Method and apparatus for processing of internet forms

• US 20020133517A1
• Filed: 03/15/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Milite, Christopher Scott, Carlson, Michael Pierre
• Application Number:
  US09/810,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133517A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/513
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer implemented instructions for processing a form in a data processing system. A markup language form is received in which the markup language form includes first data input by a user and second data in a hidden field identifying how the data is to be processed. A process is identified to process the first data using the second data to form an identified process. The first data is processed using the identified process.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for processing a form, the method comprising:

receiving a markup language form, wherein the markup language form includes first data input by a user and second data in a hidden field identifying how the data is to be processed;

identifying a process to process the first data using the second data to form an identified process; and

processing the first data using the identified process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified process forwards the data to a selected a location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selected location is at least one of a database, a file, a Web server, a remote computer, and a program.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the markup language form includes third data in a second hidden field and wherein the third data identifies portions information that are to be present in the first data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the markup language form includes third data in a second hidden field and wherein the third data is used to validate the first data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the markup language document is a hypertext markup language document.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the markup language document is an extensible markup language document.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data is a set of text strings.

9. A method in a data processing system for processing a form, the method comprising:

receiving a form, wherein the form includes a set of fields containing a set of data and a hidden field identifying how the data is to be processed; and

identifying a process to process the set of data using the hidden field.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

processing the set of data with the process identified using the hidden field.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the identified process forwards the data to a selected location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the selected location is at least one of a database, a file, a Web server, a remote computer, and a program.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the form is a markup language document.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the markup language document is a hypertext markup language document.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the markup language document is an extensible markup language document.

17. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the bus system is a single bus.

18. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the bus system includes a primary bus and a secondary bus.

19. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the processing unit includes a plurality of processors.

20. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the communications unit is one of a modem and Ethernet adapter.

16. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes as set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to receive a markup language form, wherein the markup language form includes first data input by a user and second data in a hidden field identifying how the data is to be processed;

identify a process to process the first data using the second data to form an identified process; and

process the first data using the identified process.

21. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes as set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to receive a form, wherein the form includes a set of fields containing a set of data and a hidden field identifying how the data is to be processed; and

identify a process to process the set of data using the hidden field.

22. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the bus system is a single bus.

23. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the bus system includes a primary bus and a secondary bus.

24. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the processing unit includes a plurality of processors.

25. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the communications unit is one of a modem and Ethernet adapter.

27. The data processing system of claim 26, wherein the identified process forwards the data to a selected a location.

28. The data processing system of claim 27, wherein the selected location is at least one of a database, a file, a Web server, a remote computer, and a program.

29. The data processing system of claim 26, wherein the markup language form includes third data in a second hidden field and wherein the third data identifies portions information that are to be present in the first data.

30. The data processing system of claim 26, wherein the markup language form includes third data in a second hidden field and wherein the third data is used to validate the first data.

31. The data processing system of claim 26, wherein the markup language document is a hypertext markup language document.

32. The data processing system of claim 26, wherein the markup language document is an extensible markup language document.

33. The data processing system of claim 26, wherein the first data is a set of text strings.

35. The data processing system of claim 34 further comprising:

processing means for processing the set of data with the process identified using the hidden field.

36. The data processing system of claim 34, wherein the identified process forwards the data to a selected location.

37. The data processing system of claim 36, wherein the selected location is at least one of a database, a file, a Web server, a remote computer, and a program.

38. The data processing system of claim 34, wherein the form is a markup language document.

39. The data processing system of claim 38, wherein the markup language document is a hypertext markup language document.

40. The data processing system of claim 38, wherein the markup language document is an extensible markup language document.

26. A data processing system for processing a form, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving a markup language form, wherein the markup language form includes first data input by a user and second data in a hidden field identifying how the data is to be processed;

identifying means for identifying a process to process the first data using the second data to form an identified process; and

processing means for processing the first data using the identified process.

34. A data processing system for processing a form, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving a form, wherein the form includes a set of fields containing a set of data and a hidden field identifying how the data is to be processed; and

identifying means for identifying a process to process the set of data using the hidden field.

41. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for processing a form, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving a markup language form, wherein the markup language form includes first data input by a user and second data in a hidden field identifying how the data is to be processed;

second instructions for identifying a process to process the first data using the second data to form an identified process; and

third instructions for processing the first data using the identified process.

42. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the identified process forwards the data to a selected a location.

43. The computer program product of claim 42, wherein the selected location is at least one of a database, a file, a Web server, a remote computer, and a program.

44. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the markup language form includes third data in a second hidden field and wherein the third data identifies portions information that are to be present in the first data.

45. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the markup language form includes third data in a second hidden field and wherein the third data is used to validate the first data.

46. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the markup language document is a hypertext markup language document.

47. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the markup language document is an extensible markup language document.

48. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the first data is a set of text strings.

50. The computer program product of claim 49 further comprising:

third instructions for processing the set of data with the process identified using the hidden field.

51. The computer program product of claim 49, wherein the identified process forwards the data to a selected location.

52. The computer program product of claim 51, wherein the selected location is at least one of a database, a file, a Web server, a remote computer, and a program.

53. The computer program product of claim 49, wherein the form is a markup language document.

54. The computer program product of claim 53, wherein the markup language document is a hypertext markup language document.

55. The computer program product of claim 53, wherein the markup language document is an extensible markup language document.

49. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for processing a form, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving a form, wherein the form includes a set of fields containing a set of data and a hidden field identifying how the data is to be processed; and

second instructions for identifying a process to process the set of data using the hidden field.