JP2006119684A - System and method for document data input - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a document data input system in which the quality of input data can be maintained when a local master is used for input items during input of data to a document. <P>SOLUTION: Master arrangement policies for each item of the document are stored in a server master 160 and the local master 142 concerned with the input items of the document. It is determined whether each input item of the document is an item using the server master 160 or an item using the local master 142, and a master to be referred to (the server master 160 or local master 142) is determined according to the determination result. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a form data input system in a Web system, and more particularly to a form data input system for inputting data on a form screen.

  In recent years, in the form input business, a web-based form input system has been widely used for managing the form input screen and unifying the master management. However, in the web-based form input system, since all masters are acquired from the server side, there is a problem that input efficiency is remarkably lowered when inputting a large-scale business code. For example, in clinical trials in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, side effect codes are input, but there are problems such as a decrease in input work efficiency by searching a large amount of side effect code masters in the Web environment.

  For this reason, the use of a local master is often desired for specific items in a form, and a technique for disposing a local master on a client and configuring a Web form input system to use this has been disclosed ( Patent Document 1).

JP 2001-350755 A

  If a local master is arranged in the client as in Patent Document 1, inconsistency may occur between the local master and the master existing on the server, and the quality of input data may be reduced. That is, when using the local master, there is a trade-off relationship between the operability of the input operator and the input data quality.

  On the other hand, it is difficult to correctly judge such a trade-off before system construction, and it often happens that the local master usage policy is reviewed after the system is operated. If there is a problem in operability immediately after system operation, it is required to change the master managed on the server to be locally arranged in terms of operability. On the other hand, if it is found that the data quality has deteriorated due to the use of the local master after a while after the system is operated, it is required to prohibit the use of the local master after the system is operated. Become.

  However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, when the usage pattern of the local master is changed after the system is operated, an operation of correcting and rearranging the master search process in the system occurs. That is, if the local master usage policy is changed after system operation, it takes a lot of man-hours to change the system.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a form data input system capable of maintaining the quality of input data when a local master is used.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a server master that includes master information relating to a form input item, a form format management database that stores form format information relating to the form format including a master placement policy for each input item, and , A local master having a part of information relating to the input items of the form, and a master management database including local master setting information relating to the local master. Then, it is determined whether the input item included in the form format information uses the server master or the local master, and when the input item uses the server master, The information corresponding to the input item is referred to. On the other hand, when the input item uses the local master, the local master refers to information corresponding to the input item. And the structure which displays the reference result as an input item list contained in the said form was employ | adopted.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to control to prohibit or permit the use of the local master by changing the master placement policy for each input component. By changing the master allocation policy for each input item, a trade-off between the operability of the input operator and the input data quality can be set appropriately.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  In the present embodiment, a typical series of operations performed in a Web-based form data input system is performed in a Web browser. First, the user designates a site on the Web, logs in, and selects a form type to be input. When the form type to be input is selected in the client PC 150, the form format information transmission unit 131 of the Web Ap server 130 that has received the form display request from the client PC 150 uses the form format information corresponding to the form display request. Therefore, the form format information 102 stored in the form format management DB 100 is read into the memory, and the form format information 102 is transmitted to the client PC 150. The form input processing unit 151 of the client PC 15 receives the form format information 102 transmitted from the Web Ap server 130, displays the form format information 102 on the screen, and processes an input operation from the client operator in response thereto.

  Next, in order to show the detailed content of this embodiment, the form input system shown in FIG. 1 is demonstrated. The system shown in FIG. 1 includes a master management server 110, a form management server 120, a Web Ap server 130, and a client PC 150. Although omitted in FIG. 1, these devices include a memory, a display, an internal or external storage device, a keyboard, a mouse, and the like that a normal computer has. Note that, in the following embodiment, when simply referred to as a server, it indicates the Web Ap server 130.

  The Web Ap server 130 holds the form format management DB 100 in an internal or external storage device. The form format management DB 100 includes master physical configuration information 101 and form format information 102. The form format information 102 includes a master placement policy 103 for each input component. The input component-specific master arrangement policy 103 includes the following two pieces of information. (1) Information defining a policy for determining whether or not to permit the arrangement of the local master on the client side for each input item part of the form. (2) Information defining a data verification component name used for data verification processing when using the local master for each input item component of the form.

  The Web Ap server 130 holds the form format information transmission unit 131, the master data search unit 132, the input data reception unit 133, and the data verification component 135 on the memory at the time of execution. These series of processing units are stored in an internal or external storage device in the form of a program file, and are read into the memory at a timing such as when the server is activated.

  The client PC 150 is stored in the internal or external storage device as the client-side master management DB 140. The client side master management DB 140 includes local master setting information 141 and a local master 142. The local master setting information 141 includes setting information such as the location of the local master. The local master 142 holds master information such as a code used when inputting a form in the client PC 150 in the form of a database, a text file, or the like.

  The client PC 150 holds the form input processing unit 151 and the input data transmission unit 158 on the memory at the time of execution. These series of processing units are stored in an internal or external storage device in the form of a program file, and are read into the memory at a timing such as when the client PC is activated.

  The master management server 110, the form management server 120, and the Web Ap server 130 are connected by a LAN, and the Web Ap server 130 and the client PC 150 are connected by a network such as the Internet.

  The master management server 110 manages the server master 160 referred to in the Web Ap server 130. In the example of FIG. 1, the department code master and the offer content category master are the server master 160. The form server 120 stores and manages verified form information.

  FIG. 1 is an example of an implementation system configuration, and the contents of the present invention are not limited to this system configuration. For example, the configuration of the master management server 110, the form management server 120, and the Web Ap server 130 may be realized by one or more servers. Also, the network configuration such as LAN, Internet, etc. may be realized by a configuration other than FIG. For example, all may be configured on a LAN, or all may be configured on the Internet.

  The form input processing unit 151 of the client PC 150 displays, for example, a form display screen 210 as shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows a case where a travel expense settlement application table is displayed. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the screen is displayed on the Web browser of the client PC 150, but the extended function of the form display plug-in is incorporated in advance, instead of using the Web browser alone. It is assumed that the form display screen 210 and the related screen called from this screen are displayed by incorporating the form display plug-in into the Web browser in advance.

  In the travel expense settlement application table displayed on the form display screen 210 shown in FIG. 2, a travel expense settlement application content category and a department code are selected and input from the list parts by the user. The application content category column includes an application category indicating whether the travel expense is domestic or overseas, and the department code column includes a department code (or department name) for payment of the travel expense. As shown in FIG. 2, the form display screen 210 displays files, downloads, and uploads as a common menu that does not depend on the display form.

  In order to acquire the item data of the list part displayed on the form display screen 210, the data of the Web Ap server 130 or the local master 142 is referred to. For the offer content category item, the offer content category master arranged in the master management server 110 shown in FIG. 1 is referred to. On the other hand, the local master 142 in FIG. 1 is referred to for the department code item. In the present embodiment, an item whose master content is displayed on a form display screen and data is input using the master list content is referred to as a master usage item. In the form display screen 210, the two items of the offer content category and the department code are master usage items. Further, among the master usage items, those that use the local master existing on the client PC side are referred to as local master usage items. In FIG. 2, the department code is a local master use item. On the other hand, the application content category is a master use item, but is not a local master use item because the local master is not used in input work. Note that the applicant, reason for application, and application amount do not use the master at all in the input work, so they are neither master usage items nor local master usage items.

  The master-related item acquisition unit 152 in the client PC 150 performs determination processing of a master arrangement location as a list part item data acquisition destination and master reference processing control for each master arrangement, and uses master position determination unit 153, server master search Section 154 and local master search section 155. The use master position determination unit 153 performs a determination process of the master arrangement location, and specifically uses the input component-specific master arrangement policy 103 and local master setting information 141 included in the form information downloaded from the Web Ap server 130. Then, it is determined whether the local master 142 or the server master 160 is used for the selected input item on the form displayed on the screen.

  Here, when the local master 142 is used, the local master search unit 155 searches the local master 142. When searching the server master 160, the server master search unit 154 searches the server master 160. The server master search unit 154 calls the master data search unit 132 of the Web Ap server 130 and acquires the server master value via the master data search unit 132.

  When the client user finishes data input on the form display screen 201 in FIG. 2 and presses the send button on the form display screen 201 in FIG. 2, the input data transmission unit 158 in FIG. In cooperation with 133, data input to the form display screen 210 is transmitted to the Web Ap server 130. The input data transmission unit 158 includes a local master usage flag assignment unit 156 and a transmission result display unit 157. When transmitting form input data from the client PC 150 to the Web Ap server 130, the local master use flag assigning unit 156 gives a flag for identifying whether or not the local master is used to the input data. Then, the input data transmission unit 158 transmits the input data and the flag to the server side. When the verification result in the Web Ap server 130 is transmitted to the client PC 150, the transmission result display unit 157 displays the verification result on the screen.

  In the Web Ap server 130 that has received the input data in the client PC 150, the local master data verification control unit 134 performs data verification processing on the input data related to the local master 142. That is, the local master data verification control unit 134 determines whether the input data transmitted from the client PC 150 uses the local master 142. When the local master 142 is used, data verification processing is performed on input data from the client PC 150 based on the input item-specific master arrangement policy 103.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the department code item data is verified by the Web Ap server 130, and the verification result is transmitted from the Web Ap server 130 to the client PC 150. The transmission result display unit 157 of the client PC 150 displays the transmission result screen 220 shown in FIG. 2 based on the verification result message. The transmission result screen 220 in FIG. 2 shows a screen when an inappropriate local master is used in the department code.

  Next, the data structures of the form format management DB 100 and the client side master management DB 140 of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. The master physical configuration information 101 in FIG. 1 is information for converting the logical name of the master into information that is a physical name. Although a detailed description of the master physical configuration information 101 is omitted, a server name, a table name, a user name connected to a database, and the like are stored.

  FIG. 3 shows the input item component information 301 and the input component-specific master arrangement policy 103 constituting the form format information 102.

  The input item component information 301 includes the component name, coordinate value, and input item component type (list input component, text input component, etc.) on the form display screen. The web browser of the client PC 150 uses the input item component information 301 to display a form input screen as shown in the form display screen 210 of FIG. When “list” is designated as the type of the input item component, the list component 211 is displayed on the form display screen 210. In this list component 211, a list of items obtained from the master is displayed. In the example of FIG. 2, a list of department name items is displayed.

  The input component master arrangement policy 103 stores whether or not the local master is used and whether or not local master data input value verification is performed for each input item component. When the data input value is verified for the local master 142, the component name of the data verification component 135 in FIG. 1 is specified in the item “data verification component name” of the input component-specific master arrangement policy 103. The data verification component 135 here is a program component that can be dynamically called from the local master data verification unit 134. The data verification component 135 is developed in a programming language in a Web environment such as Java (R) Server Pages (JSP) and Enterprise Java (R) Beans (EJB) ("Java" is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.). ). The data verification component 135 performs data verification of the local master usage item by performing matching processing between the local master 142 and the server master 160 as internal processing of the program.

  FIG. 4 shows details of the local master setting information 141 and the local master 142 included in the client-side master management DB 140 of FIG.

  The local master setting information 141 stores information for setting a local master to be used for a master use item on a form. In the example of FIG. 4, the form name is a travel expense application form, and the local master is set for the input items “application content category” and “department code”. In addition, a setting is made to use a CSV text file as the local master of “application content category” and “department code”. The local master setting information 141 uses an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) format as a format for storing setting information. It should be noted that only the local master setting information 141 in FIG. 4 cannot specify which of the application content category and the department code is the local master use item. By performing determination using the input item-specific master allocation policy 103 in FIG. 3 and the local master setting information 141 in FIG. 4, it can be determined for the first time which master usage item is a local master usage item. Details of this determination processing will be described later.

  The local master 142 in FIG. 4 shows a travel expense application category master and a department code as a specific local master. In FIG. 4, the entity of the local master 142 is a CSV format text file. In addition, the local master 142 may be realized using a relational database (RDB), an XML format, or the like.

  Next, details of the processing unit shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 5 shows a processing flow of the master related item acquisition unit 152 in FIG. It is assumed that the form format information 102 has already been transmitted to the client PC 150 by the form format information transmission unit 131 in FIG. 1 and is held on the memory of the client PC 150 or the like.

  The master-related item acquisition unit 152 reads the input item-specific master arrangement policy 103 stored in the form format information 102, and internal variables I = 0, maxI = “number of records obtained from the input item-specific master arrangement policy 103 (= The number of input item parts using the master) ”is set (step 501). In the example of FIG. 3, the master is used for the input item parts “application content category” and “department code”, and maxI = 2.

Next, the use master position determination unit 153 determines whether to use the local master 142 or the server master 160 (step 502). In step 502, it is determined that the local master 142 is used (that is, the local master use item) when the following two conditions are satisfied for the I-th master.
(1) Condition 1: The “local master use” column of the input item-specific master arrangement policy 103 (FIG. 3) is “present”.
(2) Condition 2: In the local master setting information 141, a master name, a master type, a master file name, and a DB connection name corresponding to the part name of the input item part to be determined are set.

  On the other hand, if either of the two conditions is not satisfied, it is determined that the server master 160 is used. In the example of the master placement policy 103 for each input item in FIG. 3, for the application content category (record with component ID = 1), the local master usage is set to “none”, and the above condition 1 is not satisfied. Therefore, it is determined that the server master 160 is used instead of the local master 142 for the application content category. On the other hand, as is clear from the examples of FIGS. 3 and 4 for the department code (record with the component ID = 2), the above two conditions are satisfied. Judge.

  If it is determined in step 502 that the local master 142 is to be used (step 502: Yes), the local master search unit 155 refers to the local master 142, acquires the reference result as a list of list input items, and the client. A display (not shown) as a display unit of the PC 150 displays the list as a form display screen 210 (step 503).

  If it is determined in step 502 that the server master 160 is to be used (step 502: Yes), the server master search unit 154 refers to the server master 160 existing in the master management server 110 and uses this reference result as a list input item. The list is displayed on the form display screen 210 (step 504). Details of step 504 are as follows. The server master search unit 154 calls the master data search unit 132 existing in the server 130. The master data search unit 132 refers to the master management server 110 and acquires a value from the server master 160 managed by the master management server 110. For example, the list information of the offer content category code is acquired from the offer content category master. Then, the server master search unit 155 receives the search result transmitted from the master data search unit 132 as the server master search result.

  When the processing in step 503 or step 504 is completed, I = I + 1 is set for the variable I of the array element number in order to perform processing for the next master (step 505). Then, it is determined whether I <maxI (step 506). That is, it is determined whether or not the variable I of the array number exceeds the number of master usage items on the form input screen 210. When I <maxI (that is, when there is still a master to be processed) (step 506: Yes), the process of step 502 is performed. When I <maxI is not satisfied (step 506: No), the process of the master related item acquisition unit 152 is terminated.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing input data transmission / reception processing. This input data transmission / reception process is a process in which the client PC 150 transmits the data input on the form screen to the Web Ap server 130. The series of processing shown in FIG. 6 is performed by the input data transmitting unit 155 and the input data receiving unit 133 in FIG. 1 in cooperation with each other. Among the steps shown in FIG. 6, steps 602 to 608 are processes performed by the input data receiving unit 133 of the server 130.

  First, the client PC 150 transmits the form name, the form input data, and the local use flag among the input data input on the form display screen 210 (FIG. 2) to the server 130 (step 601). The local use flag here is a flag value for identifying whether or not the data input item is a local master use item. In step 601, a local master usage flag is assigned to the input data unit only for the input data for the local master usage item, and the assigned result is transmitted to the server side.

  The server 130 receives the form name, form input data, and local use flag transmitted at step 601 (step 602), and based on the received form name, the form 130 of the specific form is obtained from the form format management DB 100 (FIG. 1). The format information 102 is read into the memory area of the server 130 (step 603).

  Next, processing similar to that in step 501 in FIG. 5 is performed to set the values of the internal variables I and max I of the array number (step 604). More specifically, the input item-specific master arrangement policy 103 stored in the form format information 102 is read. Then, the internal variable I = 0, max I = “number of records obtained from the input item-specific master arrangement policy 103 (= number of input item parts using the master)”. In the example shown in FIG. 3, since the master is used for the input item parts “application content category” and “department code”, max I = 2.

  next. The server 130 determines whether to verify the local master data (step 605). In this step, when the condition that “the data stored in the local master use column and the local input value verification column of the input item-specific master allocation policy 103 (FIG. 3) are both“ present ”” is met, Judge that verification will be performed. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the application content classification master (record with component ID = 1) is determined not to perform data verification because the above condition is not satisfied. For the department code master (record with component ID = 2), the above condition is satisfied, and therefore it is determined that data verification is performed.

  If it is determined in step 605 that data verification is to be performed (step 606: Yes), the local master data verification control unit 134 verifies the input data for the input data determined to be using the local master. Perform (step 606). Specifically, the local master data verification control unit 134 calls the data verification component 135 stored in the item “data verification component name” on the master placement policy 103 for each data input item, and verifies the input data. . In the example of FIG. 3, the data verification component SectionCodeCheck.jsp that verifies the department code master is called. For example, the data verification component SectionCodeCheck.jsp performs a matching process between the input data and the department code master arranged in the server 130. When there is a match, it is determined that the data verification is successful. When there is no match, it is determined that the data verification has failed.

  If it is determined in step 605 that data verification is not performed (step 606: No), or if the verification process in step 606 is completed, the internal variable I of the array number is processed in order to process the next master. In contrast, I = I + 1 is set (step 607).

  Then, it is determined whether or not the variable I of the array element number set in step 607 exceeds the number of master use items (maxI) on the form input screen (that is, whether I <maxI) (step 1). 608). If I <maxI, that is, if there is still a master to be processed (step 608: Yes), step 605 is performed. If I <maxI is not satisfied (step 608: No), the server 130 transmits the local master verification result to the client PC 150. The transmission result display unit 157 of the client PC 150 displays the verification result of the local master transmitted from the server 130 on the transmission result screen 220 (FIG. 2) (step 609). Finally, the transmission / reception communication process between the client PC 150 and the Web AP server 130 is disconnected (step 610), and the process ends.

  According to the present embodiment, data quality verification processing can be performed on input data using a local master, based on this input item-specific master arrangement policy.

  In the present embodiment, the local master setting information 141 in FIG. 4 has a specification for setting a local master to be used for each form type. However, this may be a specification in which the same local master can be used not for each form type but for all forms. In order to realize such specifications, a new area is provided in the local master setting information 141 where local master setting information can be registered regardless of the form. Then, in step 502 of FIG. 5, processing for determining the master arrangement location is added using the information set in the local master setting information regardless of the form type. By performing such extension, it is not always necessary to define local master setting information for each form type.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, information verified by the local master data verification control unit 134 is stored as form information of the form management server 120. However, a process of storing verified input data in a further database system or the like may be added after the input data receiving unit 133.

The system block diagram of the form data input system which is one Embodiment of this invention is shown. The screen figure displayed on client PC150 is shown. Management data included in the form format information 102 is shown. The management data contained in the local master setting information 141 and the local master 142 are shown. The master related item acquisition process flow which the master related item acquisition part 152 performs is shown. The flow for sending and receiving form input data is shown.

Explanation of symbols

100: Form format management DB, 102: Form format information, 103: Master allocation policy by input item, 130: Web AP server, 140: Client side master management information, 150: Client PC, 141: Local master setting information, 142: Local master,

Claims (7)

In a form data input system that inputs data into a form containing multiple input items,
A server master containing master information on the input items of the form;
A form format management database for storing form format information related to the form format including the master placement policy for each input item;
A master management database including a local master having a part of information regarding the input items of the form, and local master setting information regarding the local master;
A use master position determination unit that determines whether an input item included in the form format information uses the server master or the local master;
When the input item uses the server master, a server master search unit that refers to information corresponding to the input item from the server master;
When the input item uses the local master, from the local master, a local master search unit that refers to information corresponding to the input item;
A form data input system comprising: a display unit configured to display a reference result by the server master search unit and the local master search unit as a list of input items included in the form. The form data input system further includes:
When the input item uses the local master, a local master use flag giving unit for giving information indicating that the input item uses the local master;
The form data input system according to claim 1, further comprising a local master data verification unit that verifies local master data related to an input item of the form to which the local master use flag is assigned. The form data input system further includes:
A data verification component for data input to the input item of the form is provided,
The form data input system according to claim 2, wherein the local master data verification unit verifies the local master data using the data verification component and the master arrangement policy. A form data input method in a form data input system including a client that accepts input of form data and a server connected to the client,
The server
Store the master information about the input items of the form in the server master,
Storing the form format information on the form format including the master placement policy for each input item in the form format management database;
Sending the form format information to the client;
The client
Storing a local master having a part of information on the input items of the form and local master setting information corresponding to the local master in a master management database;
Determine whether the input item included in the form format information uses the server master or the local master,
When the input item uses the server master, refer to information corresponding to the input item from the server master,
If the input item uses the local master, refer to the information corresponding to the input item from the local master,
A form data input method for displaying the reference result as a list of input items included in the form. The client
If the input item uses the local master, a local master use flag is given to the data input to the input item,
Sending the input data and the flag to the server;
The server
Of the transmitted input data, for the data to which the flag is attached, according to the master placement policy, verify local master data corresponding to the input data,
5. The form data input method according to claim 4, wherein the verification result is transmitted to the client. In a system including a server and a client connected via a network, a form data input system for inputting data into a form,
A server master including master management information on the server side;
A client-side master management database including the client-side local master;
A form format management database that includes a master placement policy as form format information;
A form format information transmission unit that obtains the form format selected by the user from the form format management database and transmits the form format to the client;
A use master position determination unit that determines whether to use a server master or a local master for each input item of the form included in the transmitted form format information;
As a result of the determination, when using the local master, a local master search unit that acquires information from the local master;
As a result of the determination, when using the server master, a server master search unit that acquires information from the server master;
A form input processing unit for displaying a form screen based on the information acquired by the local master search unit or the server master search unit;
An input data transmitting unit that transmits data input to the displayed form screen and information indicating that the input item of the input data uses the local master;
A local master data verification control unit for verifying local master data based on the transmitted data and information indicating that the local master is used;
A form data input system comprising a display unit for displaying the verification result. In a program executed in a form data input system including a client that accepts input of form data and a server connected to the client,
Storing master information on the input items of the form in the server master;
Storing form format information related to the form format including a master placement policy for each input item in a form format management database;
Storing a local master having a part of information on input items of the form and local master setting information corresponding to the local master in a master management database;
Determining whether an input item included in the form format information uses the server master or the local master;
When the input item uses the server master, using the server master, referring to information corresponding to the input item;
When the input item uses the local master, referring to information corresponding to the input item using the local master;
And displaying the reference result as a list of input items included in the form.

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