Patent ID: 7266764

Claim:
A graphical user interface in a system having at least one memory device, at least one device for implementing the graphical user interface, and at least one processor having access to the memory device and the graphical user interface device, the graphical user interface specifying one or more predefined actions, each predefined action modifying a value of a record field that is common to records belonging to a set thereof, the records being stored in the memory devices and the processor causing the graphical user interface device to generate the graphical user interface, responding to inputs therefrom, and automatically executing a predefined query according to a predefined schedule, the predefined query being associated with the predefined action and returning records belonging to the set, the graphical user interface comprising: a window in the graphical user interface device, the window displaying a table wherein the record field whose value is to be modified by the action has an entry that is selectable by a user of the graphical user interface, the entry including a first field of the entry that identifies the record field to be modified by the action; and one or more action fields of the entry that, when the user has selected the entry, the user sets to specify a particular predefined action in which the record field identified by the first field of the entry is set to a value which is derived from a current value of a reference field in the returned record, the reference field being another field that is common to records belonging to the set thereof, whereupon, each time the processor automatically executes the predefined query according to the predefined schedule and the predefined query returns a record that belongs to the set, the processor performs the particular predefined action.