Method and apparatus for exchanging data using programmatic conversion to emulated HTML form data
First Claim
1. A method in a web client of obtaining service from a web server, comprising the steps of:
- providing client data in said web client for use in obtaining service from said web server, said web server providing a first HTML form to requesting clients on the web, said first HTML form for submitting requests for a first service to said web server in a first HTML multi-part data string format, said server further providing said first service in response to receiving requests in said first HTML multi-part data string format;
automatically converting said client data to an emulated HTML multi-part form data string, said emulated HTML multi-part form data string being functionally equivalent to data in said first multi-part data string format, said automatically converting step being performed by said web client without using said first HTML form;
automatically submitting a request for said first service to said server from said web client in said emulated HTML multi-part form data string; and
receiving said first service in response to automatically submitting said request.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Programming code embedded in an application automatically converts local client data to emulated HTML multi-part form data, without downloading a corresponding form from a web server. The selection of data for conversion is performed programmatically, without the need for interactive user specification of each data item. The emulated HTML multi-part form data is transmitted to a web server as a service request. Preferably, the client application is a configuration utility which generates a record of a computer system configuration, and the server performs the function of configuration verification on configuration data formatted as emulated HTML multi-part form data. The server concurrently maintains a web page which will, on request, download an. HTML form corresponding to a system configuration to a web browser, from which a user may specify a system configuration to be verified.
31 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method in a web client of obtaining service from a web server, comprising the steps of:
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providing client data in said web client for use in obtaining service from said web server, said web server providing a first HTML form to requesting clients on the web, said first HTML form for submitting requests for a first service to said web server in a first HTML multi-part data string format, said server further providing said first service in response to receiving requests in said first HTML multi-part data string format;
automatically converting said client data to an emulated HTML multi-part form data string, said emulated HTML multi-part form data string being functionally equivalent to data in said first multi-part data string format, said automatically converting step being performed by said web client without using said first HTML form;
automatically submitting a request for said first service to said server from said web client in said emulated HTML multi-part form data string; and
receiving said first service in response to automatically submitting said request. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A computer program product for use in a web client computer system for obtaining service from a web server, said computer program product comprising:
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a plurality of processor executable instructions recorded on signal-bearing media, wherein said instructions, when executed by at least one processor in said web client, cause said web client to perform the steps of;
obtaining client data in said web client for use in obtaining service from said web server, said web server providing a first HTML form to requesting clients on the web, said first HTML form for submitting requests for a first service to said web server in a first HTML multi-part data string format, said server further providing said first service in response to receiving requests in said first HTML multi-part data string format;
automatically converting said client data to an emulated HTML multi-part form data string, said emulated HTML multi-part form data string being functionally equivalent to data in said first multi-part data string format, said automatically converting step being performed by said web client without using said first HTML form;
automatically submitting a request for said first service to said server from said web client in said emulated HTML multi-part form data string; and
receiving said first service in response to submitted said request. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of distributed data processing in a world wide web environment, comprising the steps of:
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executing an application program in a web client to generate dynamic structured client application data;
automatically converting said dynamic structured client application data to client application data in an emulated HTML multi-part form data string, said emulated multi-part form data string being functionally equivalent to data in a first HTML multi-part data string format, said automatically converting step being performed by said web client without using an HTML form corresponding to said first HTML multi-part data string format;
wherein a web server performs a first service, said first service comprising processing said client application data responsive to receiving said client application data in a request in said first HTML multi-part data string format;
automatically submitting a request for said first service to said web server from said web client in said emulated HTML multi-part form data string; and
receiving said first service in response to automatically submitting said request;
wherein said automatically converting step and said automatically submitting a request step are performed programmatically without requiring interactive user input. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification