Abstract:
Systems, methods, and computer readable media provide space-efficient user interfaces to data cubes and pivot table information. Because the user interfaces are more efficient in usage of display area, smaller displays can be used more effectively in reviewing such data. The user interfaces provide a multi-dimensional navigation approach among dimensions represented in the data, which allows users to more easily maintain context when reviewing large pivot table reports, and the like. Other user interface features that ease review of such reports on smaller devices also are disclosed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/197,893, entitled “USER INTERFACE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DATA FROM DATA CUBES AND PIVOT TABLES,” filed Aug. 25, 2008, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/023,058, entitled “CUBE NAVIGATOR,” filed Jan. 23, 2008, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The invention in general relates to user interfaces for electronic devices, and more particularly to user interfaces for reviewing summarizations of tabular data on electronic devices with smaller displays. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    A common example of tabular data is a spreadsheet having a plurality of columns, each with a column title indicative of a different data dimension that respectively can have multiple values. Selections of the values are provided in rows, and often a respective numerical quantity is associated with the value selections of each row. An example excerpt from a spreadsheet is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Because tabular data can have a number of different dimensions associated with many individual entries, it can be difficult to extract meaning and higher-level conclusions from the data. For example, in a spreadsheet that organizes sales by geographic region and by time-related dimensions (example in  FIG. 1 ), there often will be a separate row entry for each item of sales data for each combination of geographic region and time span. So without a way to produce summaries of the data for higher-level geographic regions and time spans, it may be difficult to make higher-level conclusions from such data. 
         [0006]    Pivot tables and data cubes provide mechanisms that can help with aggregating large data sets into summarizations that are more easily digestable, and hence useful for analysis. One view of a data cubes (sometimes also called an OLAP cube) is that a data cube is an extension to the two-dimensional array of a spreadsheet. An example usage for a data cube is that a financial analyst might want to view different summarizations of a data set.  FIG. 1  is further described to provide a more specific example. 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  shows a screen capture  101  of a portion of a spreadsheet of sales data  115  (column H as depicted) and associated with each row entry of sales data  115  are a plurality of dimensions collectively identified as  106 , and which include Region, Territory, Business Type, Year  116 , Quarter  117 , and Month  118  (Year  116 , Quarter  117 , and Month  118  are separately numbered and provide an example of a natural hierarchical arrangement of dimensions). Each of these dimensions  105  has a plurality of values, and a selection of a value for each dimension is associated with a particular entry in sales data  115 . For example, row 2 includes the value “Americas” for the region dimension and “2006” for the Year dimension associated with the Sales value 88,424. 
         [0008]    Since this form of tabular data does not provide any sort of summarization of the sales data  115  according to any of the associated dimensions, mechanisms exist to help with that data summarization, one example of such mechanisms is a pivot table, and another related tool is a data cube. A pivot table is a data summarization tool found in data visualization programs such as spreadsheets. Among other functions, it can automatically sort, count, and total the data stored in one table or spreadsheet and create a second table displaying the summarized data. Pivot tables are useful to create crosstabs quickly. The user sets up and changes the summary&#39;s structure by dragging-and-dropping fields graphically. This “rotation” or pivoting of the summary table gives the concept its name. 
         [0009]      FIG. 2A  shows a screen shot  201  of a portion of a pivot table that can be created from the spreadsheet of  FIG. 1 . A Sum of Sales  205  is what has been selected to be summarized in the entries of the data columns, starting with column E. Dimensions Region ( 110 ), Territory, Business Type, and Product were selected to be dimensions that will cause row-based organization of the pivot table, while the naturally hierarchical dimensions Year, Month, and Quarter were selected as dimensions that will cause column-based organization of the pivot table. Values Americas  105   a  and Asia  105   b  are separately identified values within Region dimension  110 . Each dimension selected for row-based organization appears in a separate column across a top portion of the pivot table, and are collectively identified as  210 . 
         [0010]    Since the sum of sales  205  was selected, the values presented at the intersections between the rows and columns present a sum of sales for the values of the dimensions corresponding to those respective rows and columns. For example, column E, row 5 depicts a sum of sales for 2006 for the Corporate business type, within the Central Territory, within the Americas Region. 
         [0011]    Each dimension includes a drop down arrow that when selected results in appearance of a picklist, as shown in  FIG. 2B  for the example dimension Region. By selecting or unselecting values in this picklist, data for different values of the Region dimension can be shown or not shown. At least one value for each dimension must be selected, or the main pivot table organization must be revisited to remove that dimension (e.g., at least one region must be selected). As will be shown below, more granularity or less granularity of data specificity can be obtained by double clicking on different values for the row-based and column-based dimensions. Such double-clicking results in certain behaviors, some of which are summarized below. 
         [0012]    Both the spreadsheet and the pivot table of these examples are very modest in size, and actual pivot tables can be substantially bigger in terms of the amount of data, including a number of dimensions, and a number of values appearing in each dimension (e.g., a SKU dimension could have hundreds of entries, a large retail chain could have hundreds of stores and thousands of SKUs). Thus, a pivot table can be extremely large. 
         [0013]    Users have managed to use such pivot tables to advantage, and have benefitted from relatively large and still growing screen sizes available on desktop computers. However, mobile devices are proliferating and growing in an amount of available computer power. It would be desirable to be able to access such pivot tables from mobile devices, including laptops, smart phones and the like. These devices generally have smaller screens, and usually, more portable devices, such as smart phones have even smaller screens that portable devices such as laptops. 
         [0014]      FIG. 2A  illustrates an example display  220  of a mobile device, such that anything within the interior of display  220  would be what is viewed by a user of the mobile device. Thus,  FIG. 2A  further illustrates that a user of a mobile device having display  220  would be able to view only a very limited portion of even the small pivot table here. 
         [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates display  220  superimposed on another view of the same pivot table. Comparing  FIG. 2A  to  FIG. 3 , the difference between them illustrates that a user can double click on the “Central” value of the Territory dimension for the Americas region (i.e., Row 5, Column B contains the value “Central” for the Territory dimension, and this row also corresponds to the value “Americas” of the Region dimension. The pivot table responds by causing all the values for the Business Type and Product dimensions to be hidden, for all of the values of the Region dimension (i.e., including for values “Asia” and “Europe”). However, even with all of that extra detail hidden, not much of the pivot table can be viewed at one time, and it is apparent, for example, that data values even for the first year 2006 would not be visible at the same time as the Territory values to which those data values correspond. 
         [0016]      FIG. 4  illustrates a further view  401  of the same pivot table, also having display  220  superimposed thereon. In view  401 , a more expanded view of the row dimensions (See  FIG. 2A ) are depicted. This view  401  can be arrived at from the pivot table view of  FIG. 3  first by double clicking on any of the Central values for any of the Regions (e.g., either the Central value for the Americas or Asia Region can be clicked, with the same result), then any of the then displayed Corporate values of Business type are double clicked, resulting in display of the Product values shown in view  401  (identified as  411 ,  312 , and  413 ). At each step, a summarization of sales would be shown in the field data appropriate for that view. In other words, after one double click on Central, then corporate and retail values would be shown, and sales summarization for 2006 would be shown in column E. 
         [0017]    From the view of  FIG. 4 , the view of  FIG. 3  can be obtained again by double clicking only on any of the Central values of any Territory (i.e., the entire expanded view collapses with one double click.) However, the pivot table, if any of the Central regions is again clicked, would return to the view of  FIG. 4 , and would not first display only sum of sales data for Business type, for example. In other word, the pivot table remembers a previous degree of expansion and returns to that degree, rather than going through intermediate values. To cause the pivot table to traverse the intermediate dimensions requires double clicking on each intermediate dimension. 
         [0018]      FIG. 5  illustrates an example of the same pivot table, where the Corporate value  505  in Row 5, Column C was selected, causing all the Product dimension values to be hidden. If the Central value of Column B, Row 5 were then double clicked, the view would return to that of  FIG. 3 , and if that Central value were double clicked again, the view would return to that of  FIG. 5 , not that of  FIG. 4 . 
         [0019]      FIG. 6  also illustrates a screen capture  601  of a portion of the same pivot table.  FIG. 6  is for illustrating another behavior of a pivot table.  FIG. 6  illustrates that the column dimensions are expanded, such that the Year 2006 dimension also has displayed Q1, Q2, and Q3. Q2 has displayed months April, May, and June. The months April, May, and June were shown after double clicking on the Q2 value  605 . The data values appearing in columns to the right of Q2 were moved farther to the right after displaying the constituent values under Q2. In other words, all that data still appears on the same page, and horizontally or vertically scrolling could cause portions of that data to be displayed within a display window. 
         [0020]      FIG. 7  illustrates another screen capture  701  of a portion of the same pivot table, with two different instantiations of an example small display  705 , and  706 . Screen capture  701  is for illustrating that an option to freeze a view of both row and column dimensions can be selected, which in this case causes columns A-G to be frozen (collectively identified as  710 ), and as can be discerned by observing that after column G, the next column displayed is column AD. Unfrozen columns displayed are identified as  711 . However, even with freezing these columns, on a small display, little context for the data that is currently displayed on the display is evident, as shown by the examples  705  and  706 . For example, it would be difficult to discern what territory the value at Column G, row 7 was for. In a larger pivot table, all of the above behaviors would become even more problematic for viewing such information on a small display, such as that of a smart phone. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    Aspects include a method of providing an interface for data displayed on a mobile device. The display has a periphery with first, second, third, and fourth edges, where the first and third edges parallel, and the second and fourth edges parallel. The interface is for interfacing with data comprising field data associated with a first set of dimensions having a traversal order beginning from a root dimension, through one or more subsequent dimensions, to a final dimension. Each dimension of the first set of dimensions has a respective plurality of values. The data also comprises a second set of dimensions having a traversal order beginning from a root dimension, through one or more subsequent dimensions, to a final dimension, where each dimension of the second set of dimensions also has a respective plurality of values. 
         [0022]    The method comprises setting a vertical controlling dimension as the root dimension of the first set and a horizontal controlling dimension as the root dimension of the second set. The method also comprises causing display of values of the vertical controlling dimension in a first column along the first edge, display of values of the horizontal controlling dimension in a first row along the second edge, and a matrix of cells locatable by intersections between values of the first column and values of the first row. Each cell is populated based on a respective aggregation of the field data determined by the values locating that cell. 
         [0023]    The method also comprises accepting user input indicative of selection of any displayed value. If the user input is indicative of selection of a displayed value from the vertical controlling dimension, then the method includes displaying only that selected value of the values of the vertical controlling dimension in a second column between the periphery of the display and the first column, updating the vertical controlling dimension to a subsequent dimension of the first set, and repeating the causing with the updated vertical controlling dimension. 
         [0024]    If the user input is indicative of selection of a displayed value from the horizontal controlling dimension, then the method comprises displaying only that selected value of the values of the horizontal controlling dimension in a second row between the periphery of the display and the first row, updating the horizontal controlling dimension to a subsequent dimension of the second set, and repeating the causing with the updated horizontal controlling dimension. 
         [0025]    Another aspect includes a computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions for implementing a method of providing an interface for data displayed on a display. The interface is for interfacing with data comprising field data associated with a first set of dimensions having a traversal order beginning from a root dimension, through one or more subsequent dimensions, to a final dimension. Each dimension of the first set of dimensions has a respective dimension identifier and a plurality of values. There also is a second set of dimensions having a traversal order beginning from a root dimension, through one or more subsequent dimensions, to a final dimension. Each dimension of the second set of dimensions has a respective dimension identifier and a plurality of values. The method comprises setting a controlling vertical dimension as the root dimension of the first set of dimensions and setting a controlling horizontal dimension as the root dimension of the second set of dimensions. 
         [0026]    The method also comprises causing display of values of the vertical controlling dimension in a vertical controlling dimension column along the first edge, display of values of the horizontal controlling dimension in a horizontal controlling dimension row along the second edge, and a matrix of cells locatable by intersections between values of the vertical controlling dimension column and values of the horizontal controlling dimension row, each cell populated based on a respective aggregation of the field data determined by the values locating that cell. 
         [0027]    The method further comprises detecting a selection by a user of any displayed value. If the selected value is from the vertical controlling dimension, then assigning the controlling vertical dimension as a previous controlling vertical dimension, assigning a subsequent intermediate dimension of the first set as the controlling vertical dimension, displaying values of the controlling vertical dimension in the vertical controlling dimension column, displaying the identifier for the previous controlling vertical dimension in a vertical dimension navigation tab, and updating the array locations to display an aggregation of the field data based on the updated values of the controlling vertical dimension. 
         [0028]    If the selected value is from the horizontal controlling dimension, then assigning the controlling horizontal dimension as a previous controlling horizontal dimension, assigning a subsequent intermediate dimension of the second set as the controlling horizontal dimension, displaying values of the controlling horizontal dimension in the horizontal controlling dimension row, displaying the identifier for the previous controlling horizontal dimension in a horizontal dimension navigation tab, and updating the array locations to display an aggregation of the field data based on the updated values of the controlling horizontal dimension; and continuing with the detecting. 
         [0029]    Variations on the above subject matter are present other aspects, as well as implementations embodied in computer readable media, and in mobile device systems, and the like. Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from the following detailed description of embodiments thereof in conjunction with the appended drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0030]    The following detailed description makes reference to the following figures. 
           [0031]      FIGS. 1-7  provide background to aspects of  FIGS. 8-34 ; these figures are described in more detail below. 
           [0032]      FIG. 1  provides an example of a portion of a spreadsheet of tabular data; 
           [0033]      FIG. 2A  is an example of a portion of a pivot table based on the spreadsheet of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0034]      FIG. 2B  illustrates an aspect of selecting data displayed in the pivot table; 
           [0035]      FIG. 3  illustrates a hypothetical small display imposed over a view of the pivot table; 
           [0036]      FIG. 4  illustrates the hypothetical small display imposed over another view of the pivot table; 
           [0037]      FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrates other aspects of the pivot table; 
           [0038]      FIG. 7  illustrates further aspects of the pivot table, as well as overlays of the small display; 
           [0039]      FIG. 8  illustrates an architecture for an aid to navigating and viewing data from such a pivot table; 
           [0040]      FIG. 9  illustrates other aspects of the architecture; 
           [0041]      FIG. 10  illustrates aspects of a first method, portions of which are described in detail with respect to later figures; 
           [0042]      FIGS. 11-13  relate to display content, described in the specification; 
           [0043]      FIG. 14  relates to a method of formatting a display; 
           [0044]      FIGS. 15-16  relate to examples referred to with respect to  FIG. 14 ; 
           [0045]      FIG. 17  relates to a vertical flipping method; 
           [0046]      FIGS. 18-21  relate to examples referred to with respect to  FIG. 17 ; 
           [0047]      FIG. 22  relates to a horizontal flipping method; 
           [0048]      FIGS. 23-26  relate to examples referred to with respect to  FIG. 22 ; 
           [0049]      FIG. 27  relates to drill up/drill down methods; 
           [0050]      FIGS. 28-33  are used in description relating to  FIG. 27 ; and 
           [0051]      FIG. 34  illustrates an alternative format approach to aspects described with respect to the above figures. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0052]    The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use a method and apparatus to navigate a document, in accordance with embodiments of the invention, and is provided in the context of particular applications and their requirements. Various modifications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art based on the disclosures here, and principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Moreover, in the following description, numerous details are set forth for the purpose of explanation. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will realize from these disclosures that the invention might be practiced without the use of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and processes are shown in block diagram form in order not to obscure the description of the invention with unnecessary detail. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the examples shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the claims appended hereto. 
         [0053]    The Background provided examples of some challenges arising from attempting to use pivot tables on a small display device. However, it also would be desirable to allow users familiar with pivot tables and other database programs to continue to use well-known interfaces for creating pivot tables, rather than asking users to learn a different interface. Thus, it is desirable to provide an intermediate layer that can be used by a user when that user wants to access a pivot table on a small display device. 
         [0054]    Various examples here will be provided in the context of a possible shape of a display for a small device, such as a smart phone. However, it is to be understood that the disclosures herein are not limited to a particular form factor display, nor to displays for mobile devices, or particular types of mobile devices. Rather, the disclosures herein are applicable to any situation where an amount of data (i.e., data field entries) sought to be displayed are not conveniently shown within a display of a given size. 
         [0055]    Also, even though user input may be described as receiving “click” information, or the like, it also is to be understood that user inputs can come from any of a variety of sources, including touch screen inputs, mouse inputs, voice commands, keyboard commands, shortcuts, and the like. 
         [0056]      FIG. 8  illustrates an architecture  800  wherein an intermediate Navigator  805  can be interposed between a display  810  and a source of data  815  that will be displayed, in various aggregations on display  810 . The source of data  815  can include any kind of data cube program, such as implementations that can use OLAP databases and provide data cube reports, or pivot tables. 
         [0057]      FIG. 9  illustrates aspects of a system  900  for implementing accessibility of data cubes and pivot tables on mobile devices. System  900  includes a data source  905 , which can include any kind of pivot table, or any other source of data comprising tabular data values organized according to at least two different sets of dimensions, such that different summarizations can be achieved through selection of values in each of the sets of dimensions, i.e., a data cube. Data for a given data cube is processed by processing  910  and stored, and/or made accessible by a server  915  having access to a storage facility for storing output from the processing  910 . Server  915  communicates with mobile device  930 , by for example wireless or wired networks, a direct cable synchronization, Bluetooth, transferring data files by physical media, and the like. Device  930  includes a CPU  931  for executing computer readable instructions made available to it, and which may implement aspects disclosed herein. Device  930  also includes a display  935  that can be implemented using LCD, OLED, plasma, CRT, and other display technologies. 
         [0058]    Processing of the data cube or pivot table information can include reading the information and tagging portions of the information with metadata that allow identification and interpretation of the data. For example, subtotal data can be read and tagged as such. Then, the metadata and the values associated with the tags can be stored, along with the underlying data in a file. 
         [0059]    Depending on the implementation, some portion or all of data  920  can be stored on mobile device  930 , as represented by data  925  stored in storage  933  accessible by device  930 . For example, it may generally be more convenient to download the entirety of data  920  to the mobile device to allow lower latency access to such data. Storage  933  also can include storage of other data, such as data for an operating system, and also for storage of computer readable instructions for implementing methods according to any of the example displays and methods provided herein. Storage  933  preferably includes at least some non-volatile memory, and can include solid state memory such as flash memory, as well as hard disk memory. Storage also can encompass any other type of memory technology that may be used, such as ferromagnetic memory, phase change memories, rewritable optical memories, and so on 
         [0060]    It is desirable to allow users to create pivot tables and otherwise specify data cubes with tools that they already understand. Therefore, translation mechanisms can be provided to take a natively-formatted data cube or pivot table and convert that native format into a format for usage here. Alternatively, but not preferably, examples provided herein also can use the data in a native format. 
         [0061]    By example of pivot tables, a pivot table can be specified in a format comprising data and metadata that describes how the data should be arranged. For example, a specification of the pivot table of  FIG. 2A  would include metadata for specifying the dimensions arranged along the vertical (values occupying rows) and horizontal axes (values occupying columns). In other words, the metadata specifies that Region is a first dimension, followed by Territory, and so on. Other data included in the specification are the values for the dimensions, and summarizations for each combination of values along the different axes (e.g., a total for the Year 2008 in the Americas region, of which there also would be a total for each Territory in the Americas region for the Year 2008, which collectively sum to the total for the whole Region). 
         [0062]    In this example, such metadata can be used to create a tree for the respective values of each dimension in each of the two sets of dimensions present in the pivot table, such that relationships between different dimensions of a set, and hence values of each dimension are easily determined. 
       Interaction Method 
       [0063]      FIG. 10  illustrates high-level aspects of a method  1000  for implementing a user interface that allows easier access to pivot table data. For clarity of explanation, various component portions of method  1000  are introduced here, but explained in more detail separately in the following paragraphs and in further figures. Method  1000  begins with displaying, for a selected report, a highest level of aggregation page view ( FIG. 12 ). Once this view is displayed, a user can begin interacting with the view, through any form of input available (e.g., touch screen, mouse, stylus, voice commands, etc.) Thus, method  1000  includes a variety of decision points that represent differentiating between different inputs that can be received from a user for working with the view presented. This method is presented as a cyclic iteration among these different decision points, but as can be perceived from this example, any of a variety of other arrangements of the components of this method can be provided, as well as a variety of interconnections between them. Thus, method  1000  illustrates consideration of types of input to be differentiated, while further disclosure shows how the input affects the views displayed, such that other arrangements accomplishing these view effects would be apparent therefrom. 
         [0064]    First, within the view presented, a user can flip either vertically or horizontally, and so, vertically flipping is detected at step  1010 , and horizontal flipping is detected at step  1015 . If vertical flipping ( 1010 ) is detected, then method  1000  proceeds to  1020  ( FIGS. 17-21 ), for updating the view, and if horizontal flipping ( 1015 ) is detected, then method  1000  proceeds to  1025  ( FIGS. 22-26 ) for updating the view accordingly. When the view has been updated for either flipping, then  1020  and  1025  return to detect whether the user has provided input for horizontal drill down ( 1035 ), and if so then the view is updated at  1045  ( FIGS. 27-31 ). If there is no horizontal drill down, then vertical drill down input is detectable ( 1030 ), and if detected then the view is updated with  1040  ( FIGS. 27-33 ). Upon return from  1040  or  1045 , or by not detecting either drill down input, then drill up vertical input is detectable ( 1050 ) and if detected then  1065  updates the view displayed accordingly. If no vertical drill up input is detected, then horizontal drill up is detectable ( 1055 ), and if detected then  1070  updates the view displayed. 
         [0065]    Returning from either  1065  or  1070 , method  1000  goes to the beginning of input classification (flipping  1010 ) for further inputs, or further classification of existing inputs. Method  1000  can terminate  1060  by detecting user input to close the navigation function, and if no such input is detected, then the method returns to classifying/detecting vertical flipping input  1010 . 
         [0066]    As would be appreciated, method  1000  thus illustrates an example of how an input can be classified. Various other classification routines for these classifications would be evident. For example, after returning from view updates, a local loop can be provided for further input detection/classification (e.g., a local loop can be provided such that returning from  1020  would again detect vertical flipping at  1010 .) In  FIG. 10 , a separate identifier link is provided for processing of each type of input, but in the following description some of the concepts are treated with respect to others, and whether or not certain of the processing shown in  FIG. 10  is handled distinctly or together is a matter of implementation. 
       Overview of Display 
       [0067]      FIG. 11  illustrates an example display  1105  populated with a report list, which can include identifying titles for the reports, e.g., title  1110 , as well as an indication when such report was created (e.g., date  1120 ), or alternatively, whether the report is synchronized with a data source (e.g., data source  905 ). 
         [0068]      FIG. 12  illustrates a highest level of aggregation view  1200  based on the same data ( FIG. 1 ) as the pivot table background information of  FIGS. 2-7 , aspects of which are described below. First, a vertically oriented tab column  1202  (a.k.a. a tab field) having one or more values for at least one highest level dimension is displayed along a first edge of the example view  1200 . Referencing  FIG. 2A , the highest level row-based dimension of that pivot table is Region, and it has values “Americas”, “Asia”, and “Europe”, which are the values appearing in the tab column  1202 , each value of which is a separately distinguishable entry (i.e., selection of Americas can be distinguished by the system from selection of Asia, as will be addressed below). Column  1202  has a width  1210  (also referred to as Width VT ). 
         [0069]    A horizontally-oriented tab row  1203  appears along a second edge of view  1200  (in this example, along a top horizontal portion). Tab row  1203  displays values for a highest-level column-based dimension of a data cube input (e.g., a pivot table). Referencing again  FIG. 2A , a highest-level dimension forming columns in that pivot table is Year, and it includes values 2006, 2007, and 2008. As evident from view  1200 , not all of these dimensions are displayed, in that the amount of room is insufficient to do so, and aspects of view space allocation are addressed below. In particular, a width  1220  of view  1200  allocatable to columns is defined, and a width of a first column  1215  also is identified in  FIG. 12 . 
         [0070]    As is evident from  FIG. 12 , entries summarizing the tabular data from the raw spreadsheet (partially shown in  FIG. 1 ) are provided at intersections between rows and columns in view  1200 . For example, at the intersection between Americas and 2008, a sum of sales for 2008 in the Americas region is presented. 
         [0071]    A further aspect of view  1200  is that a horizontally arranged totals field  1211  is presented at a fourth edge of view  1200 , opposite the second edge (in this example, proximate a bottom of view  1200 ). The totals field  1211  would have space available to display a total of the row entries displayed for each column displayed. For example, the total for all values of the dimension Region in 2008 is shown. Totals field  1211  provides a predictable and always viewable location for such information. By contrast, a pivot table such as that of  FIG. 2A  presents such information in a row at the end of the pivot table, which can vary based on the granularity of the view currently shown (e.g., the view of  FIG. 2A  would have such a total in a row different from the view of the same pivot table shown in  FIG. 4  (row 23 in  FIG. 2A  versus row 31 in  FIG. 4 ). For a smaller display, such total information may thus be visible at some times and would require scrolling at other times to view. Of course, in conventional pivot tables, when scrolling through a page of data searching for a particular value or total, or the like, other data previously displayed would disappear, causing the context provided by such data to be lost. 
         [0072]      FIG. 13  shows an outline  1300  of view  1200  with the fields identified above. As is evident, a total width of the display is approximately divided between the width of devoted to data columns ( 1220 ) and the width ( 1210 ) devoted to the vertically oriented tab field  1202 . Likewise, a height of the display is generally divided among field  1203 , field  1205 , and totals field  1211 . Depending on particulars of any given case, including aspects of what information is available from a given data source and what kind of display is available, it may be desirable to orient the pivot table such that a smaller dimension of the display is used for the vertically oriented tab field ( 1202 ) and a longer dimension is used for the horizontally oriented tab field ( 1203 ). Logic can be provided to select an orientation, and a user also may be provided the ability to select an orientation. Therefore, the terms horizontal and vertical are not used in an absolute sense, but rather for providing terminology useful in describing the examples presented. 
       Display Formatting 
       [0073]      FIG. 14  illustrates a method  1400  providing an example implementation accounting for some aspects of how screen space can be allocated among the fields identified in  FIGS. 12 and 13 . Method  1400  includes setting reference number L to  1 , and then examining the first entry of the vertically oriented tab field  1202 , identified as Text String L (TS L ). If all the characters of TS L  collectively are equal to or shorter than the width  1210  (Width VT ), then all characters can be displayed, e.g., “Europe” in  FIG. 15  is shorter than Width VT  and all characters are displayed. 
         [0074]    However, if length of TS L  is greater, then method  1400  determines whether TS L  has multiple words, or otherwise allows splitting or a reasonable hyphenation ( 1407 ). If so, then TS L  is split among two different lines. For example, “Southeast Asia” can be split such that “Southeast” is provided on one line and “Asia” on a following line. In an embodiment, when one entry in the vertically oriented tab field is split to two lines, all tab entries can be increased to two lines of space, even though not all such tab entries may require two lines of space. 
         [0075]    Then, for the longest line, it is also determined whether the characters of TS L  on that line are longer than Width VT  ( 1406 ), and if so then, C max  can be displayed on that line, and 4 fewer than C max  characters of TS L  are displayed ( 1410 ), followed by an ellipse ( 1420 ) (i.e., in this example, there is space allocated for display of the ellipse “ . . . ” if there is not enough space to show the entire text entry). The first tab field of  FIG. 15  provides an example of this, with “North Ameri . . . ” being displayed for a TS L  “North America”. 
         [0076]    Then, columns of field  1205  are considered. A priority of method  1400  is to fully display the numbers of at least one column, so at  1430  it is determined whether the length of Data String L (DS L ) is greater than the width of the entire data field  1205  (Width CA ), and if so, then DS L  cannot be fully displayed in field  1205 , and a “###” entry is displayed instead  1440 . Otherwise, DS L  is displayed ( 1435 ). 
         [0077]    Then, it is determined ( 1445 ) whether there are more columns in the row under consideration, and if so, then L is incremented ( 1450 ) and then at  1455  it is determined whether the remaining width of field  1205  can display the entirety of DS L  (e.g., for L=2, DS L  is $1,590,243 in  FIG. 15 ). 
         [0078]    This remaining width can be defined by 
         [0000]    
       
         
           
             
               Width 
               CA 
             
             - 
             
               
                 
                   a 
                   
                     ∘ 
                     
                       L 
                       - 
                       1 
                     
                   
                 
                 
                   p 
                   = 
                   1 
                 
               
                
               
                 
                   LengthofDS 
                   p 
                 
                 . 
               
             
           
         
       
     
         [0000]    If such remaining width is greater than length of DS L , then the entire string can be displayed ( 1435 ), and if not then a portion of DS L  that can be displayed is displayed.  FIG. 16  provides an example where only a portion of strings under the 2007 column can be displayed. The same procedure can be applied in total field  1211 . 
         [0079]    Then, method  1400 , after  1460  returns to determine whether there are more columns  1445 , and if not then it is determined whether there are more rows  1465 , if so, then the next row is examined  1475 , and if not then method  1400  can terminate  1470 . 
         [0080]    For further rows, step  1455  of method  1400  would operate by using the longest data string in a particular column for determining whether the remaining width of field  1205  is enough to display a given data string under consideration. For each row, step  1405  may cause the width of the first column to increase from what was set by a previous row, such that the longest data string determines the width of the first column, and of subsequent columns. 
         [0081]    It also is to be noted that method  1400  usually would be executed each time another navigation procedure is undertaken. For example, after drill down/drill up either vertically or horizontally, method  1400  would be used to organize the display. 
         [0082]      FIG. 17  is for illustrating an example method  1700  of flipping vertically in response to user input to update a display as shown in accompanying  FIGS. 18-21 . method  1700  begins with a display being at row  0 , meaning that a first row displayed is called row  0 , as illustrated by example in  FIG. 18  with the row of area 1 being row 0. A vertical movement indication is received  1710 , and an amount of movement indicated is quantified and divided modulo by a row height. The remainder of that division is compared with one half of the row height H R1/2 . If that remainder amount of movement was greater than one half of the row height, then the next row is displayed ( 1725 ), and if it is not then row 0 continues to be displayed ( 1720 ). In other words, the display can be allowed to move in response to user input, but if the input is not enough to be more than half of a row height, then the display can return to displaying the same set of rows. Or, any number of rows can be flipped through, but the final step is to determine whether any amount in excess of a row height is enough to flip to the next row or return to the previous, such that no stopping in the middle of two rows is permitted. 
         [0083]      FIG. 19  illustrates an example where a vertical movement was received and quantified that row 0 has moved from (0,0) to (0,Y), such that if Y&gt;½ the row height, then the row 0 display is shown in  FIG. 21 , wherein the row of area 5 now is row 0.  FIG. 20  shows the converse, wherein area 4 remains row 0, which is the result if the vertical movement received is less than half of the row height. The row height of row 0 can be used, if row heights are not all equal. If the movement is precisely half, then it can be the case that either that the row will flip or not (i.e., a tie can be resolved either way). 
         [0084]      FIG. 22  illustrates an example horizontal flipping method  2200 . Method  2200  starts begins with column 0 as illustrated in  FIG. 23 , meaning that a reference point can be identified as (0.0). Then, a horizontal movement is received ( 2210 ), as shown by the display of  FIG. 24 , which shows the point (0.0) having moved to the left, such that part of column 0 is obscured. Then, it is determined ( 2215 ) whether the movement is less than one half of the width of column 0. If so, then the view flips back (see  FIG. 26 ), and if not then the next column becomes the first column displayed (see  FIG. 25 ). As with the vertical flipping, full column amounts of flipping cause full columns to flip, while whether an amount remaining of any movement being more or less than half of a given column width (the then column 0) determines whether or not another column will flip. 
       “Drill Down” 
       [0085]      FIG. 27  illustrates a method  2700  for navigation using the user interface shown in previous figures. For clarity, one method is explained in more detail for both horizontal tab and vertical tab drill down, as the steps are similar, but the horizontal drill down is first shown and described, followed by further figures relating to the vertical tab drill down. 
         [0086]    Method  2700  is entered at step  1045  ( FIG. 10 ), and begins with receiving (or otherwise, identifying) a selection of a horizontal tab or a vertical tab (examples to horizontal) that represents (displays) a value of a current dimension arrayed along the horizontally oriented tab field display (see 1203 of  FIGS. 12 and 13 ). In these examples, “horizontal tab” drill down describes exposing more granular levels of tabs presented along a horizontal axis (see  FIG. 12 ,  1203 ) and “vertical tab” drill down describes exposing more granular levels of tabs presented along a vertical axis (see  FIG. 12 ,  1202 ). 
         [0087]    In response, a previous configuration of tabs is rearranged such that tabs previously displayed are moved back ( 2710 ), and if more than an allowable number of tabs, including tabs for the new values to be displayed are too great (determination in  2715 ), then those excess tabs are hidden, and an indicator arrow is provided ( 2725 ) to their existence. In either case, new tabs representative of values for the dimension relating to the value of the tab selected are shown ( 2720 ), and the data displayed in field  1205  is updated based on the new values presented. 
         [0088]      FIGS. 28-31  provide an example of horizontal tab drill down.  FIG. 12  serves as a starting point, where a highest level dimension (Year) has its values displayed (2006 and 2007) are visible in  FIGS. 12 , and 2008 would be visible if horizontal flipping (see  FIG. 22 ) were used to expose that value. Thus, the values of the Year dimension are displayed as tabs in field  1203 .  FIG. 28  shows an interrelationship between the Dimensions related to the horizontal tab field (i.e., the pivot table was designed to display these dimensions as column-oriented data; see  FIG. 2A ). As evident from  FIG. 28 , Quarter is the dimension hierarchically more specific to the Year dimension, Month is the hierarchically more specific dimension to Quarter, and Week is the dimension for Month. Each of these dimensions has respective values (e.g., Quarter has values Q1 . . . Q4, and so on). 
         [0089]    Then assuming that the horizontal drill down input received was a selection of the Tab for 2008 (e.g., flipping to expose 2008, then selecting that tab), method  2700  first responds by moving the 2008 tab back from the field  1205 , and hiding (no longer displaying) any tab relating to other values of the Year dimension, as shown in  FIG. 29 . Then, method  2700  causes display of the next dimension (Quarter) in tabs controlling the contents of field  1205  ( FIG. 29 ). 
         [0090]    In other words, Year has 3 values, and when Year is the active dimension (i.e., the dimension whose values control the content of field  1205 , all of the values for the Year dimension can be exposed by flipping within one page. When one of those values is selected for drill down, the other values are then hidden, such that flipping would not expose data relating to years other than 2008. This is by contrast with pivot tables, where increasing granularity of data for one year causes the other data to be pushed somewhere else on the same page, and to view it, one must scroll to find it and view it. 
         [0091]    Thus, after that selection of 2008 ( 2810  of  FIG. 28 ), method  2700  would cause the intersections between the rows and columns of field  1205  to be updated to represent data summarizations reflecting the same Region values, but specifically for the Quarter dimension values of 2008. The totals of totals field  1211  also would be updated. 
         [0092]      FIG. 30  illustrates that the process can continue by selection of one of the Quarter dimension values; here, Q1 is selected ( 2815  of  FIG. 28 ). Then, the values of the next dimension (dimension=Month, and values Jan. . . . Dec.) are displayed, and method  2700  again updates the data field  1205  and totals field  1211 .  FIG. 31  illustrates that when the January value is selected ( 2820  of  FIG. 28 ), such that the next dimension (Week) values are presented, that the 2008 tab is hidden (no longer displayed), such that only 3 levels of tabs are shown, and an indicator arrow is provided for indication that further higher dimensions are available. Instead of or in addition to a number, an amount of screen space devoted to the horizontally oriented column tabs also can control how many tabs are displayed at a given time. If desired, abbreviations, or ellipses can be used to shorten value identifiers. Collectively, the transitions between values of different dimensions (e.g.,  2810 ,  2815 , and  2820 ) can be called a navigation path, in that the values selected during such navigation represent how a user navigated to a present view. Since there are multiple sets of dimensions in use, there can be a navigation path for each set of dimensions. 
         [0093]      FIGS. 32 and 33  illustrate views of drilling down for the vertical tabs, which proceeds similarly to the horizontal tab drill down explained above. In these examples, a smaller column of tabs having values oriented along the first edge can be provided, such that multiple values for multiple previous dimensions are presented along that first edge, as shown in  FIG. 33 . This configuration uses less screen space than causing a separate column for each value tab for each previous dimension. This tab orientation also can be employed in the horizontal tabs, if desired. As can be observed, the data summarizations are updated to reflect the controlling dimension (e.g.,  FIG. 32  shows that the summarizations are for each territory value within the Americas region, and  FIG. 33  shows that summarizations are for the Corporate/Retail values of the Business Type dimension, within the Central territory of the Americas region). 
         [0000]    “Drill up” 
         [0094]    Similarly, once there has been at least one dimension more granular than the most general dimension for either the horizontally or vertically oriented tab fields, then a “drilling up” operation can be conducted in response to selection of a less granular/less specific tab. Referencing  FIGS. 29-31 , in the sense that the Year dimension was controlling (i.e., controlled the field data summarizations), the Year dimension can be called a previous dimension to the Quarter dimension, and similarly both the Year and Quarter dimensions are previous to the Month dimension in  FIG. 30 . 
         [0095]    Thus, in some example implementations, more than one previous dimension can have a value displayed that with other values represent at least a portion of a path through the values of the dimensions. In other words,  FIG. 28  shows arrows  2810 ,  2815 , and  2820  that depict a path through the values of the dimensions. These values are displayed in the tab fields (at least up to a maximum number, as described above), so that previous dimensions are presented through the values of those dimensions that were selected. 
         [0096]    Therefore, it is provided that for drilling up, a previous dimension can be recalled by clicking on the value of that dimension displayed in its tab field. For example, in  FIG. 30 , the year 2008 dimension can be clicked such that the display would be returned to that of  FIG. 12 . Or, the Quarter 1 tab could be selected to return the display to that of  FIG. 29 . When no previous dimensions remain undisplayed, then the indicator arrows are removed (e.g., returning from  FIG. 31  to  FIG. 30 ). The indicator arrow itself also can be made selectable such that the first hidden dimension can be recalled and the value of that dimension which was selected (e.g., in  FIG. 31 , 2008) would be exposed as the controlling dimension for the data field summarizations. 
         [0097]      FIG. 34  illustrates another approach to navigating a display like that of  FIG. 12 . Instead of maintaining multiple tabs for each set of dimensions along respective horizontal and vertical edges (e.g.,  FIG. 32 , above), Buttons  3405  and  3410  can be provided respectively that display a value corresponding to what was previously selected to arrive at the display, as it presently is. For example, in  FIG. 34 , Americas was previously selected, such that the controlling dimension is Territory along the vertical tab column (see  FIG. 12 ,  1202 ), while the horizontal button  3410  displays 2008, which was the value of the Year dimension selected to arrive at the Quarter dimension display currently shown in  FIG. 34 . Thus, drill down occurs by selecting tabs from the tab fields bordering the field  1205 , while drill up occurs by selecting the buttons  3405  and  3410 , respectively for vertical tab drill up and horizontal tab drill up. 
         [0098]    In sum, the above-described drill-up and drill-down processes allow user selection of horizontal and vertical controlling dimensions, which control aggregations of data values in the data field. For ease of reference, values of a vertical controlling dimension are described, in an example, as being displayed in a vertical controlling dimension column. When there is drill-down, the vertical controlling dimension column is repopulated with values for each subsequent vertical controlling dimension (i.e., as the vertical controlling dimension changes, the column for displaying values of the vertical controlling dimension is repopulated with those values). Similar description applies for the horizontal controlling dimension. Also, one or more prior controlling vertical/horizontal dimensions can be displayed between respective edges of the display and the controlling dimension row/column, such that the controlling row/column is proximate the array (matrix) of data values. 
         [0099]    All of the foregoing methods, and constituent steps, decisions, and determinations can be represent examples of implementations of system functions and other computation to display the example user interface screens of the various figures. Aspects of these disclosures are implementable in a variety of ways, and implementations often would rely on preexisting code for providing certain functions, such as drawing tabs, detecting inputs, changing screen displays, providing summation calculations, memory management, and other mathematical functions that may be needed or useful. 
         [0100]    In this specification, the terms “computer program medium” and “computer useable medium” are used to generally refer to any media capable of storing information for retrieval by a machine, and interpretable as machine readable instructions. Such instructions, can generally be referred to as “computer program code” (which may be grouped in the form of computer programs or other groupings), when executed, and enable machines to perform features or functions of the present invention as discussed herein. 
         [0101]    The foregoing description and drawings of preferred embodiments in accordance with the present invention are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various modifications can be made to the embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims