Abstract: According to the invention, a process for selecting hierarchical information with a computer system user interface is disclosed. In one step, selection of an element in a hierarchy is recognized. A plurality of ancestor elements is determined for the element. A selection control allows selecting at least one of the plurality of ancestor elements hierarchically-related to the element. Manipulation of the selection control is recognized to select a unit that includes at least two of the plurality of ancestor elements and the element.

Abstract: There is provided a process for predicting whether a query will produce a result in an information system formed of objects having different instances and relations between the objects. An instance-to-object bitmap is computed off-line, before queries are generated by a user: the bitmap is used to represent the existence of a relation path from instances to the other objects of a database. When a query is generated, the bitmap is accessed to predict whether there exists a relation from the instance to the object, that is whether the query will issue a result. The process makes it possible for a user to abort queries without consuming run-time. It also makes it possible to guide users through navigation of a Webpage or the like, by suggesting relations that will produce results.

Abstract: A system including a method for navigating between dimensions and domains allows for an interactive response to a query based on data stored in at least one online transaction processing (OLTP) database structure and data stored in at least one online analysis processing (OLAP) database structure. The system includes a dimension to domain server which interacts with a user interface client that presents, to a user, representations of elements of the OLTP database structure and representations of elements of the OLAP database structure, wherein the user interface client also includes logic to accept a selection of representations of elements selected by the user and, if the selection comprises more than one element, an association among the elements in the selection.

Abstract: A correlation server provides for links between disparate data structures in a hyper-relational data navigation system. In one hyper-relational navigation system, a correlation server is used to provide a relationship between a component in one data structure and a component in another data structure. In one method, a draggable element and a drop target are identified. Metadata is imported into a class-relation matrix maintained for the first data structure and a response to a navigation action is formulated, wherein the response is dependent upon at least the draggable element, the drop target and a cell in the class-relation matrix that corresponds to the draggable element and the drop target and includes imported metadata.