Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-08
2001-04-03
Hong, Stephen S. (Department: 2776)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212536
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for generating pages for web browsers and, in particular, web browser pages which are sensitive to the features supported by the web browser to which the page is directed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Internet web browsers, such as the Microsoft Internet Explorer™ and the Netscape Navigator™, provide different browsing capabilities. Moreover, web browsers are implemented in different versions, each version including different browser features and capabilities. Oftentimes, users maintain and use older versions of a browser and do not upgrade to more recent versions which support additional features. Given the variety of commercial web browsers being used and the features they support, web page designers have difficulty coding a web page that will be acceptable to all the different browsers.
For instance, recent versions of HyperText Markup Language (HTML) web browsers allow framing. With HTML frames, a web page can be divided into multiple, scrollable regions. Each frame can be provided an individual Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to load information independent of the other frames. A target name can be used to allow the frame to be targeted by other URLs. HTML frames allow users to change the contents in one frame without effecting what is presented in other independent frames. Certain HTML browsers, such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer Version
2
.
0
do not support framing. Such web browsers that do not support framing will ignore HTML frame commands and display the contents of the information in the page in a single web page without displaying the information in frames.
Web designers have difficulty designing a template that can generate web pages in a format that is compatible with the various web browser types and version numbers that are being used.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome the limitations in the prior art described above, preferred embodiments of the present invention disclose a system for generating lines of code into a template. A server receives a request for information from a browser program over a network. The browser program provides browser identification information to the server with the information request. In response to the information request, the server processes a template, wherein the template includes a conditional command having two parameters. A first parameter indicates the browser identification information and a second parameter represents a browser feature. The server processes the conditional command to determine whether the browser program represented by the first parameter supports the browser feature represented by the second parameter. Upon determining that the browser program represented by the first parameter supports the browser feature represented by the second parameter, the server generates the lines of code into the template.
In further embodiments, the step of determining whether the browser program represented by the first parameter supports the browser features represented by the second parameter further comprises the steps of checking a file stored in a memory area of the server that includes an entry for the browser feature represented by the second parameter and a plurality of values associated with entry. Each associated value represents a browser program that supports the browser feature at the entry. The server determines whether the first parameter matches one of the values associated with the browser feature entry represented by the second parameter. Upon determining that the first parameter matches one of the values associated with the browser feature entry, the server indicates that the browser program represented by the first parameter supports the browser feature represented by the second parameter.
It is an object of the present invention to allow web designers to write web templates, such as HTML templates, such that the CGI application processing the template will generate a web page, e.g., HTML page, that includes code dependent upon the type and version number of the web browser requesting the web page.
It is yet a further object that lines of code in a web template be nested within conditional statements that determine whether the browser requesting the web page supports a feature represented by a parameter in the conditional statement. If the requesting browser supports the feature represented by the parameter in the conditional statement, then the code associated with the conditional statement is generated into the template to form a web page that is then transferred to the requesting web browser.
It is still a further object that if the requesting browser does not support the feature represented by the parameter in the conditional statement, then the code associated with the conditional statement is removed from the web page to be transferred to the requesting web browser.
In this way, web pages are generated to only include code that is supported by the type of browser requesting the web page.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5495567 (1996-02-01), Iizawa et al.
patent: 5649186 (1997-07-01), Ferguson
patent: 5845075 (1998-12-01), Uhler et al.
patent: 5940834 (1999-08-01), Pinard et al.
patent: 5953731 (1999-09-01), Glaser
patent: 5958008 (1999-08-01), Pogrebisky et al.
patent: 5987480 (1999-11-01), Donohue et al.
Juan T. Llibre, http://www.aspalliance.com/juan/browscap.asp, pp. 1-3, 1997.*
Ken Spencer, Doi Client/Serv The Microsoft Way (Technology Information), pp. 1-3, Nov. 19, 1997.
Klassen Christopher Laith
Rose Howard
Hong Stephen S.
Huynh Cong-Lac
International Business Machines - Corporation
Kudirka & Jobse LLP
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