Abstract: A user interface for allowing a user to create a chart, the user interface comprising: an entity type selection area for allowing a user to select a type of entity; an explorer for displaying an entity-relationship schema associated with the selected entity type and allowing a user to navigate the schema via one or more relationship paths; a list area for displaying one or more available fields of an entity associated with a relationship path selected from the explorer; and a target area for displaying a list of bindable data targets and allowing a user to assign one or more of the available fields to the bindable data targets to create a chart.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing actions of a graph-based activity on a subset of an entity-relationship database, wherein the database has entity instances related by relationship instances. Each relationship instance is associated with a relationship type. Each relationship type has associated metadata. Method steps include identifying an entity instance in the entity-relationship database upon which the action is to be performed, performing the action, determining one or more entity instances related to the identified entity instance, and for each determined entity instance, determining the relationship type of the relationship instance relating the determined entity instance to the identified entity instance, and determining, based upon the metadata associated with the relationship type, whether the action is to be performed on the determined entity instance, and repeating the method steps for each entity instance for which it is determined that the action is to be performed on that instance.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of accessing a network of relationship instances and data field values of entity instances in a combined entity relationship- and relational-model database management system. The method comprises the steps of receiving a query that natively references relationship types including data fields to be accessed; parsing the query into a parse tree; converting the parse tree to a query graph; optimising the query graph by consolidating equivalent nodes in the query graph; analysing the nodes in the optimised query graph; codifying each node of the optimised query graph into a first table of state transition rules; codifying the data fields to be accessed into a second table of field rules; preparing a query that includes the first and second tables; identifying entity instances to be accessed by the prepared query by iteratively following relationship instances according to the first table; and loading data fields of the identified entity instances according to the second table.

Abstract: A computer implemented method of securing information stored in an entity relationship database system comprising at least one entity relationship database, the information stored in the entity relationship database system being stored according to an entity relationship model, the method comprising the steps of: specifying access rules limiting access to the entity relationship database system; storing the access rules in the entity relationship database system according to the entity relationship model; permitting an accessor to create an entity in the entity relationship database system if a “create-check” process dependent upon at least one of the one or more stored access rules grants permission; and permitting the accessor to read or modify or delete an entity stored in the entity relationship database system if a “non-create-check” process dependent upon at least one of the one or more stored access rules grants permission.

Abstract: A method for generating an electronic document template includes obtaining an electronic document template for generating an electronic document, and inserting a start section identifier into the obtained template, wherein the start section identifier is inserted to create a defined section. The start section identifier associates the defined section with a contextual relationship in an entity-relationship model, and the contextual relationship identifies one or more entities associated with the contextual relationship. A system may be arranged to perform the method steps.

Abstract: A computer implemented method of securing information stored in an entity relationship database system comprising at least one entity relationship database, the information stored in the entity relationship database system being stored according to an entity relationship model, the method comprising the steps of: specifying access rules limiting access to the entity relationship database system; storing the access rules in the entity relationship database system according to the entity relationship model; permitting an accessor to create an entity in the entity relationship database system if a “create-check” process dependent upon at least one of the one or more stored access rules grants permission; and permitting the accessor to read or modify or delete an entity stored in the entity relationship database system if a “non-create-check” process dependent upon at least one of the one or more stored access rules grants permission.

Abstract: A user interface for allowing a user to create a chart, the user interface comprising: an entity type selection area for allowing a user to select a type of entity; an explorer for displaying an entity-relationship schema associated with the selected entity type and allowing a user to navigate the schema via one or more relationship paths; a list area for displaying one or more available fields of an entity associated with a relationship path selected from the explorer; and a target area for displaying a list of bindable data targets and allowing a user to assign one or more of the available fields to the bindable data targets to create a chart.