Extensible ordered information within a web page

Details Extensible ordered information within a web page Extensible ordered information within a web page

1998-01-14

2001-11-13

Feild, Joseph H. (Department: 2176)

Data processing: database and file management or data structures

Database design

Data structure types

C717S152000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06317760

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to computer programming, and more particularly, to a control and method for retrieving information in an ordered manner from an extensible set of information defined within a Web page.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The Internet and the World Wide Web are rapidly expanding, with businesses and individuals hosting their own Web pages. This has created a demand for richer Web page capabilities, especially in the area of graphics and multimedia. However, the design and programming of the enhanced capability Web pages must remain simple, as not all Web page owners are sophisticated computer users. Nor should the use of graphics in a Web page require using external applications to program and debug these enhanced capabilities, which could greatly increase the cost of a solution. Instead, a user-friendly solution is desirable, where a standard text editor could be used and with human readable commands.
Most files downloaded and opened with a Web browser are pages formatted with Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Native HTML provides the basic foundation for defining a Web page, although it does not specify a method for storing and retrieving a sequential series of extensible information, such as vector graphics commands and data. As such, graphics commands and data are typically stored in external files in a proprietary format which are accessed by the Web control via a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). To create these graphics, graphics design programs are available to help the user, but these are an additional expense and require running the design program to modify the graphics. Furthermore, the graphics information is typically stored in a non-human readable (binary) format, which makes it difficult to debug because a user can not merely review and edit the HTML source code. Additionally, increased overhead, such as processing and network costs, are encountered when URL calls are made to process or execute external files.
Conventional Web controls and HTML conventions do not provide for reading defined information back in an ordered way. The standard definitions of HTML and the semantics of the HTML commands do not provide a method for retrieving a sequential series of commands or data, such as inquiring as to the value of the first variable defined, then the value of the second variable defined, etc. Rather, a Web page has a random, non-ordered address space, whereby the value of a variable is retrieved by specifically asking for it by name. Moreover, there is no concept of the ordering of variables inherent in the definition of HTML variables. Thus, a user cannot define a series of information using HTML in which a control can then sequentially read and process this data or execute these commands. This limits the capabilities of Web pages, including the availability of graphics capabilities in which performing a series of operations (such as linear transformations) is commonly needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, a method provides an extensible ordered set of data and commands in a Web page, and a control reads and stores this information, and subsequently processes the series of information. Thus, without having to extend HTML or provide an alternate language such as Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML), the HTML source of a Web page includes a series of commands which are read, stored, and subsequently executed in a specified order by the control, such as a browser. In this manner, a sequence of graphics commands can be specified in the ASCII source, with these commands being executed by a Web control at some later time in the predefined order.
In accordance with the invention, a set of Web page variables are first defined, whose names correspond with a naming convention to which a predetermined ordering is attached. The commands and data to be processed are stored as the values of these variables. A Web control then accesses these variables and processes the statements stored therein in the order determined by the variable naming convention. Furthermore, by defining an open-ended naming convention, the control is not required to know the number of variables to process. Rather, the control processes the sequence in accordance with the naming convention until such time as one of the variables is not defined, indicating the end of the sequence.
More specifically, an embodiment of the invention provides for defining an extensible, ordered series of information within the confines of an HTML document by exploiting the HTML capability to define an open-ended set of property names with values using the HTML PARAM element, also referred to hereinafter as PARAM Tag statement. In addition, the semantics of a property value are modified to be that of a command and/or data to be executed or processed, rather than a display property of the object in which it is defined.
In keeping with the invention, the naming convention provides the desired ordering for the information stored in the Web page variables. One embodiment uses the format of a constant alphabetic prefix appended with a numerical suffix, where the values of the suffix are sequential in nature. For instance, a series of variable names could be Line
0001
, Line
0002
, Line
0003
, etc. As readily evident to one skilled in the art, numerous other naming schemes could be adopted, such as using alphanumeric characters instead of numbers or using a NULL prefix, which would be in keeping with the spirit, character, and scope of the invention.
It is further contemplated that Web page variables, including those defined by PARAM Tag statements, could be used to define within the Web object the syntax of the particular naming convention to be used. This could include setting the prefix, suffix, and numeric spacing between variables (e.g., 1, 10), as well as the name of the first variable of the extensible sequence. Moreover, multiple series of commands can be defined within the same object by using a different naming convention, such as using two different prefixes.
Once a control encounters Web page variables defined in accordance with the naming convention, the control will subsequently process the information in the order determined according to the naming convention employed. In one embodiment, the control will first retrieve and parse all the commands stored in the Web page variables to build a table reflective of the sequence in which to process the commands. In this manner, the control then can more efficiently interpret and execute the commands. The values of these variables are retrieved until a NULL value is retrieved for the next variable name according to the naming convention, which indicates the end of the series of information.
Thus, by redefining the meaning of HTML property values and defining property variables according to the naming convention, a method for providing an open-ended, extensible series of information within a HTML document is realized. Furthermore, this method does not require an expansion of HTML, the information is stored in a single HTML document which is human readable, loaded with a single file load operation, directly extensible by the author, created and edited using a standard ASCII text editor, or produced by most any development tool including being downloaded and created from the server via an Active Server Page (ASP) or other server side script (e.g., through a language that supports Common Gateway Interface (CGI)).


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