System and method for graphical representation of business documents and effectivity

1. A method comprising:

extracting, in a computer, all change states for a first data set corresponding to a first product structure representing the physical structure of a product during one or more effectivity periods, the product structure having a plurality of items each item representing a portion of the physical structure;

concatenating, in the computer, change states on a per item basis; and

displaying, on an electronic display, the concatenated change states for each item relative to a parametric constraint effective for the data set.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a graphical user interface to accept an indication of two values for the parametric constraint; and

comparing the change states at the two values for the parametric constraint.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

highlighting, on the electronic display, differences between the change states at the two values.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying for a second data set corresponding to a second product structure having a plurality of items concatenated change states of each item relative to a parametric constraint effective for the data set.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

providing a graphical user interface to accept an indication of a value for the parametric constraint; and

comparing the change states for the two product structures at the value.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the value is different for the first data set and the second data set.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

extract all change states for a first data set corresponding to a first product structure representing the physical structure of a product during one or more effectivity periods, the first product structure having a plurality of items each item representing a portion of the physical structure;

concatenate change states on a per item basis; and

display, on an electronic display, the concatenated change states for each item relative to a parametric constraint effective for the data set.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7 further comprising instructions causing the processor to:

accept an indication of a two values for the parametric constraint; and

compare the change states at the two values for the parametric constraint.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8 further containing instructions causing the processor to:

highlight, on the electronic display, differences between a set of change states for a same plurality of items at the two values.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 7 further containing instructions causing the processor to:

display for a second data set corresponding to a second product structure having a plurality of items concatenated change states of each item relative to a parametric constraint effective for the data set.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 7 further containing instructions causing the processor to:

accept an indication of a value for the parametric constraint;

compare the change states for the two product structures at the value; and

highlight fields for which the change states are different at the value.

12. A system comprising:

an extraction engine to obtain a set of change states for a data set corresponding to structure of a first product having a plurality of items each representing a subcomponent that together form the first product;

a concatenator to serially arrange the change states for different values of a parametric constraint effective for the data set on a per item basis; and

a graphics processor to render a graphical representation of a set of the concatenated change states for the first product structure.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a comparator to identify differences in a set of change states valid at a first value for the parametric constraint and a set of change states valid at a second value of the parametric constraint.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the graphic processor highlights fields in the data set having differences at the first and second value.

15. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a comparator to identify differences between changes states valid for the first product structure at a first value of the parametric constraint and change states valid for a second product structure at a second value of the parametric constraint.

16. The system of claim 15 where in the first value is equal to the second value.