Customizable information management system

Abstract

An application or a tool is provided that allows building an application including its business rules, validation, and related sub-systems at one time from a user perspective with simplified user interface and simplified terminology. The system may be customizable at an advanced level as well. The method provided for managing information includes: forming a meta data structure containing first information; forming an application data structure containing second information; and establishing associations between the meta data structure and the application data structure wherein the first information has the second information associated therewith.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for managing information with one or more computers that execute instructions to perform actions, comprising:
 forminginstantiating a system application to perform actions, including:
 generating a meta data structure containing first information for, wherein the first information is employed by the system application to perform further actions, including:
 providinggenerating a user interface, 
 determining features for the user interface, and 
 determining the contents of a profile; and 
   forminggenerating an application data structure containing second information for, wherein the second information is employed by the system application to perform further actions, including:
 maintaining provided user application information,   storing the user application information, and   drivingemploying an engine to generate the profile as an application; and     establishing associations between the meta data structure and the application data structure, wherein the corresponding association of the first information has and the second information associated therewith to form and are employed to display a the profiler application and the association, and wherein the first information is employed by the profiler application to enable static actions and the second information is employed by the profiler application to enable user modifiable actions; and   employing a physical bar code reader to scan a bar code and other information to uniquely identify a record comprised of data defined by the first information and second information that is configured with the use of the profiler application to display the record to a user or transfer the record from a disposition to another disposition; and   wherein:   
 formingemploying the meta data structure includes formingto include master list structures having:
 a field type structure that is employed to present one or more types of fields to the user, having:
 a list of field types available to a user, 
 a text field, 
 a date field, and 
 a mask edit field; and 
   a property type structure that is employed to allow selection of a list of values or entry of a new value by the user, having:
 a list of properties for a field, 
 a list of values for a the field, 
 Boolean logic, and 
 a new value entry; and  
   a property structure having:
 a list of valid properties for the field, and 
 a master list of all properties available in the profiler application; and 
   a field type property structure that is employed to associate the field type structure with the property structure.   
 
     
     
       2. The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein:
 forming the application data structure includes forming run-time structures having:
 a field definition structure having:
 a master list of all user-defined fields created by a the user, 
 a field name, and 
 a field type; and 
 
 a field property structure having:
 relationships between a user-defined field and a property of the user-defined field and 
 values of the property. 
 
 
 
     
     
       3. The method as claimed in  claim 1  additionally comprising:
 formingproviding tables including:
 a folder field table for:
 storing a folder record, 
 storing a user-defined field, 
 generating a the user interface, 
 provides proper data types and sizes for a folder, and 
 permitting undeleting of an unintentionally deleted field; and 
   a lookup table for:
 providing a drop down menu. 
   
 
     
     
       4. The method as claimed in  claim 1  additionally comprising:
 reading the meta data structure by an the application; 
 reading the application data structure by the application; and 
 adding customization information to form a the profile. 
 
     
     
       5. The method as claimed in  claim 1  additionally comprising:
 reading the meta data structure by an the application; 
 reading the application data structure by the application; 
 adding customization information to form a the profile; 
 entering user information using the profile to form a folder. 
 
     
     
       6. The method as claimed in  claim 1  additionally comprising:
 reading the meta data structure by an the application; 
 reading the application data structure by the application; 
 adding customization information to form a the profile; and 
 entering user information using a mode selected from a group consisting of an individual mode, a batch mode, a bar code mode, and a combination thereof. 
 
     
     
       7. The method as claimed in  claim 1  additionally comprising:
 reading the meta data structure by an the application including a web application and a desktop application; 
 storing a web profile for the web application; and 
 storing an application profile for the desktop application. 
 
     
     
       8. The method as claimed in  claim 1  additionally comprising:
 validating associations of the meta data structure and the application data structure using dynamic HTML or another syntax appropriate for other targeted platforms. 
 
     
     
       9. The method as claimed in  claim 1  additionally comprising:
 adding a generator engine for targeting a wired and wireless platform. 
 
     
     
       10. A method for managing information with one or more computers that execute instructions to perform actions, comprising:
 forminginstantiating a system application to perform actions, including:
 generating a meta data structure containing first information using a database server for, wherein the first information is employed by the system application to perform further actions, including:
 providinggenerating a user interface, 
 determining features for the user interface, and 
 determining the contents of a profile; and 
   forminggenerating an application data structure containing second information using the database server for, wherein the second information is employed by the system application to perform further actions, including:
 maintaining provided user application information,   storing the user application information, and   drivingemploying an engine to generate the profile as an application; and     establishing associations between the meta data structure and the application data structure, wherein the corresponding association of the first information has and the second information associated therewith to form and are employed to display a profiler using the database server application and the association, and wherein the first information is employed by the profiler application to enable static actions and the second information is employed by the profiler application to enable user modifiable actions; and   employing one or more of a physical bar code reader to scan a bar code or other readers to uniquely identify a record comprised of data defined by the first information and second information that is configured with the use of the profiler application to display the record to a user or transfer the record from a disposition to another disposition; and    wherein:   
 formingemploying the meta data structure includes formingto include master list structures using the database server and having:
 a field type structure that is employed to present one or more types of fields to the user, having:
 a list of field types available to a user, 
 a text field, 
 a date field, and 
 a mask edit field; and 
   a property type structure that is employed to allow selection of a list of values or entry of a new value by the user, having:
 a list of properties for a field, 
 a list of values for a the field, 
 Boolean logic, and 
 a new value entry; and 
   a property structure having:
 a list of valid properties for the field, and 
 a master list of all properties available in the profiler application; and 
   a field type property structure that is employed to associate the field type structure with the property structure.   
 
     
     
       11. The method as claimed in  claim 10  wherein:
 forming the application data structure includes forming run-time structures using the database server and having:
 a field definition structure having:
 a master list of all user-defined fields created by a the user, 
 a field name, and 
 a field type; and 
 
 a field property structure having:
 relationships between a user-defined field and a property of the user-defined field and 
 values of the property. 
 
 
 
     
     
       12. The method as claimed in  claim 10  additionally comprising:
 formingproviding tables including:
 a folder field table for:
 storing a folder record, 
 storing a user-defined field, 
 generating a the user interface, 
 provides proper data types and sizes for a folder, and 
 permitting undeleting of an unintentionally deleted field; and 
   a lookup table for:
 providing a drop down menu. 
   
 
     
     
       13. The method as claimed in  claim 10  additionally comprising:
 reading the meta data structure by an the application; 
 reading the application data structure by the application; and 
 adding customization information to form a the profile. 
 
     
     
       14. The method as claimed in  claim 10  additionally comprising:
 reading the meta data structure by an the application; 
 reading the application data structure by the application; 
 adding customization information to form a the profile; 
 entering user information using the profile to form a folder. 
 
     
     
       15. The method as claimed in  claim 10  additionally comprising:
 reading the meta data structure by an the application; 
 reading the application data structure by the application; 
 adding customization information to form a the profile; and 
 entering user information using a mode selected from a group consisting of an individual mode, a batch mode, a bar code mode, and a combination thereof. 
 
     
     
       16. The method as claimed in  claim 10  additionally comprising:
 reading the meta data structure by an the application including a web application and a desktop application; 
 storing a web profile for the web application; and 
 storing an application profile for the desktop application. 
 
     
     
       17. The method as claimed in  claim 10  additionally comprising:
 validating associations of the meta data structure and the application data structure using dynamic HTML or another syntax appropriate for other targeted platforms. 
 
     
     
       18. The method as claimed in  claim 10  additionally comprising:
 adding a generator engine for targeting a wired and wireless platform. 
 
     
     
       19. A method for managing information with one or more computers that execute instructions to perform actions, comprising:
 forminginstantiating a system application to perform actions, including:
 generating a meta data structure containing first information for, wherein the first information is employed by the system application to perform further actions, including:
 providinggenerating a user interface, 
 determining features for the user interface, and 
 determining the contents of a profile; and 
   forminggenerating an application data structure containing second information for, wherein the second information is employed by the system application to perform further actions, including:
 maintaining provided user application information,   storing the user application information, and   drivingemploying an engine to generate the profile as an application; and     establishing associations between the meta data structure and the application data structure, wherein the corresponding association of the first information has and the second information associated therewith to form and are employed to display a profiler application and the association, and wherein the first information is employed by the profiler application to enable static actions and the second information is employed by the profiler application to enable user modifiable actions;   employing a physical bar code reader to scan a bar code and other information to uniquely identify a record comprised of data defined by the first information and second information that is configured with the use of the profiler application to display the record to a user or transfer the record from a disposition to another disposition.   
 
     
     
       20. The method as claimed in  claim 19  wherein:
 forming the meta data structure includes forming master list structures having:
 a field type structure that is employed to present one or more types of fields to the user, having:
 a list of field types available to a user, 
 a text field, 
 a date field, and 
 a mask edit field; and 
 
 a property type structure that is employed to allow selection of a list of values or entry of a new value by the user, having:
 a list of properties for a field, 
 a list of values for a the field, 
 Boolean logic, and 
 a new value entry; and 
 
 a property structure having:
 a list of valid properties for the field, and 
 a master list of all properties available in the profiler application; and 
 
 a field type property structure having:
 associations between the field type structure and that is employed to associate the field type structure with the property structure. 
 
 
 
     
     
       21. The method as claimed in  claim 19  wherein:
 forming the application data structure includes forming run-time structures having:
 a field definition structure having:
 a master list of all user-defined fields created by a the user, 
 a field name, and 
 a field type; and 
 
 a field property structure having:
 relationships between a user-defined field and a property of the user-defined field and 
 values of the property. 
 
 
 
     
     
       22. The method as claimed in  claim 19  additionally comprising:
 formingproviding tables including:
 a folder field table for:
 storing a folder record, 
 storing a user-defined field, 
 generating a the user interface, 
 provides proper data types and sizes for a folder, and 
 permitting undeleting of an unintentionally deleted field; and 
   a lookup table for:
 providing a drop down menu. 
   
 
     
     
       23. The method as claimed in  claim 19  additionally comprising:
 reading the meta data structure by an the application; 
 reading the application data structure by the application; and 
 adding customization information to form a the profile. 
 
     
     
       24. The method as claimed in  claim 19  additionally comprising:
 reading the meta data structure by an the application; 
 reading the application data structure by the application; 
 adding customization information to form a the profile; 
 entering user information using the profile to form a folder. 
 
     
     
       25. The method as claimed in  claim 19  additionally comprising:
 reading the meta data structure by an the application; 
 reading the application data structure by the application; 
 adding customization information to form a the profile; and 
 entering user information using a mode selected from a group consisting of an individual mode, a batch mode, a bar code mode, and a combination thereof. 
 
     
     
       26. The method as claimed in  claim 19  additionally comprising:
 reading the meta data structure by an the application including a web application and a desktop application; 
 storing a web profile for the web application; and 
 storing an application profile for the desktop application. 
 
     
     
       27. The method as claimed in  claim 19  additionally comprising:
 validating associations of the meta data structure and the application data structure using dynamic HTML or another syntax appropriate for other targeted platforms. 
 
     
     
       28. The method as claimed in  claim 19  additionally comprising:
 adding a generator engine for targeting a wired and wireless platform.