Document object model caching and validation

• US 20040123239A1
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Roessler, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 7,712,025 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/513
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing techniques for document object model caching and validation. A client identifies a change of a user interface (UI) element that references a node of the DOM hierarchy. The client determines whether the change of the UI element can be applied to the DOM hierarchy by using an update function, for example, a delta renderer. If so, the client finds in the DOM hierarchy the node that is referenced by the UI element and modifies at least one attribute related to the node according to the change by using the update function. Otherwise, the client sets a dirty flag.

Claims

1. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product comprising instructions operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

identifying a change of a user interface (UI) element that references a node of a document object model (DOM) hierarchy;

determining whether the change of the UI element can be applied to the DOM hierarchy by using an update function;

if the change can be applied by using the update function, finding in the DOM hierarchy the node that is referenced by the UI element and modifying at least one attribute related to the node according to the change by using the update function; and

else, setting a dirty flag.

2. The product of claim 1, wherein the update function is a delta renderer.

3. The product of claim 1, wherein the dirty flag indicates invalidity of a cached DOM representation of the UI element.

4. The product of claim 1, wherein the dirty flag indicates invalidity of a cached DOM representation of a further UI element that is a parent of the UI element.

5. The product of claim 3, wherein the cached DOM representation comprises the node and the at least one attribute is an attribute of the node.

6. The product of claim 4, wherein the cached DOM representation comprises the node and the at least one attribute is an attribute of the node.

7. The product of claim 3, wherein the cached DOM representation comprises a sub-hierarchy of the DOM hierarchy and the node is the root node of the sub-hierarchy and the at least one attribute is an attribute of a sub-node of the sub-hierarchy.

8. The product of claim 4, wherein the cached DOM representation comprises a sub-hierarchy of the DOM hierarchy and the node is the root node of the sub-hierarchy and the at least one attribute is an attribute of a sub-node of the sub-hierarchy.

9. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product comprising instructions operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to render a user interface (UI) element of a UI-tree;

determining whether a dirty flag is set for a cached document object model (DOM) representation of a flagged UI element that is on the path of the UI element in the UI tree;

the flagged UI element having a reference to a node of the DOM hierarchy;

if the dirty flag is set, generating a new DOM representation of the flagged UI element and inserting the new DOM representation into the DOM hierarchy by using the UI-tree and the reference to the node; and

else, inserting the cached DOM representation into the DOM hierarchy by using the UI-tree and the reference to the node.

10. The product of claim 9, wherein the cached DOM representation is a cached sub-tree of the DOM hierarchy and the node is the root node of the cached sub-tree.

11. The product of claim 9, wherein the new DOM representation is a new sub-tree of the DOM hierarchy and the node is the root node of the new sub-tree.

12. Apparatus comprising:

means for identifying a change of a user interface (UI) element that references a node of a document object model (DOM) hierarchy;

means for determining whether the change of the UI element can be applied to the DOM hierarchy by using an update function; and

means for, if the change can be applied by using the update function, finding in the DOM hierarchy the node that is referenced by the UI element and modifying at least one attribute related to the node according to the change by using the update function; and

else, setting a dirty flag.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the update function is a delta renderer.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the dirty flag indicates invalidity of a cached DOM representation of the UI element.

15. Apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request to render a user interface (UI) element of a UI-tree;

determining whether a dirty flag is set for a cached document object model (DOM) representation of a flagged UI element that is on the path of the UI element in the UI tree;

the flagged UI element having a reference to a node of the DOM hierarchy; and

means for, if the dirty flag is set, generating a new DOM representation of the flagged UI element and inserting the new DOM representation into the DOM hierarchy by using the UI-tree and the reference to the node; and

else, inserting the cached DOM representation into the DOM hierarchy by using the UI-tree and the reference to the node.