General purpose annotation service for portal-based applications

• US 10,318,620 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Graham, John S., Kantamsetty, Prasant K., Ramaswamy, Shankar
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Manglesh M
• Application Number:
  US14/984,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20160117302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 715230, 715232, 715233, 715715
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

A method of providing annotations within a portal environment can include executing a portlet object having a tag, wherein the tag specifies an annotation service associated with an artifact presented by a graphical user interface of the portal environment. A visual identifier can be presented proximate to the artifact. The visual identifier can reference the annotation service. The method further can include creating an annotation using the annotation service responsive to the selection of the visual identifier.

Claims

1. A method of providing an annotation within a portal environment, comprising:

executing, within the portal environment, a portlet object having an artifact and a tag associated with the artifact;

replacing the tag with annotation code associated with the tag;

receiving a selection of a visual identifier within the portlet object; and

invoking, based upon the received selection, an annotation service, wherein

the annotation code specifies a handler and the visual identifier,

the handler invokes the annotation service, and

the annotation service presents the annotation associated with the artifact.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

upon the selection of the visual identifier, a menu of annotation service options are presented for the artifact.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

a determination is made whether the annotation is a private or public, and

the visual identifier is selectively displayed based upon the determination and an identity of a user accessing the portlet object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

an access type for the annotation is identified as public or private;

and

access to the annotation within the portlet object is selectively restricted based upon the identified access type and an identity of a user attempting to access the annotation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein

the annotation service determines that the artifact is not associated with any pre-existing annotation, and

the annotation service presents a user interface for receiving, from a user accessing the portlet object, the annotation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein

the annotation service determines that the artifact is associated with a pre-existing annotation, and

the annotation service presents a user interface for receiving, from a user accessing the portlet object, an edit to the pre-existing annotation.

7. A computer hardware system configured to provide an annotation within a portal environment, comprising:

at least one hardware processor configured to initiate the following executable operations;

executing, within the portal environment, a portlet object having an artifact and a tag associated with the artifact;

replacing the tag with annotation code associated with the tag;

receiving a selection of a visual identifier within the portlet object; and

invoking, based upon the received selection, an annotation service, wherein

the annotation code specifies a handler and the visual identifier,

the handler invokes the annotation service, and

the annotation service presents the annotation associated with the artifact.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein

upon the selection of the visual identifier, a menu of annotation service options are presented for the artifact.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein

a determination is made whether the annotation is a private or public, and

the visual identifier is selectively displayed based upon the determination and an identity of a user accessing the portlet object.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein

an access type for the annotation is identified as public or private;

and

access to the annotation within the portlet object is selectively restricted based upon the identified access type and an identity of a user attempting to access the annotation.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein

the annotation service determines that the artifact is not associated with any pre-existing annotation, and

the annotation service presents a user interface for receiving, from a user accessing the portlet object, the annotation.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein

the annotation service determines that the artifact is associated with a pre-existing annotation, and

the annotation service presents a user interface for receiving, from a user accessing the portlet object, an edit to the pre-existing annotation.

13. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable storage device having stored therein a computer program code configured for providing an annotation within a portal environment,

the computer program code, which when executed by a computer hardware system, causes the computer hardware system to perform;

executing, within the portal environment, a portlet object having an artifact and a tag associated with the artifact;

replacing the tag with annotation code associated with the tag;

receiving a selection of a visual identifier within the portlet object; and

invoking, based upon the received selection, an annotation service, wherein

the annotation code specifies a handler and the visual identifier,

the handler invokes the annotation service, and

the annotation service presents the annotation associated with the artifact.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein

upon the selection of the visual identifier, a menu of annotation service options are presented for the artifact.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein

a determination is made whether the annotation is a private or public, and

the visual identifier is selectively displayed based upon the determination and an identity of a user accessing the portlet object.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein

an access type for the annotation is identified as public or private;

and

access to the annotation within the portlet object is selectively restricted based upon the identified access type and an identity of a user attempting to access the annotation.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein

the annotation service determines that the artifact is not associated with any pre-existing annotation, and

the annotation service presents a user interface for receiving, from a user accessing the portlet object, the annotation.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein

the annotation service determines that the artifact is associated with a pre-existing annotation, and

the annotation service presents a user interface for receiving, from a user accessing the portlet object, an edit to the pre-existing annotation.