Method and apparatus for using a servlet to interoperate with server pages

• US 20020120677A1
• Filed: 02/23/2001
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Digislice Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digislice Corporation
• Inventors: Buckn am, Brian, Leler, William J., Goward, Philip J.
• Application Number:
  US09/792,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20020120677A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates using a servlet to execute a server page. This system operates by receiving a request at the servlet, wherein the request is triggered by a client making a reference through a uniform resource locator (URL). In order to service the request, the system selects a server page to execute based upon the request, wherein the server page includes dynamically executable code embedded in a display language. The system then executes the server page by using a method that is accessible within the servlet to execute the server page, so that after execution control automatically returns to the servlet. Executing the server page causes a display page to be displayed on the client.

Claims

1. A method for using a servlet to execute a server page, comprising:

receiving a request at the servlet, wherein the request is triggered by a client making a reference through a uniform resource locator (URL);

selecting the server page to execute based upon the request, wherein the server page includes dynamically executable code embedded in a display language; and

executing the server page by using a method that is accessible within the servlet to execute the server page, so that after execution control automatically returns to the servlet;

wherein executing the server page causes a display page to be displayed on the client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method executes the server page by:

compiling the server page; and

executing the compiled server page to generate the display page.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein executing the compiled server page involves performing a callback to the servlet in order to utilize state information maintained within the servlet.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein executing the compiled server page involves computing data to be injected into the display page.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method that is accessible within the servlet is part of a template comprising a persistent object that defines the method.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing a different template instance for each server page that is currently active within the servlet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the server page is executed within a protected environment defined within the servlet.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the server page is executed outside of a space that the servlet is executed in.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising using multiple server pages to create a single display page.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to receiving the request at the servlet, the method further comprises:

receiving the request from the client at a server;

selecting the servlet to execute based upon the request; and

making the request to the servlet.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the server page includes one of:

a Java Server Page (JSP); and

an Active Server Page (ASP).

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the servlet comprises a program running on a server that can be executed by another application running on the server.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the method executes the server page by:

compiling the server page; and

executing the compiled server page to generate the display page.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein executing the compiled server page involves performing a callback to the servlet in order to utilize state information maintained within the servlet.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein executing the compiled server page involves computing data to be injected into the display page.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the method that is accessible within the servlet is part of a template comprising a persistent object that defines the method.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises providing a different template instance for each server page that is currently active within the servlet.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the server page is executed within a protected environment defined within the servlet.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the server page is executed outside of a space that the servlet is executed in.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises using multiple server pages to create a single display page.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein prior to receiving the request at the servlet, the method further comprises:

receiving the request from the client at a server;

selecting the servlet to execute based upon the request; and

making the request to the servlet.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the server page includes one of:

a Java Server Page (JSP); and

an Active Server Page (ASP).

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the servlet comprises a program running on a server that can be executed by another application running on the server.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the execution mechanism is configured to:

compile the server page; and

to

execute the compiled server page to generate the display page.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the execution mechanism is configured to facilitate a callback to the servlet in order to utilize state information maintained within the servlet.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the execution mechanism is configured to compute data to be injected into the display page.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the method that is accessible within the servlet is part of a template comprising a persistent object that defines the method.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising a separate template instance for each server page that is currently active within the servlet.

31. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the execution mechanism is configured to facilitate executing the server page within a protected environment defined within the servlet.

32. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the execution mechanism is configured to facilitate executing the server page outside of a space that the servlet is executed in.

33. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the execution mechanism is configured to facilitate using multiple server pages to create a single display page.

34. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a servlet selection mechanism that is configured to:

receive the request from the client at a server;

select the servlet to execute based upon the request; and

to

make the request to the servlet.

35. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the server page includes one of:

a Java Server Page (JSP); and

an Active Server Page (ASP).

36. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the servlet comprises a program running on a server that can be executed by another application running on the server.

13. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for using a servlet to execute a server page, the method comprising:

receiving a request at the servlet, wherein the request is triggered by a client making a reference through a uniform resource locator (URL);

selecting the server page to execute based upon the request, wherein the server page includes dynamically executable code embedded in a display language; and

executing the server page by using a method that is accessible within the servlet to execute the server page, so that after execution control automatically returns to the servlet;

wherein executing the server page causes a display page to be displayed on the client.

25. An apparatus that executes a server page, comprising:

a receiving mechanism that is configured to receive a request at a servlet, wherein the request is triggered by a client making a reference through a uniform resource locator (URL);

a selection mechanism that is configured to select the server page to execute based upon the request, wherein the server page includes dynamically executable code embedded in a display language; and

an execution mechanism that is configured to execute the server page by using a method that is accessible within the servlet to execute the server page, so that after execution control automatically returns to the servlet;

wherein executing the server page causes a display page to be displayed on the client.

37. A means for executing a server page, comprising:

a receiving means for receiving a request at a servlet, wherein the request is triggered by a client making a reference through a uniform resource locator (URL);

a selection means for selecting the server page to execute based upon the request, wherein the server page includes dynamically executable code embedded in a display language; and

an execution means for executing the server page by using a method that is accessible within the servlet to execute the server page, so that after execution control automatically returns to the servlet;

wherein executing the server page causes a display page to be displayed on the client.