Patent ID: 7451138

Claim:
A method comprising: presenting a first plurality of fields of a first table for selection for use in a data processing operation; receiving a selection of a first field that is a member of said first fields; determining, in response to the selection of said first field, whether said selected first field is a first designated look-up field for looking up first one or more of a second plurality of fields of a second table; presenting said second plurality of fields for selection for use in said data processing operation, if it is determined that said selected first field is a first designated look-up field for looking up first one or more of said second plurality of fields of said second table; and generating a SQL statement, including with said generated SQL statement field or fields to be selected from said first table and a FROM clause enumerating said first table, and if one or more of said fields to be looked up from said second table are also selected, further including among said field or fields to be selected said one or more fields to be looked up from said second table, and a JOIN clause joining said second table to said first table, and an ON clause specifying a condition on which rows of said second and said first tables are to be joined, said condition comprising said look-up field.