Introduction

An end-user query tool empowers users to extract meaningful insights from data without requiring technical expertise. These tools bridge the gap between complex data systems and everyday users, enabling them to make data-driven decisions quickly and confidently.

Key characteristics of an effective end-user query tool include:

• Intuitive interface: A user-friendly design that allows non-technical users to navigate and build queries without a steep learning curve.
• Natural language processing: The ability to understand and respond to queries written in plain language, making data access more conversational.
• Fast performance: Quick response times that deliver results in seconds, enabling users to iterate and refine their queries efficiently.
• Flexibility and customization: Options to filter, sort, and visualize data in multiple ways to suit different user needs and preferences.
• Security and access control: Robust permissions systems that ensure users only see data they're authorized to access while maintaining data integrity.
• Integration capabilities: Seamless connectivity with existing data sources and systems to provide a unified querying experience.
• Clear result presentation: Well-organized output with visualizations and formatting that make insights easy to understand and act upon.

Approach 1: Building an engine

Building an end-user query tool using a metadata-driven server-side engine involves creating a flexible system where SQL queries are defined through configuration rather than hardcoded logic. This approach enables rapid addition of new reports without code deployment.

Core Architecture Components:

• Metadata Repository: Stores report definitions (BaseSQL, Title, ReportID) and parameter mappings (ParamName, Label, DataType) in a database or structured file. This abstraction layer allows new reports to be added via simple configuration changes.
• Generic Controller: A single ReportRunnerController handles all reports through a wildcard route (/reports/{'{reportId}'}). It retrieves metadata, executes dropdown lookups for parameter options, validates user inputs against expected data types, and orchestrates query execution.
• Dynamic Data Service: Constructs SQL queries at runtime by parsing metadata parameters, creating SQL parameter objects for user-provided values, and appending appropriate AND clauses to the BaseSQL template using the "WHERE 1=1" pattern for flexibility.
• Dynamic View Layer: Renders forms and results generically by looping through metadata to generate appropriate input controls (DatePicker, dropdowns, numeric fields) and displaying query results in a dynamic grid built from the returned data structure.