Method for providing search-specific web pages in a network computing environment

• US 20040010489A1
• Filed: 07/12/2002
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oracle OTC Subsidiary LLC (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: RightNow Technologies Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Rio, Rodger Sheldon
• Application Number:
  US10/194,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20040010489A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

A method and article for providing search-specific page sets and query-results listings is provided. The method and article provides end-users with customized, search-specific pages upon which to initiate a query. A method is also provided for defining the custom search page and the custom results page without the need for line-by-line computer coding. The present invention provides product and service information to end-users in an initiative format.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-useable code embodied thereon for assisting a user with development of a program that provides geographic location information of an organization via a plurality of search-specific page sets, wherein each of said plurality of search-specific page-sets comprises a unique set of search attributes, said computer-readable code, comprising:

code for defining a custom search page; and

code for defining a custom results page for displaying a query result.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein code for defining a custom search page comprises code for defining search criteria to be displayed on said custom search page.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein code for defining search criteria to be displayed on said custom search page comprises code for defining a plurality of search-criteria controls to be included on said custom search page, wherein said plurality of search-criteria controls solicit information from an end-user upon which to assemble a query statement.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein code for defining a plurality of search-criteria controls, comprises:

code for defining a selection-criteria field upon which to initiate a query;

code for defining a text field upon which to initiate a query; and

code for associating said custom search page with a network address.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein code for defining a selection-criteria field comprises designating said selection-criteria field as a hidden field.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, further comprising code for defining a default value for said selection-criteria field.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising code for defining a display position of said selection-criteria field.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising code for associating a textual label with said selection-criteria field to be displayed on said custom search page.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein code for defining a text field, comprises:

code for designating a display position of said text field; and

code for associating a textual label with said text field to be displayed on said custom search page.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, further comprising code for defining a views-link to be chosen by an end-user wherein said views-link links to one or more of said plurality of search-specific page-sets.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein code for defining a views-link includes code for defining a selection control, wherein said selection control lists at least one of said plurality of search-specific page-sets.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising code for defining a default selection of said selection control.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein code for defining a views-link includes code for defining a hyperlink corresponding to one of said plurality of search-specific page-sets.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said code for defining a custom results page includes code for defining a plurality of records-set headings to be displayed to an end-user, said record-set headings corresponding to a records-set returned in response to a search initiated by said end-user

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising code for defining a display format of said query result.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising code for specifying a display order for said plurality of record-set headings to appear on said custom search page.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising code for specifying a sort order of said record-set.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein said code for choosing said plurality of display fields comprises code for selecting whether the following display fields will be displayed to said end-user:

name, address, city, state, postal code, phone, fax, contact, e-mail address, uniform resource locator, and product line information.

19. A computer programmed to execute the computer-useable code recited in of claim 1.

20. In a development system for creating computer programs, a method for assisting a user with development of a program that provides geographic location information of an organization, the method comprising:

providing a custom search page via said computer network;

associating said custom search page with a network address;

displaying said custom search page in response to navigating to said network address; and

displaying a custom results page in response to processing a query initiated by an end-user.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein providing a custom search page includes providing a plurality of search-criteria elements customized for a predefined search request.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising enabling the creation of a user-defined custom search field.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein providing said plurality of search-criteria elements, comprises:

defining a list of choices to populate at least one of said plurality of search-criteria elements;

providing a selection-criteria control on said custom search page; and

prepopulating said selection-criteria control with said defined list whereby said search-criteria element is populated with a choice made from said defined list of said selection-criteria control.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein associating said custom search page with a network address, comprises:

associating a character string with said custom search page; and

appending said character string to a first network address, wherein said first network address corresponds to a default search page.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein associating said custom search page with a network address includes providing a views-link to be followed by an end-user wherein said views-link is linked to said custom search page.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein providing a views-link includes providing a selection-criteria control, wherein said selection-criteria control is comprised of a link to said custom search page.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein providing a views-link includes providing a hyperlink to said custom search.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein displaying said custom search page comprises displaying a portion of said plurality of said criteria elements.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

determining which of said plurality of said search-criteria elements are to be hidden from view; and

displaying only those search-criteria elements that are not to be hidden from view.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

determining whether each of said plurality of search-criteria elements contains a default value; and

displaying each of said plurality of search-criteria elements with its corresponding default value.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein displaying a custom results page comprises:

defining a plurality of records-set headings to display; and

defining a custom display format of said plurality of records.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

defining a column width of said record-set headings;

defining a display order of said record-set headings; and

designating which of said record-set headings to sort on.

33. A computer programmed to perform the steps recited in the method of claim 20.

34. A method for providing geographic location information of an organization in a computer networking environment, comprising:

creating a first search page comprising a first set of search fields;

associating said first search page with a first network address;

creating a second search page comprising a second set of search fields;

associating said second search page with a second network address; and

making said first and second search pages accessible via said computer networking environment.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein making said first and second search pages accessible comprises:

associating said first network address with a first hypertext link;

associating said second network address with a first hypertext link; and

publishing said first and second network addresses on the Internet.

36. A method for creating a plurality of web pages to provide a user'"'"'s product information to remote entities, comprising:

providing for a selection of a plurality of search-criteria fields to be displayed on a portion of said plurality of said web pages without a user having to type computer code;

providing for a processing of an end-user query without said user having to type computer code; and

providing for a display of said product information in response to said end-user query without said user having to type computer code.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said creating said plurality of web pages, comprises

associating a plurality of search-criteria fields with a predefined search;

and

creating a plurality of search-specific web pages wherein each of said web pages contains one of plurality of associated search-criteria fields.

38. A method for presenting physical location information of an organization via a data network, comprising the steps of:

providing for the establishment of a logical connection with a remote computer;

providing for a web page to be downloaded containing search-specific criteria fields to accept input from an end-user;

providing for a query statement to be created based on said input; and

providing for the presentation of said physical location information in response to be processing said query statement.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said providing for a query statement to be created comprises building a Structured Query Language (SQL) statement.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein building said SQL statement comprises:

determining from a plurality of search-specific page-sets which page-set is to be used to create said query statement;

building a list of columns from a database logically coupled with said web page to select;

building an “

ORDER-BY”

clause of said SQL statement;

creating a conditional statement from said input by said end-user; and

incorporating said conditional into a “

WHERE”

clause of said SQL statement.

41. A method for creating a plurality of search-specific page-sets to provide an end-user with geographic product information of an organization wherein each of said plurality of search-specific page-sets comprises a unique set of search attributes, said computer-readable code comprising:

means for defining a custom search page; and

means for defining a custom results page for displaying a query result.