Patent ID: 8091040

Claim:
A method for displaying discrete windows in a graphical user interface, comprising: generating a plurality of views associated with a predefined query model that logically models exposed data in a database, wherein a plurality of discrete files separately store the plurality of views associated with the predefined query model; storing the plurality of discrete files that separately store the plurality of views in a compound file that links the plurality of separately stored views to one another; displaying the plurality of views associated with the predefined query model in a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface includes a plurality of discrete windows that separately display the plurality of separately stored views linked to one another in the compound file; displaying a catalog window in the graphical user interface adjacently to a portfolio window that displays the plurality of discrete windows in the graphical user interface, wherein the catalog window displays a file hierarchy corresponding to a file system that links the plurality of separately stored views to one another; generating a view button associated with a first one of the plurality of discrete windows, wherein the graphical user interface displays the view button in response to a second one of the plurality of discrete windows substantially overlaying the first discrete window in the graphical user interface; and activating the first discrete window in response to an input that activates the view button, wherein activating the first discrete window causes the first discrete window to substantially overlay the second discrete window in the graphical user interface.