Tool for configuring available functions of an application

• US 20050193326A1
• Filed: 02/26/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dettinger, Richard D., Wenzel, Shannon E.
• Application Number:
  US10/787,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20050193326A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

Methods, systems and articles of manufacture for controlling accessibility to application functions and for configuring user interfaces to restrict access to available application functions. In one embodiment, a request is received for a web page comprising displayable content including user-selectable elements through which a user invokes one or more executable functions. The web page is provided the displayable content and then parsed to identify the user-selectable elements. At least portion of the user-selectable elements are disabled on the basis of a pre-defined transform definition to produce a re-configured web page. The re-configured web page is then returned for display.

Claims

1. A method for configuring web pages, comprising:

receiving a request for a web page comprising displayable content including user-selectable elements through which a user invokes one or more executable functions;

providing the web page with the displayable content;

parsing the web page to identify the user-selectable elements;

disabling at least portion of the user-selectable elements on the basis of a pre-defined transform definition to produce a re-configured web page; and

then

returning the re-configured web page for display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein disabling comprises making the one or more executable functions corresponding to the portion of the user-selectable elements inaccessible to the user viewing the re-configured web page.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein disabling comprises removing the portion of the user-selectable elements from the web page prior to returning the re-configured web page.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-defined transform definition is an XSL transform defined for the web page and specifying the portion of the user-selectable elements to be disabled.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-selectable elements are graphical user interface elements.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is issued by a web browser.

7. A method for defining content in user interfaces, comprising:

determining displayable, user-selectable elements of an electronic document, each displayable, user-selectable element being associated with a respective function available for selection by a user viewing the electronic document;

displaying the determined user-selectable elements in a document configuration interface;

receiving, from the document configuration interface, at least one user selection of one of the displayable, user-selectable elements;

on the basis of the at least one user selection, generating an interface transform component defining a user-defined version of the electronic document;

in response to a request from a user for the electronic document;

providing the electronic document;

invoking the interface transform component;

on the basis of the invoked interface transform component, reconfiguring the provided electronic document to output the user-defined version of the electronic document; and

returning the user-defined version of the electronic document to the user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user request is issued by a web browser

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the electronic document is a web page.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the displayable, user-selectable elements comprise buttons, which when clicked by the user invoke the respective function.

11. A computer readable medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation for configuring web pages, the operation comprising:

receiving a request for a web page comprising displayable content including user-selectable elements through which a user invokes one or more executable functions;

providing the web page with the displayable content;

parsing the web page to identify the user-selectable elements;

disabling at least portion of the user-selectable elements on the basis of a pre-defined transform definition to produce a re-configured web page; and

then

returning the re-configured web page for display.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein disabling comprises making the one or more executable functions corresponding to the portion of the user-selectable elements inaccessible to the user viewing the re-configured web page.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein disabling comprises removing the portion of the user-selectable elements from the web page prior to returning the re-configured web page.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the pre-defined transform definition is an XSL transform defined for the web page and specifying the portion of the user-selectable elements to be disabled.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the user-selectable elements are graphical user interface elements.

16. A computer readable medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation for defining content in user interfaces, the operation comprising:

determining displayable, user-selectable elements of an electronic document, each displayable, user-selectable element being associated with a respective function available for selection by a user viewing the electronic document;

displaying the determined user-selectable elements in a document configuration interface;

receiving, from the document configuration interface, at least one user selection of one of the displayable, user-selectable elements;

on the basis of the at least one user selection, generating an interface transform component defining a user-defined version of the electronic document;

in response to a request from a user for the electronic document;

providing the electronic document;

invoking the interface transform component;

on the basis of the invoked interface transform component, reconfiguring the provided electronic document to output the user-defined version of the electronic document; and

returning the user-defined version of the electronic document to the user.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the user request is issued by a web browser.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the electronic document is a web page.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the displayable, user-selectable elements comprise buttons, which when clicked by the user, invoke the respective function.

20. A system for reconfiguring content displayed in user interfaces, comprising:

a parser for determining user-selectable elements of a web page, each user-selectable elements being configured to invoke a function;

a reconfiguration interface for displaying a representation of the functions corresponding to the user-selectable elements determined by the parser;

wherein the reconfiguration interface allows user selection of one or more of the represented functions; and

a transform definition generator for generating a transform definition on the basis of the one or more selected functions;

wherein the transform definition is configured to be invoked after the web page is produced in response to a user request and is applied to reconfigure the web page to make the one or more selected functions inaccessible.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the transform definition is an XSL transform.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the transform definition is applied to make the one or more selected functions inaccessible by removing the corresponding user-selectable elements.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the representation of the functions is the user-selectable elements.