Patent ID: 7747640

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for updating query results, the method comprising: receiving original results retrieved from executing a query, wherein the original results contain two or more rows, wherein each row is identified by a respective identifier value, wherein each row contains a data value in a restricting data field, and wherein each row includes one or more entries; storing the query, the original results, and an indication of a number of rows included in the original results; receiving a user input request to re-retrieve only a user-selected subset of two or more rows in the original results to reflect any changes to the user-selected subset occurring subsequent to executing the query, the subset being less than all of the two or more rows, wherein the request explicitly identifies each row of the selected subset by the respective identifier value; retrieving the stored query from storage; and in response to the user input request, re-retrieving only the user-selected subset of the two or more rows in the original results, comprising: modifying the retrieved query to produce a modified query which when executed re-retrieves the selected subset of rows without re-retrieving a remaining portion of the two or more rows, wherein modifying the retrieved query comprises inserting a first query condition into the retrieved query, wherein the first query condition contains the respective data value in the restricting data field for the selected subset of rows; executing the modified query; obtaining updated entries from the modified query; removing the selected rows from the original results; inserting the updated entries from the modified query into the original results to create a merged set of results; displaying the merged set of results; and only upon determining that a number of rows in the merged set of results has changed from the number of rows in the original results, displaying an indication of the changed number of rows.