Patent ID: 7856455

Claim:
A method for automatically generating a trigger program that updates an entry in a dependent column in a table in response to a request to update a corresponding entry in a parent column in said table, said method comprising the steps of: a computer utilizing a naming convention for columns in said table, wherein a parent column of said columns is grouped into a family based on a first part of a name, and wherein a dependent column to be updated in response to a request to update said parent column contains part or all of said first part of said name of said parent column and contains a second part indicating a type of said dependent column; the computer providing a predefined trigger program template for automatically generating said trigger program, said predefined trigger program template including trigger program template steps which indicate a type of update to an entry in an unspecified parent column which triggers an update to a corresponding entry in an unspecified dependent column, said predefined trigger program template also indicating a type of said unspecified dependent column to update upon said update to said entry in said unspecified parent column; and the computer automatically scanning said table to identify one or more dependent columns of said type matching said type of said unspecified dependent column; and in response to identification of said one or more dependent columns of said type, automatically inserting a name of a corresponding parent column, corresponding to said one or more dependent columns, in said trigger program template steps to identify said corresponding parent column as said unspecified parent column and to identify a dependent column of said one or more dependent columns as said unspecified dependent column to be updated.