Methods and systems for entering object assignments

A computer program product for creating an assignment between at least a first object of a first object hierarchy and at least a second object of a second object hierarchy, wherein at least the second object hierarchy includes a plurality of objects that are sub-objects of a root object and at least one folder represented by a folder object that is the root object for the plurality of sub-objects, and wherein a first subset of the plurality of sub-objects can be assigned to the first object, and a second subset of the plurality of sub-objects cannot be assigned to the first object, the computer program product being stored on a computer-readable storage medium and comprising computer executable instructions for:

• simultaneously displaying the first object in the first object hierarchy and the folder object in the second object hierarchy;
• enabling a user's selection of the first displayed object from the first object hierarchy via a graphical user interface;
• in response to the selection, displaying an indicator symbol for the folder object, the indicator symbol indicating that at least one of the plurality of sub-objects can be assigned to the first object;
• and
• selecting the folder object to automatically create an assignment between the first object and each of the plurality of sub-objects in the first subset without creating an assignment between the first object and any of the plurality of sub-objects in the second subset.

A data processing system, comprising:

• means for storing first and second object hierarchies, wherein the first object hierarchy includes a first object and at least the second object hierarchy includes a plurality of objects that are sub-objects of a root object and at least one folder represented by a folder object that is the root object for the plurality of sub-objects, each object of the first and second object hierarchies having an object type of a pre-defined set of object types, wherein a first subset of the plurality of sub-objects can be assigned to the first object, and a second subset of the plurality of sub-objects cannot be assigned to the first object;
• and
• means for simultaneously displaying the first object in the first object hierarchy and the folder object in the second object hierarchy on a graphical user interface,
• wherein the graphical user interface is adapted to enable a user's selection of the displayed first object from the first object hierarchy and, in response to the user's selection of the displayed first object, display, an indicator symbol for the folder object, and in response to a user's selection of the folder object when the indicator symbol is displayed, automatically create an assignment between the first object and each of the plurality of sub-objects in the first subset.