System and method for retrieving and editing the data structure of an HTML UI control

• US 20030112274A1
• Filed: 12/13/2001
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Appeon Corporation (hk) Limited
• Original Assignee: Appeon Corporation (hk) Limited
• Inventors: Gao, Yang, Gao, Shun, Mazda, Armeen, Shi, Zheng John
• Granted Patent: US 6,944,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for retrieving and editing the data structure of a HTML UI Control, such as a treeview. The system and method have the capability to synchronize the data structure of a displayed HTML UI Control in a Web page with its corresponding data structure stored in an information system at a server, without refreshing said Web page. The present invention utilizes JavaScript to temporarily store the data structure of a displayed HTML UI Control. The JavaScript also has the capability to search and modify a corresponding information system at a server. One way to achieve this capability is by utilizing a browser-based Remote Procedure Call (RPC) and specialized business logic at the server to carry out server-side tasks on said information system.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving and editing the data structure of a HTML UI Control comprising the steps of:

displaying, a HTML UI Control in a Web page within an application window at a client device;

transmitting, to a first server, an HTTP request;

invoking, at said first server or a second server, program code based on said HTTP request to query an information system; and

receiving, at said application window, an HTTP response containing the results of said query;

wherein the said transmitting and said receiving actions are accomplished without refreshing said Web page displaying said HTML UI Control.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said HTML U1 Control is a form.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said HTML UI Control is a grid.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said HTML UI Control is a listview.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said HTML UI Control is a menu.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said HTML U1 Control is a treeview.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said HTML UI Control displays at least a portion of a list of items.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said Web page is contained in a HTML frame.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said Web page contains a HTML inline frame.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said application window is a Web browser window.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said Web page has means for storing the data structure of said HTML UI Control in a JavaScript object.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein said JavaScript object is a multidimensional array.

13. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said transmitting and said receiving actions are accomplished without the use of Web browser plugins.

14. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the transmission of said HTTP request and response is accomplished through a non-persistent HTTP connection.

15. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said information system is a database.

16. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said information system is a network domain.

17. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said information system is a file system.

18. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said results are evaluated by a JavaScript function accessible by said Web page.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the evaluation of said JavaScript function results in a visual alteration of the displayed HTML UI Control.

[claims 20-40 intentionally left blank]

41. A method for retrieving and editing the data structure of a HTML UI Control comprising the steps of:

displaying, a HTML UI Control in a Web page within an application window at a client device, said Web page having means for storing the data structure of said HTML UI Control;

transmitting, to a first server, an HTTP request containing at least one function name and at least one parameter, wherein the program code of said function name(s) resides at a server;

invoking, at said first server or a second server, said program code to query an information system based on the evaluation of said function name(s) and said parameter(s); and

receiving, at said application window, an HTTP response containing the results of the execution of said query upon said information system;

wherein the said transmitting and said receiving actions are accomplished without refreshing said Web page displaying said HTML UI Control.

42. A method as defined in claim 41, wherein said HTML UI Control is a form.

43. A method as defined in claim 41, wherein said HTML UI Control is a grid.

44. A method as defined in claim 41, wherein said HTML UI Control is a listview.

45. A method as defined in claim 41, wherein said HTML UI Control is a menu.

46. A method as defined in claim 41, wherein said HTML UI Control is a treeview.

47. A method as defined in claim 41, wherein said HTML UI Control displays at least a portion of a list of items.

48. A method as defined in claim 41, wherein said Web page is contained in a HTML frame.

49. A method as defined in claim 41, wherein said Web page contains a HTML inline frame.

50. A method as defined in claim 41, wherein said application window is a Web browser window.

51. A method as defined in claim 41, wherein said data structure is stored in a JavaScript object.

52. A method as defined in claim 51, wherein said JavaScript object is a multidimensional array.

53. A method as defined in claim 41, wherein said transmitting and said receiving actions are accomplished without the use of Web browser plugins.

54. A method as defined in claim 41, wherein the transmission of said HTTP request and response is accomplished through a non-persistent HTTP connection.

55. A method as defined in claim 41, wherein said information system is a database.

56. A method as defined in claim 41, wherein said information system is a network domain.

57. A method as defined in claim 41, wherein said information system is a file system.

58. A method as defined in claim 41, wherein said results are evaluated by a JavaScript function accessible by said Web page.

59. A method as defined in claim 58, wherein the evaluation of said JavaScript function results in a visual alteration of the displayed HTML UI Control.

[claims 60-80 intentionally left blank]

81. A system for retrieving and editing the data structure of a HTML UI Control comprising:

means for storing the data structure associated with at least one HTML UI Control of at least one Web page in a memory; and

means for executing a query to a remote information system from said Web page(s); and

means for returning the results of said query to said Web page(s); and

means for processing said results at said Web page(s).

82. The system of claim 81 wherein said means for storing the data structure associated with at least one HTML UI Control of at least one Web page in a memory comprises:

means for appending data to said data structure stored in said memory.

83. The system of claim 81 wherein said means for storing the data structure associated with at least one HTML U1 Control of at least one Web page in a memory comprises:

means for searching said data structure stored in said memory; and

means for replacing the data of said data structure stored in said memory.

84. The system of claim 81 wherein said means for executing a query to a remote information system from said Web page(s) comprises:

means for preparing the necessary parameters of a remote procedure call (RPC) to a specified function at a server; and

means for packaging said RPC as a HTTP request; and

means for executing said specified function at said server.

85. The system of claim 81 wherein said means for returning the results of said query to said Web page(s) comprises:

means for preparing said results as at least one parameter of a function call; and

means for packaging said results as a HTTP response; and

means for returning said HTTP response to said Web page(s).

86. The system of claim 85 wherein means for preparing said results as at least one parameter of a function call comprises:

means for packaging said results as at least one delimited string.

87. The system of claim 81 wherein means for processing said results at said Web page(s) comprises:

means for passing said results to at least one function of said Web page(s); and

means for executing said function(s) to process said results.

88. The system of claim 87 wherein means for executing said function(s) to process said results comprises:

means for parsing at least one delimited string containing said results.