Generating and applying data transformations in a data import engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11061534-B2
Application number	US-201715701392-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2017
Priority date	Nov 7, 2016
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

An exemplary method includes displaying a UI that includes a data flow pane and a data grid pane, and in response to user selection of a node, displaying, in the data grid pane, a data grid corresponding to the user-selected node. The method further comprises receiving user input on a first cell in the data grid that changes a first data value v1 for the first cell (intersection between a first column and a first row of the data grid) to a first modified data value w1. The method further comprises determining a formula f(v1)=w1 corresponding to the input, inserting a new node into the flow diagram immediately after the user-selected node, and applying the formula f to the first column for each of the plurality of rows in the data grid, including changing a second data value v2 to a second modified data value w2, where v2≠v1 and w2≠w1.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer system for transforming data, comprising:
one or more processors;
memory; and
one or more programs stored in the memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:
displaying a user interface that includes a plurality of panes, including a data flow pane and a data grid pane, wherein the data flow pane includes a flow diagram including a plurality of linked nodes, each node specifying a respective operation and a respective intermediate data set generated upon execution of the respective operation;
in response to user selection of a node in the flow diagram, displaying, in the data grid pane, a data grid comprising a portion of the intermediate data set corresponding to the user-selected node;
receiving user input on a first cell in the data grid that changes a first data value v 1 for the first cell to a first modified data value w 1 , wherein the first cell forms an intersection between a first column and a first row of the data grid; and
in response to receiving the user input:
determining a modification formula f corresponding to the user input such that f(v 1 )=w 1 ;
determining a modification rule that identifies a subset of the intermediate set for which the modification formula should be applied;
inserting a new node into the flow diagram immediately after the user-selected node in execution sequence, wherein the respective operation of the new node is the modification formula f applied to the subset; and
applying the modification formula f to the first column for each row of the subset, including changing a second data value v 2 of a second cell in a second row of the subset to a second modified data value w 2 , where v 2 ≠v 1 , and w 2 ≠w 1 .

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:
identifying a second column in the data grid having a same data type as the first column; and
applying the modification formula f to the second column for each row of a second subset of the intermediate set, including changing a third data value v 3 of a third cell in one of the rows in the second subset to a third modified data value w 3 .

3. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for inserting an additional new node into the flow diagram immediately after the new node in execution sequence, wherein the respective operation of the additional new node is the modification formula f applied to the second subset.

4. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein v 3 ≠v 1 , v 3 ≠v 2 , w 3 ≠w 1 , and w 3 ≠w 2 .

5. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:
receiving additional user input, at the new node, that changes the modification formula f to form an updated modification formula f′; and
applying the updated modification formula f′ to the first column for each of the rows in the subset.

6. The computer system of claim 5 , wherein:
applying the updated modification formula f′ to v 1 results in f′(v 1 )=w 1 ; and
applying the updated modification formula f′ to v 2 results in f′(v 2 )≠w 2 .

7. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:
receiving additional user input to the second cell that changes the modified data value w 2 for the second cell to another modified data value; and
updating the modification formula f to reflect the user modification to the first cell and the user modification of the second cell.

8. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein:
the user input is a second user input; and
the one or more programs further comprise instructions for, before receiving the second user input, receiving a first user input on a third cell in the data grid that changes a third data value v 3 for the third cell to a third modified data value w 3 , wherein the third cell forms an intersection between the first column and one of the plurality of rows of the data grid other than the first and second rows;
wherein:
the modification formula f corresponds to the first and second user inputs; and
the modification formula f is applied to the first column after receiving the first and second user inputs.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a computer system having one or more processors, memory, and a display, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:
displaying a user interface that includes a plurality of panes, including a data flow pane and a data grid pane, wherein the data flow pane includes a flow diagram including a plurality of linked nodes, each node specifying a respective operation and a respective intermediate data set generated upon execution of the respective operation;
in response to user selection of a node in the flow diagram, displaying, in the data grid pane, a data grid comprising a portion of the intermediate data set corresponding to the user-selected node;
receiving user input on a first cell in the data grid that changes a first data value v 1 for the first cell to a first modified data value w 1 , wherein the first cell forms an intersection between a first column and a first row of the data grid; and
in response to receiving the user input:
determining a modification formula f corresponding to the user input such that f(v 1 )=w 1 ;
determining a modification rule that identifies a subset of the intermediate set for which the modification formula should be applied;
inserting a new node into the flow diagram immediately after the user-selected node in execution sequence, wherein the respective operation of the new node is the modification formula f applied to the subset; and
applying the modification formula f to the first column for each row of the subset, including changing a second data value v 2 of a second cell in a second row of the subset to a second modified data value w 2 , where v 2 ≠v 1 , and w 2 ≠w 1 .

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:
identifying a second column in the data grid having a same data type as the first column; and
applying the modification formula f to the second column for each row of a second subset of the intermediate set, including changing a third data value v 3 of a third cell in one of the rows in the second subset to a third modified data value w 3 .

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for inserting an additional new node into the flow diagram immediately after the new node in execution sequence, wherein the respective operation of the additional new node is the modification formula f applied to the second subset.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein v 3 ≠v 1 , v 3 ≠v 2 , w 3 ≠w 1 , and w 3 ≠w 2 .

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:
receiving additional user input, at the new node, that changes the modification formula f to form an updated modification formula f′; and
applying the updated modification formula f′ to the first column for each of the rows in the subset.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein:
applying the updated modification formula f′ to v 1 results in f′(v 1 )=w 1 ; and
applying the updated modification formula f′ to v 2 results in f′(

Assignees

• Tableau Software Inc

Inventors

• Kim Jun
• Pugh Will
• Kunen Isaac

Classifications

• G06T11/26

  Drawing of charts or graphs · CPC title

• G06F8/38 Primary

  for implementing user interfaces · CPC title

• G06F9/451

  Execution arrangements for user interfaces · CPC title

• G06F2203/04803

  Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas · CPC title

• G06F3/04845

  for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour · CPC title