Resequencing actionable task structures for transforming data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10514827-B2
Application number	US-201715430358-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2017
Priority date	Feb 10, 2017
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products that are provided for resequencing actionable task structures include features for detecting and reflecting compatibility issues of discrete tasks in the actionable task structures. After receiving input for resequencing an actionable task structure, attributes associated with the resequenced tasks are accessed and analyzed. Compatibility is determined and reflected in the display of the task identifiers, with one or more visual identifiers. The visual indicators can also be used to reflect suggested changes to the actionable task structure, based on a comparison of the task attributes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computing system comprising:
one or more processor(s); and
one or more computer-readable hardware storage device(s) having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processor(s) to cause the computing system to resequence a task list comprising a plurality of tasks that, when executed, transform a data set into a modified data set by causing the computing system to:
obtain the task list that includes the plurality of tasks, wherein each task in the task list includes (i) a task label, (ii) a data transformation operation, and (iii) metadata that identifies particular data on which the data transformation operation is to be applied, the particular data being included in the data set;
display the task list, the task list being organized as an ordered listing associated with a particular sequence for executing each of the tasks in the task list, the task labels also being displayed as a result of the task list being displayed;
for each respective task label that is displayed, display a corresponding visual identifier simultaneously with each respective task label such that a list of visual identifiers is displayed simultaneously with the task list,
wherein each visual identifier in the list of visual identifiers displays an operational compatibility as between (i) a corresponding task of each visual identifier and (ii) either a previous task that is previously-listed in the task list relative to said corresponding task or, alternatively, a subsequent task that is subsequently-listed in the task list relative to said corresponding task;

display a set of suggested tasks that are each selectable for incorporation into the task list, wherein each respective suggested task in the set of suggested tasks is visually ordered within the set of suggested tasks based on a quantity of records that would be changed in the data set if said each respective suggested task were implemented;
receive user input that is operable to modify the ordered listing;
change the ordered listing to create a new ordered listing;
determine whether the new ordered listing is capable of transforming the data set into the modified data set based at least in part on whether the data transformation operation is compatible with the particular data; and
render output that indicates whether the new ordered listing is capable of transforming the data set into the modified data set.

2. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the new ordered listing is capable of transforming the data set into the modified data set includes:
determining that the new ordered listing is incapable of transforming the data set into the modified data set as a result of a first task in the new ordered listing generating output data that is incompatible to operate as input data for a second task in the new ordered listing, the second task occurring subsequent to the first task in the new ordered listing.

3. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions further causes the computing system to:
visually identify one or more task(s) in the task list that are impacted as a result of the ordered listing being changed.

4. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions further causes the computing system to:
visually identify one or more suggested new task(s) to add to the task list, wherein the one or more suggested new task(s) are identified based on a determination that the one or more suggested new task(s), when applied to the data set, will cause the data set to be transformed into the modified data set.

5. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions further causes the computing system to:
visually identify one or more suggested change(s) to make to one or more task(s) in the task list, wherein the one or more suggested change(s) are identified based on a determination that the one or more suggested change(s), when applied to the one or more task(s) in the task list, will cause the data set to be transformed into the modified data set.

6. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the user input that is operable to modify the ordered listing of tasks in the task list comprises adding a new task to the task list.

7. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the user input that is operable to modify the ordered listing of tasks in the task list comprises deleting a preexisting task from the task list.

8. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the user input that is operable to modify the ordered listing of tasks in the task list comprises changing a sequenced ordering of two or more tasks in the task list.

9. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the metadata identifies a particular type of data that is operable to be transformed by the task.

10. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the metadata identifies a particular location of data that is operable to be transformed by the task.

11. A computer-implemented method for resequencing a task list comprising a plurality of tasks that, when executed, transform a data set into a modified data set, the method comprising:
obtaining the task list that includes the plurality of tasks, wherein each task in the task list includes (i) a task label, (ii) a data transformation operation, and (iii) metadata that identifies particular data on which the data transformation operation is to be applied, the particular data being included in the data set;
displaying the task list, the task list being organized as an ordered listing associated with a particular sequence for executing each of the tasks in the task list, the task labels also being displayed as a result of the task list being displayed;
for each respective task label that is displayed, displaying a corresponding visual identifier simultaneously with each respective task label such that a list of visual identifiers is displayed simultaneously with the task list,
wherein each visual identifier in the list of visual identifiers displays an operational compatibility as between (i) a corresponding task of each visual identifier and (ii) either a previous task that is previously-listed in the task list relative to said corresponding task or, alternatively, a subsequent task that is subsequently-listed in the task list relative to said corresponding task;

displaying a set of suggested tasks that are each selectable for incorporation into the task list, wherein each respective suggested task in the set of suggested tasks is visually ordered within the set of suggested tasks based on a quantity of records that would be changed in the data set if said each respective suggested task were implemented;
receiving user input that is operable to modify the ordered listing;
changing the ordered listing to create a new ordered listing;
determining whether the new ordered listing is capable of transforming the data set into the modified data set based at least in part on whether the data transformation operation is compatible with the particular data; and
rendering output that indicates whether the new ordered listing is capable of transforming the data set into the modified data set.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining whether the new ordered listing is capable of transforming the data set into the modified data set includes:
determining that the new ordered listing is incapable of transforming the data set into the modified data set as a result of a first task in the new ordered listing generating output data that is incompatible to operate as input data for a second task in the new ordered lis

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Jones Taurean Addair
• Cheung Chairy Chiu Ying
• Gomez Jose Ramon Calzada

Classifications

• G06F40/205

  Parsing · CPC title

• G06F3/0482 Primary

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F3/0486

  Drag-and-drop · CPC title

• G06F16/258 Primary

  Data format conversion from or to a database · CPC title

• G06F17/2705

  Physics · mapped topic