Abstract: An report system that incorporates prompt objects in a report definition to enable a user to specify answers to questions to customize a reporting system (e.g., decision support system, business intelligence and OLAP) report at execution time. A prompt object contains a single question to be answered, validation values for the answer, and attributes indicating how the prompt object is to be processed. A report is thus defined by selecting prompt objects in place of templates, filters, or any of the aspects of a template or filter. As a separate object, a single prompt may be issued once and the answer supplied to each reference to the prompt object in a report.

Abstract: Security filters that manage user access to data based on user identification and other data when a user attempts to access information via a query or other mechanisms. Security filters may be implemented to prevent users from viewing or otherwise accessing certain data in a database or other source of information in a reporting or other system. The level of access authorized by a security filter may be based on a user's role, capabilities, or other criteria. For example, a regional manager may have a security filter that allows a user to view data from the user's particular region regardless of the report the user runs. A security filter may include a filter expression, a top level and a bottom level where each component may be further define a user's ability to access certain data.

Abstract: A report resolution system that includes prompt objects used to define every aspect of a report and specifically an object-prompt object. To resolve a report with prompt objects, a report instance is created and passed to a resolution server that collects the prompt objects contained therein to create a resolution object that includes the prompt questions from the prompt objects. A report server raises an event to prompt the user to respond to the questions in the resolution object.