Patent ID: 7672968

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for automatically displaying a tooltip associated with a displayed database object, the method comprising: providing a database containing a plurality of records, wherein each record in the plurality of records includes at least one field; displaying, in a layout or design form, a visual representation of the database, the visual representation including one or more selectable database objects, wherein each database object corresponds to a field stored in the database, wherein each database object is associated with one or more state-variables defined in the database; receiving an indication to select a first database object, wherein the indication is determined by satisfying a condition or triggering an event; automatically calculating a tooltip corresponding to the first database object, wherein the tooltip has been previously defined for the first database object by a user of the database, wherein the tooltip provides information that is related to the first database object; automatically parsing an expression that is defined for displaying the tooltip, wherein the expression comprises one or more state-variables that are related to the first database object, wherein the one or more state-variables are stored in one or more records of the database; automatically determining one or more values for the one or more state-variables of the expression; dynamically evaluating the expression based on the one or more determined values of the one or more state-variables; and automatically displaying the tooltip with a result of the evaluated expression, wherein the tooltip is displayed proximate to and concurrently with the displayed first database object.