Template-Based Data Capture Engine for Dynamic Form Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current business data organization systems require extensive programming and database changes to accommodate evolving End User requirements, leading to high financial and logistical overhead, especially for small to medium-sized enterprises, and result in complex GUIs that are difficult to manage and maintain.
Innovation Solution
A software engine that allows End Users to design, create, and use unlimited types of forms, reports, and queries over a computer network without programming, using template-based data capture and storage, where the backend database structure remains static regardless of the number or structure of forms, enabling flexible and adaptable data organization without additional coding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional object-oriented programming and database mapping are used to organize business data, then the system can store and retrieve data through forms, but any change in End User requirements requires significant programming and database changes, leading to high financial and logistical overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the form definition into two independent parts: the database schema (which remains static) and the form template (which is dynamically configurable by users). This segmentation allows the form layer to adapt to changing requirements without affecting the underlying database structure, thereby enabling adaptability while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a form template as an intermediary layer between the End User and the database. This template acts as a mediator that translates user-friendly form definitions into database operations, allowing users to modify forms without directly impacting the database schema, thus reducing programming complexity while maintaining adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple forms are created to meet specific and detailed business requirements, then the system can accommodate diverse End User needs, but the GUI becomes visually overloaded and complicated, requiring significant training and long usage time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal form template system that can serve multiple business domains and requirements through a single flexible interface. The template engine allows the same underlying database structure to support various forms by dynamically configuring which fields are displayed and how they are arranged, thereby meeting diverse requirements without creating multiple complex GUIs, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining versatility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If ERP systems are implemented to span information across multiple applications, then enterprises can access information from different business domains, but the systems entail significant initial programming, exhausting End User training, and remain out of reach for small to medium sized enterprises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic form generation system where the GUI is not statically defined but dynamically created based on user selections and business requirements. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt its interface to different business domains without requiring separate applications or extensive programming, thereby enabling cross-domain information access while reducing implementation cost and complexity for small to medium enterprises.
Data Source
AI summary
In a method of operating a software engine for storing, organizing and reporting data in an organizational environment through user created templates and data items, users can build highly customizable templates for data and web forms for data entry, with many different specifiable attributes. Related data is linked and can be queried for retrieval. Users can design, create, add, and use unlimited number of forms, reports, business processes, and queries without any additional programming. Metadata objects (mobjects) and data items (ditems) are created by an administrator. Mobject templates are form templates that are rendered into web forms by a render module, and ditem templates are inputs and controls on the web forms. The schema of the production database remains unchanged regardless of user interaction with the system, thus providing a highly customizable data storage and organization system for any business environment.