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: A method for binding two or more lookup controls for use in a computer generated input form is described. The method comprises selecting two or more lookup controls for use in the computer generated input form; binding a relationship type from an entity-relationship schema to each of the two or more lookup controls; determining if one or more relationship types exist between the two or more lookup controls; and upon positive determination, binding the two or more lookup controls using at least one relationship type from the one or more relationship types, wherein at least one of the lookup controls is a parent control and at least one of the lookup controls is a child control.

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.