Visual editor for editing complex expressions
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsFrederick Charles Ernest Briden, Yannick Saillet
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods implementing and using techniques for providing a visual editor allowing graphical editing of expressions in an expression language. A graphical user interface is displayed. A first user input of an expression is received. The expression is defined in a logical or textual form, and each component of the expression is represented by a graphical element on the graphical user interface. A syntax of the first user input is verified and an alert is provided to the user in response to detecting a syntax error or an inconsistency of the first user input when verifying the syntax.
Claims10
A computer-implemented method for providing a visual editor allowing graphical editing of logical expressions in a database expression language, comprising:
- displaying a graphical user interface;
- receiving a first user input of a graphical rule logic block on the graphical user interface,
- wherein the graphical rule logic block represents a high-level definition of a logical expression in plain text for one or more of:
- a database query, a database rule and a database condition, and
- wherein the rule logic block includes one or more visual indicators indicating whether the logical expression is usable as is or requires further refinement;
- receiving a second user input of one or more graphical sub-elements, wherein each individual sub-element is presented as a non-alphanumeric geometric shape and is contained within the rule logic block and represents one of:
- an operator of a logical expression and an operand of a logical expression, wherein a graphical sub-element representing an operand further includes one or more visual indicators indicating whether the operand is usable as is or requires further refinement;
- verifying a syntax of the second user input;
- and
- providing an alert to the user in response to detecting a syntax error or an inconsistency of the second user input when verifying the syntax.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.