Patent ID: 8060819
Filing Date: 2011-11-15
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for using a computer system to display a sequence of views of automatically generated permutations of a table of data objects, wherein selected columns of parametric values of the data objects are excluded from automated permutation, the method consisting of: a. in response to a query, displaying a table, said table having a number of rows and columns, each row including respective ones of the parametric values for a respective one of the data objects and each column representing a parameter; b. in response to a selection of at least one of the columns of the table to be excluded from automated sorting of the data objects within the table, wherein at least two of the columns are not selected for exclusion from said automated sorting, indicating that the selected at least one column has been excluded from said automated sorting; c. in response to an indication to perform the automated sorting, automatically generating a plurality of permutations of the table, said permutations being representations of the table sorted according to the parameters other than one or more parameters represented by the at least one column selected for exclusion from the automated sorting, wherein the number of permutations of the table is equal to all possible permutations of column order excluding said at least one column that has been excluded from said automated sorting; d. displaying a view of a first one of the permutations of the data table, wherein the one or more parameters represented by the at least one column selected for exclusion from the automated sorting are included in the view of the first one of the permutations of the data table; e. responsive to an indication to display a second one of the permutations of the data table, displaying a view of the second one of the permutations of the data table, wherein the one or more parameters represented by the at least one column selected for exclusion from the automated sorting are included in the view of the second one of the permutations of the data table; and f. responsive to further indications to display others of the permutations of the data table, displaying respective further views of the respective further ones of the permutations of the data table, wherein the one or more parameters represented by the at least one column selected for exclusion from the automated sorting are included in the respective further views of the respective further ones of the permutations of the data table.