Patent ID: 7962859

Claim:
A method for displaying hierarchical data, comprising: displaying an orthogonal table structure comprising a row structure S 1 , a column structure S 2 , and an array structure S 3 , wherein S 1 comprises at least one hierarchical level of a first hierarchy E 1 of linked non-numeric data items; wherein S 2 comprises at least one hierarchical level of a second hierarchy E 2 of linked non-numeric data items; wherein S 3 is an array of cells such that every combination of a linear path through S 1 and a linear path through S 2 has an intersection disposed in the orthogonal table structure at a unique cell of S 3 such that the unique cell of S 3 contains or is adapted to contain a measure or value of said combination of said linear path through S 1 and said linear path through S 2 ; wherein an assignment icon is depicted in the orthogonal table structure at each cell of S 3 such that selection of the assignment icon at each cell results in displaying data items of a flat vector E 3 of non-numeric data items such that one of the displayed non-numeric data items of E 3 may be selected for insertion in said each cell if said each cell is empty or for replacement in said each cell to replace an existing data item in said each cell; wherein two data items are in two cells of S 3 at the lowest hierarchical level of E 1 ; wherein the orthogonal table structure further comprises a rollup icon for S 1 such that selection of the rollup icon for S 1 results in S 1 being rolled up in the orthogonal table structure to delete from S 1 the lowest hierarchical level of E 1 being displayed and further results in S 3 being changed such that every combination of a linear path through the rolled up S 1 and a linear path through S 2 has an intersection disposed in the orthogonal table structure at a unique cell of S 3 ; and wherein the method further comprises: responsive to selection of the rollup icon for S 1 , changing the displayed orthogonal table structure to delete from S 1 the lowest hierarchical level of E 1 and displaying the two data items in cells of S 3 at the lowest displayed level of S 1 together with a lock icon denoting that the two data items in cells of S 3 at the lowest displayed level of S 1 cannot be changed.