Patent ID: 8117562

Claim:
In a computer that includes a database for storing data and an application program that displays a graphical user interface element associated with a plurality of data items from the stored data, a method of dynamically updating the data items that are displayed in the graphical user interface element, the method comprising: receiving a command to modify the data items when the graphical user interface element is displayed; obtaining input that identifies how the displayed data items are to be modified, wherein obtaining the input comprises: checking for a foreign key value in a first portion of the database, the foreign key being used to cross reference a second portion of the database, and in response to a determination the foreign key value exists, transferring program execution to an existing system in order to obtain the input, the existing system being referenced by the foreign key and being used to obtain the input that identifies how the displayed data items are to be modified, wherein the existing system being used to obtain the input comprises the existing system being configured to allow for an entry of the input into the database; automatically changing the data items stored in the database that are bound to the graphical user interface element to reflect the input that identifies how the data items are to be modified; and in response to determining that the stored data items have been changed, refreshing the graphical user interface element so that the changed data items bound to the graphical user interface element are displayed.