, wherein the expression comprises one or more state-variables that are related to the group of database objects, wherein the one or more state-variables are stored in one or more records of the database;
• automatically determining one or more values for the one or more state-variables of the expression;
• dynamically evaluating the expression based on the one or more determined values of the one or more state-variables;
• and
• sending the tooltip to the graphical user interface for automatic display with a result of the evaluated expression, wherein the tooltip is displayed proximate to and concurrently with the displayed first database object.

A computer-implemented method for operating a database program for a database containing a plurality of records, wherein each record in the plurality of records includes at least one field, the method comprising:

• sending information to a graphical user interface allowing the graphical user interface to display, in a layout or design form, a visual representation of the database, the visual representation including one or more selectable database objects, wherein each database object corresponds to a field stored in the database, wherein each database object is associated with one or more state-variables defined in the database;
• receiving an indication that the first database object has been selected, wherein the indication is determined by satisfying a condition or triggering an event;
• receiving an expression intended to be evaluated with respect to the first database object, wherein the expression comprises one or more state-variables that are related to the first database object, wherein the one or more state-variables are stored in one or more records of the database;
• and
• associating the expression with the first database object such that the expression can be dynamically evaluated based on the one or more determined values of the one or more state-variables upon selection of the first database object by a user, and such that the result of the evaluated expression can be automatically displayed in a tooltip, wherein the tooltip is displayed proximate to and concurrently with the first database object.

A graphical user interface embodied in a non-transitory computer readable media, the graphical user interface comprising:

• a layout or design form including code arranged to display a visual representation of a database, the visual representation including one or more selectable database objects, wherein each database object is associated with one or more state-variables defined in the database, wherein the graphical user interface is designed to receive an indication to select a first database object upon the satisfaction of a condition or triggering of an event;
• wherein the graphical user interface is configured to receive an expression intended to be evaluated with respect to the first database object wherein the expression comprises one or more state-variables that are related to the first database object, wherein the one or more state-variables are stored in one or more records of the database;
• and
• wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to send the expression to a database program so that it can be associated with the first database object such that the expression can be dynamically evaluated based on the one or more determined values of the one or more state-variables upon selection of the first database object by a user, and such that the result of the evaluated expression can be automatically displayed in a tooltip by the graphical user interface, wherein the tooltip is displayed proximate to and concurrently with the first database object.