Tree view for reusable data markup language

Abstract

Methods and systems provide a “tree view” for a markup language referred to as Reusable Data Markup Language (“RDML”). Generally, a tree view comprises the components necessary for automatically manipulating and displaying a graphical display of numerical data contained in RDML markup documents. RDML is a markup language, such as the Hypertext Markup Language (“HTML”) or the Extensible Markup Language (“XML”). Generally, RDML facilitates the browsing and manipulation of numbers, as opposed to text as in HTML, and does so by requiring attributes describing the meaning of the numbers to be attached to the numbers. Upon receiving RDML markup documents, the tree view transforms, formats, manipulates and displays data stored in the markup documents using the attributes describing the meaning of the data. The tree view uses the attributes of the numbers to, for example, facilitate the simultaneous display of different series of numbers of different types on a single display. It automatically displays the relationship between series of numbers while displaying appropriate labels, titles, number precision, etc. A tree view may be a component of a data viewer used to retrieve, manipulate, and view documents in the RDML format.

1 . A method in a data processing system comprising the steps of:
 receiving a first series of numerical values;   receiving a second series of numerical values;   determining a relationship between the first and second series of numerical values; and   displaying an icon depicting the relationship between the first and second series of numerical values values based on the determined relationship.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the icon depicts that the first series of numerical values is a parent of the second series of numerical values. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the icon depicts that the first series of numerical values is a sum of the second series of numerical values and a third series of numerical values. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the icon depicts that the first series of numerical values is a multiplication of the second series of numerical values and a third series of numerical values. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the icon depicts that the first series of numerical values is a member of a group including the second series of numerical values. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the icon depicts that the first series of numerical values is a root of a group including the second series of numerical values. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the icon depicts that the first series of numerical values is a division of the second series of numerical values and a third series of numerical values. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 displaying the first series of numerical values; and   displaying the second series of numerical values.   
   
   
       9 . A method in a data processing system comprising the steps of:
 receiving a series of numerical values and a link associated with the series of numerical values, the link having a list of associated hyperlinks;   displaying the series of numerical values and the associated link;   receiving an instruction to activate the link; and   displaying the list of hyperlinks associated with the link in response to the received instruction.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , further including the steps of:
 receiving a second instruction to activate one of the hyperlinks in the list of hyperlinks; and   activating the one hyperlink.   
   
   
       11 . A method in a data processing system having a display showing a chart, the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving a series of numerical values having associated metadata documentation;   receiving an instruction to select the series of numbers; and   displaying the series of numerical values on the chart while displaying the metadata documentation associated with the series of numerical values.   
   
   
       12 . A computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method comprising the steps of:
 receiving a first series of numerical values;   receiving a second series of numerical values;   determining a relationship between the first and second series of numerical values; and   displaying an icon depicting the relationship between the first and second series of numerical values based on the determined relationship.   
   
   
       13 . The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the icon depicts that the first series of numerical values is a parent of the second series of numerical values. 
   
   
       14 . The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the icon depicts that the first series of numerical values is a sum of the second series of numerical values and a third series of numerical values. 
   
   
       15 . The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the icon depicts that the first series of numerical values is a multiplication of the second series of numerical values and a third series of numerical values. 
   
   
       16 . The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the icon depicts that the first series of numerical values is a member of a group including the second series of numerical values. 
   
   
       17 . The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the icon depicts that the first series of numerical values is a root of a group including the second series of numerical values. 
   
   
       18 . The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the icon depicts that the first series of numerical values is a division of the second series of numerical values and a third series of numerical values. 
   
   
       19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , further comprising the steps of:
 displaying the first series of numerical values; and   displaying the second series of numerical values.   
   
   
       20 . A computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method comprising the steps of:
 receiving a series of numerical values and a link associated with the series of numerical values, the link having a list of associated hyperlinks;   displaying the series of numerical values and the associated link;   receiving an instruction to activate the link; and   displaying the list of hyperlinks associated with the link in response to the received instruction.   
   
   
       21 . The computer readable medium of  claim 20 , further including the steps of:
 receiving a second instruction to activate one of the hyperlinks in the list of hyperlinks; and   activating the one hyperlink.   
   
   
       22 . A computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method comprising the steps of:
 receiving a series of numerical values having associated metadata documentation;   receiving an instruction to select the series of numbers; and   displaying the series of numerical values on the chart while displaying the metadata documentation associated with the series of numerical values.   
   
   
       23 . A data processing system comprising:
 a memory having a program for (1) manipulating numerical values and (2) storing first and second series of numerical values;   a display for displaying the first and second series of numerical values;   a relationship icon on the display depicting the relationship between the first series of numerical values; and   a processor for running the program.   
   
   
       24 . A data processing system comprising:
 means for receiving a first series of numerical values;   means for receiving a second series of numerical values;   means for determining the relationship between the first and second series of numerical values; and   means for displaying an icon depicting the relationship between the first and second series of numerical values based on the determined relationship.