Systems and methods for defining web content navigation

• US 20050257138A1
• Filed: 05/14/2004
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kothari, Nikhil, Yang, Ting-Hao, Sanabria, Andres M., Guthrie, Scott D., Imig, Scott Kirk, Niyogi, Shanku Shivabrata, Harder, Michael, Howard, Robert M., Chory, Susan, Gibbs, Matthew E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,065,600 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing

Abstract

The described systems and methods are directed at defining web content navigation. The disclosed technique enables the development of web content for a scenario without having to create every navigational control that is needed to manage the flow through the web content in the scenario or to write non-declarative server-side logic to control navigation. This method determines a declaration in a source file for a web page. The declaration is associated with an object. The method determines the views associated with the object where each of the views includes a user-interface. A flow for navigating through the views is determined. The views are rendered in accordance with the navigational flow.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a declaration in a source file for a web page, the declaration associated with an object;

determining views associated with the object, each of the views including a user-interface;

determining a flow for navigating through the views; and

rendering the views in accordance with the determined flow.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the declaration includes a tag in the source file.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the tag includes a reference to the object and properties associated with the object.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each view includes at least one of a user control, a server control, text, multimedia items, navigational logic, operational logic, or a layout of the user interface.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the operational logic includes an operation that interacts with at least one of a email handler, an account manager, or a e-commerce handler.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the navigational logic includes moving to at least one of a previous view, a next view, or a specific view.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the navigational logic includes moving to a particular view based, at least in part, on an input received through another view.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the flow is implemented as navigational logic included in the views.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the flow includes at least one of a linear flow, a non-linear flow, a user-driven flow, or an operational dependent flow.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein rendering the views includes displaying one of the views at a time based on the flow.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object is associated with a scenario.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the scenario includes at least one of a login scenario, a logout scenario, a password recovery scenario, a e-commerce scenario, a change password scenario, a create user scenario, or a wizard scenario.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein rendering the views include:

determining a current view;

receiving input associated with the current view;

determining a next view based, in part, on the input and the navigational logic associated with the current view; and

rendering the next view.

14. One or more computer-readable memories containing instructions that are executable by a processor to perform the method recited in claim 1.

15. A system comprising a server configured to receive a request for a web page and to determine a source file associated with the requested web page, the source file including a declaration for an object associated with multiple views, each of the views including a user-interface and navigational logic, the server further configured to render the views based, at least in part, on the navigational logic included in the views.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, further comprising a data store containing data associated with objects for generating views.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein at least one of the objects is used for generating multiple views.

18. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the server is configured to perform an operation associated with at least one of the views.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the operation includes at least one of sending an email, authenticate a user, sending an email, changing a password, setting up a user account, handling a business transaction, or making a phone call or a page.

20. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the server is configured perform the operation by interacting with a component that includes at least one of an email handler, an account manager, an e-commerce manager, or communication handler.

21. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the component is implemented on another computing device coupled to the server through a network.

22. The system as recited in claim 15, further comprising a client configured to enable a user to browse to the web page and to send the request for the web page to the server, the client further configured to display the views rendered by the server to the user.

23. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the client is further configured to enable the user to submit input associated with a particular view and to send the input to the server.

24. One or more computer-readable media encoded with a data structure representing a source file associated with a web page, comprising a first data field including a declaration for a multiview object, the multiview object associated with a plurality of views, each of the views including a user-interface and navigational logic for navigating between the views.

25. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 24, wherein the declaration includes a tag that specifies the multiview object.

26. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 24, wherein the declaration includes data associated with the multiview object, and wherein the data includes at least one of properties, states, or options.

27. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 24, wherein the source file causes the rendering of the views without defining the controls included in the views.

28. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 24, wherein the source file causes the rendering of the views without defining the navigational flow of the views.

29. One or more computer-readable media encoded with a data structure representing an object, comprising:

a first data field representing views associated with the object, each of the views including a user-interface;

a second data field indexed to the first data field, the second data field including information for rendering the views in the first data field; and

a third data field associated with the first data field and the second data field, the third data field including navigational logic for navigating among the views in the first data field.

30. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 29, wherein the views in the first data field are associated with a scenario.

31. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 30, wherein the scenario includes at least one of a login scenario, a logout scenario, a password recovery scenario, a e-commerce scenario, a change password scenario, a create user scenario, or a wizard scenario.

32. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 29, wherein the information in the second data field including at least one of a user control, a server control, text, multimedia items, navigational logic, operational logic or a layout of a user interface.

33. An apparatus comprising:

means for implementing a scenario in a web application by including a declaration for an object in a source file associated with the web application;

means for rendering views associated with the object; and

means for navigating through the views.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for implementing the views associated with the scenario without defining controls in the views.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising:

means for determining a current view;

means for receiving input in the current view;

means for determining a next view based, in part, on the input and the navigational logic associated with the current view; and

means for rendering the next view.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for including a declaration as a tag.

37. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for specifying a property of the object.