Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a web page can be dynamically created by a non-technical person. A technical person can set up a web page and incorporate marketing object containers. A non-technical person, such as a marketing person, then decides what marketing object to put into the various marketing object containers. Style templates, marketing campaigns, and various items associated with the campaigns may be used to create or change the web page. According to an embodiment of the present invention, these marketing object containers may be dynamically associated with different marketing object at different times.

Abstract: A data processing system includes a multitude of client computers and server computers, of various platform types, interconnected by a network. A batch processing engine permits an application resident on a client computer to specify processing to be performed by one or more of the computers connected to the network, regardless of the platform type of such computers. The batch processing engine is implemented in part by middleware.

Abstract: An integrated system for the administration of insurance companies is disclosed which includes a personal computer, a network and one or more file servers. The system further includes software for performing a plurality of functions which are interconnected and automatic. Manually entered data is verified, integrated into the database and the appropriate functions performed. A built-in audit system allows all transactions to be retrieved and all communications to be documented. The system further includes an automatic system for profiling the program to the needs of an individual insurance company so that all transactions correspond to the desired features and parameters selected by the user.

Abstract: User provided product configurations are identified and memorized along with their corresponding configuration information such as constraints and incompatibilities. The next time that configuration is provided by a user, the corresponding configuration information can be retrieved from memory so that a configuration engine will not need to be accessed. Retrieving the corresponding configuration information from memory as opposed to recomputing them with a configuration tool requires less time and avoids tying-up scarce configuration resources. Factors such as frequency and recentness can be considered in determining which configurations to memorize. Each time a particular configuration is provided, a counter associated with that configuration is incremented. Thus, within any given period of time, the number of times that particular configuration has been selected can be determined. Long-term frequency counts can track the most selected product configuration over a longer period of time.

Abstract: A schedule for a complex activity is obtained by a scheduling system using a method of constraint-based iterative repair. A predetermined initial schedule is iteratively repaired, repairs being made during each iteration only to portions of the schedule that produce a constraint violation, until an acceptable schedule is obtained. Since repairs are made to the schedule only to repair violated constraints, rather than to the entire schedule, schedule perturbations are minimized, thereby reducing problems with the dynamic performance of the scheduling system and minimizing disruption to the smooth operation of the activity. All constraints on the scheduling activity can be evaluated simultaneously to produce a solution that is near optimal with respect to all constraints.

Abstract: A system (10) for programming and performing applications programs in computer systems (70) using data in Structured Query Language ("SQL") data bases (32). Formulas (16) representing user defined tasks are constructed out of a formula sequence (18) of formula steps (20). Individual formula steps (20) are defined out of operand tokens (22 and 26), operation tokens (24), and result tokens (28). Operand tokens (22, 26) and result tokens (28) represent constants, variables, or SQL business objects, while operation tokens (24) represent precompiled members of a code modules library (36) that are capable of carrying out basic mathematical and data transfer operations on such operands (22, 26).

Abstract: A system (10) for programming and performing applications programs in computer systems (70) using data in Structured Query Language ("SQL") data bases (32). Formulas (16) representing user defined tasks are constructed out of a formula sequence (18) of formula steps (20). Individual formula steps (20) are defined out of operand tokens (22 and 26), operation tokens (24), and result tokens (28). Operand tokens (22, 26) and result tokens (28) represent constants, variables, or SQL business objects, while operation tokens (24) represent precompiled members of a code modules library (36) that are capable of carrying out basic mathematical and data transfer operations on such operands (22, 26).

Abstract: The invention facilitates modeling of an enterprise. A model developer uses a high-level modeling language to describe the enterprise with constructs that are more readily accessible to the model developer than those used in other previous modeling languages. The high-level description is translated into a low-level description that can more readily be used by a processing device to dynamically exercise the model. The constructs of the modeling language shield the model developer from many of the mundane tasks associated with maintaining data integrity in complex data structures. Of particular importance, the modeling language includes data constructs that make it easy to track and maintain data that changes during execution of a program, without considerable effort on the part of the model developer. These data constructs can be used to restore various states of the modeled enterprise during execution of the program, either automatically or at the direction of a user.

Abstract: The invention enables multiple users to simultaneously access and change the contents of a database in a flexible manner. Each user interacts with a working copy of a master copy of the database. The contents of each of the working copies of the database can be accessed and manipulated so that the contents of the working copy of the database can be revised. Each user has control over whether to the "publish" revisions made to the contents of that user's working copy of the database, i.e., write the revisions to the master copy and present other users with the option of including the revisions in the working copies of those other users. Each user has the option to reject revisions published by other users so that the contents of each user's working copy of the database may or may not be maintained consistent with other working copies of the database operated on by other users.

Abstract: The present invention provides the ability to alter data definitions in a Database Management System (DBMS). The present invention provides the ability to maintain DBMS and application catalogs. Alterations can be made to the an application catalog, and the changes propagated to the DBMS catalog based on the differences between like information in the application and DBMS catalogs as identified by the present invention. The present invention provides the ability to test for data loss. That is, the present invention examines the requested alteration and the data that will be affected by the alteration to determine whether or not the alteration will result in the loss of data. If loss of data is possible, alerts can be generated to determine whether or not to proceed with the alterations. The present invention provides two techniques to perform-the alterations depending on the ability of the DBMS to perform an alter on the original table without using an intermediate table (i.e.

Abstract: The present invention provides the ability to alter data definitions in a Database Management System (DBMS). The present invention provides the ability to maintain DBMS and application catalogs. Alterations can be made to the an application catalog, and the changes propagated to the DBMS catalog based on the differences between like information in the application and DBMS catalogs as identified by the present invention. The present invention provides the ability to test for data loss. That is, the present invention examines the requested alteration and the data that will be affected by the alteration to determine whether or not the alteration will result in the loss of data. If loss of data is possible, alerts can be generated to determine whether or not to proceed with the alterations. The present invention provides two techniques to perform the alterations depending on the ability of the DBMS to perform an alter on the original table without using an intermediate table (i.e.

Abstract: The present invention provides the ability to internationalize a database application by providing a capability to create and maintain related international records. Data items can be stored in a base language with accompanying related copies of the data items represented in multiple languages and/or currencies. Application users can specify a preferred language. When data items are retrieved from a database, and when the user's language preference is not the same as the base language, language-dependent data items are retrieved from the related language records. When a related language record does not exist, or the preferred language is equal to the base language, the data items are retrieved from the base language records. Delete, Insert and Update operations can be performed on base language records, related language records or both.