Predictive scrolling
A system and a method are disclosed for effectively displaying database records on a device having a display area that is small compared to the underlying data being represented. A simulated catalogue is displayed with cards associated with database records. Detailed information is presented for a record on a card obscuring information related to other records. A user is allowed to swipe on the catalogue causing simulated movement of the cards thereby displaying information associated with a database record previously obscured. The catalogue is moved with an initial velocity determined by the speed of swiping and decelerated based on a drag factor until it comes to a stop and displays information for the record reached. The ability to determine the final record displayed when the catalogue stops allows pre-fetching of the data associated with the record.
1. A computer-implemented method for graphically displaying database records on a display screen with limited display area, the method comprising:
associating a plurality of database records with a cube, the plurality of database records representing a multi-dimensional chart, wherein the cube displays a first database record on a face displayed in front of the cube on a display screen, wherein a first direction of rotation of the cube is associated with a first axis of the multi-dimensional chart and a second direction of rotation of the cube is associated with a second axis of the multi-dimensional chart;
in response to an input, animating by rotating the cube, to change the face displayed in the front of the cube on the display screen, wherein the rotation of the cube along the first direction displays the plurality of database records along the first axis on the face in the front of the cube and the rotation of the cube along the second direction displays the plurality of database records along the second axis on the face in the front of the cube;
preloading the plurality of database records including a final database record while the cube is animating;
determining the final database record from the preloaded plurality of database records; and
while the cube stops animating, displaying the determined final database record on the face in the front of the cube on the display screen.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the input is associated with an input speed value and a speed of the animation for rotating the cube is initialized to a first speed value based on the input speed value.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the speed of the animation for rotating the cube is associated with a second speed value, wherein the second speed value is less than the first speed value and greater than a predetermined minimum threshold, and wherein the second speed value is determined by multiplying the first speed value by a predetermined drag value.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the input includes a swiping gesture across the display screen.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the input includes a swiping gesture across the display screen and an input speed value is determined based on a speed of the swiping gesture.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of database records represent pages of report data.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein in response to the input causing the cube to stop rotating in a position displaying two partial faces in the front of the cube, continuing to animate the cube until one of the two partial faces is fully displayed on the display screen.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein in response to the input causing the cube to stop rotating in a position including displaying two partial faces in the front of the cube, continuing to animate the cube until one of the two partial faces occupies a larger area on the display screen.
9. A computer-implemented method for graphically displaying database records on a display screen with limited display area, the method comprising:
associating a plurality of database records with a three-dimensional rotatable object, the plurality of database records representing a multi-dimensional chart, wherein the three-dimensional rotatable object displays a database record on a face displayed in front of the three dimensional rotatable object on a display screen, wherein a first direction of rotation of the three-dimensional rotatable object is associated with a first axis of the multi-dimensional chart and a second direction of rotation of the three-dimensional rotatable object is associated with a second axis of the multi-dimensional chart;
in response to an input, animating by rotating the three dimensional rotatable object, to change the face displayed in the front of the three-dimensional rotatable object on the display screen, wherein the rotation of the three-dimensional rotatable object along the first direction displays the plurality of database records along the first axis on the face in the front of the three-dimensional rotatable object and the rotation of the three-dimensional rotatable object along the second direction displays the plurality of database records along the second axis on the face in the front of the three-dimensional rotatable object;
preloading the plurality of database records including a final database record while the three dimensional rotatable object is animating;
determining the final database record from the preloaded plurality of database records; and
while the three dimensional rotatable object stops animating, displaying the determined final database record on the face in the front of the three-dimensional rotatable object on the display screen.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the input is associated with an input speed value and a speed of the animation for rotating the three dimensional rotatable object is initialized to a first speed value based on the input speed value.
11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the speed of the animation for rotating the three-dimensional rotatable object is associated with a second speed value, wherein the second speed value is less than the first speed value and greater than a predetermined minimum threshold, wherein the second speed value is determined by multiplying the first speed value by a predetermined drag value.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the input includes a swiping gesture across the display screen and an input speed value is determined based on a speed of the swiping gesture.
13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for:
associating a plurality of database records with a cube, the plurality of database records representing a multi-dimensional chart, wherein the cube displays a first database record on a face displayed in front of the cube on a display screen, wherein a first direction of rotation of the cube is associated with a first axis of the multi-dimensional chart and a second direction of rotation of the cube is associated with a second axis of the multi-dimensional chart;
in response to an input, animating by rotating the cube, to change the face displayed in the front of the cube on the display screen, wherein the rotation of the cube along the first direction displays the plurality of database records along the first axis on the face in the front of the cube and the rotation of the cube along the second direction displays the plurality of database records along the second axis on the face in the front of the cube;
preloading the plurality of database records including a final database record while the cube is animating;
determining the final database record from the preloaded plurality of database records; and
while the cube stops animating, displaying the determined final database record on the face of the cube on the display screen.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the input is associated with an input speed value and a speed of the animation for rotating the cube is initialized to a first speed value based on the input speed value.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the speed of the animation for rotating the cube is associated with a second speed value, wherein the second speed value is less than the first speed value and greater than a predetermined minimum threshold, and wherein the second speed value is determined by multiplying the first speed value by a predetermined drag value.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the input includes a swiping gesture across the display screen and an input speed value is determined based on a speed of the swiping gesture.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for:
associating a plurality of database records with a three-dimensional rotatable object, the plurality of database records representing a multi-dimensional chart, wherein the three-dimensional rotatable object displays a database record on a face displayed in front of the three dimensional rotatable object on a display screen, wherein a first direction of rotation of the three-dimensional rotatable object is associated with a first axis of the multi-dimensional chart and a second direction of rotation of the three-dimensional rotatable object is associated with a second axis of the multi-dimensional chart;
in response to an input, animating by rotating the three dimensional rotatable object, to change the face displayed in the front of the three-dimensional rotatable object on the display screen, wherein the rotation of the three-dimensional rotatable object along the first direction displays the plurality of database records along the first axis on the face in the front of the three-dimensional rotatable object and the rotation of the three-dimensional rotatable object along the second direction displays the plurality of database records along the second axis on the face in the front of the three-dimensional rotatable object;
preloading the plurality of database records including a final database record while the three dimensional rotatable object is animating;
determining the final database record from the preloaded plurality of database records; and
while the three dimensional rotatable object stops animating, displaying the determined final database record on the face of the three-dimensional rotatable object on the display screen.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the input associated with of an input speed value and a speed of the animation for rotating the three dimensional rotatable object is initialized to a first speed value based on the input speed value.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the speed of the animation for rotating the three-dimensional rotatable object is associated with a second speed value, wherein the second speed value is less than the first speed value and greater than a predetermined minimum threshold, wherein the second speed value is determined by multiplying the first speed value by a predetermined drag value.