	US 7,469,255 B2
	Entry points for navigation of hierarchical information structures
Stefan Kusterer, Nussloch (Germany); Eckart Liemke, Heidelberg (Germany); Gerhard Bosch, Reilingen (Germany); Juergen Heymann, Heidelberg (Germany); and Bernhard Drittler, Walldorf (Germany)
Assigned to SAP AG, Walldorf (Germany)
Filed on Dec. 26, 2002, as Appl. No. 10/331,121.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/346407, filed on Dec. 28, 2001.
Prior Publication US 2003/0225781 A1, Dec. 04, 2003
Int. Cl. G06F 17/30 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 707—102 [707/100; 707/103]

19 Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating a virtual hierarchy, the computer-implemented method comprising:

assigning a first merge identifier to a first node in a first object hierarchy and a second merge identifier to a second node in a second object hierarchy, the first object hierarchy comprising a first portion that comprises the first node and a first descendant node that is associated with the first node, the second object hierarchy comprising a second portion that comprises the second node and a second descendant node that is associated with the second node;

flagging the first merge identifier as a first entry point and the second merge identifier as a second entry point;

generating the virtual hierarchy by combining, using the first and second merge identifiers, the first portion of the first object hierarchy with the second portion such that the first node and the second node depend from a virtual root that comprises a Uniform Resource Locator of a portal; and

storing the virtual root assigned to the virtual hierarchy to configure at the portal navigation among nodes in the first portion and the second portion, the navigation between the first portion of the first object hierarchy and the second portion of the second object hierarchy using the corresponding first and second merge identifiers of the virtual hierarchy.