Method and apparatus for self validating URL links

• US 20060048049A1
• Filed: 08/30/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sholl, Jason Ashley
• Granted Patent: US 7,484,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/226 Validation

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for processing a set of links in a document. In response to receiving the document, the set of links in the document is displayed as being validated. The set of links are then processed to determine whether the links are valid or invalid. Whenever one of the links in the set of links is identified as being valid, the display of the link is changed to indicate that the link is valid. Whenever a link in the set of links is identified as being invalid, the display of that link is changed to indicate that this link is invalid.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for processing a set of links in a document, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving the document, displaying the set of links as being validated;

responsive to a first link in the set of links being validated, changing a display of the first link in the set of links to indicate that the first link is valid; and

responsive to a second link in the set of links being invalidated, changing a display of the second link in the set of links to indicate that the second link is invalid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a valid link is displayed using a first color, an invalid link is displayed using a second color, and a validating link is displayed using a third color.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the state of a link in the set of links is identified using at least one of a color, font type, font size, graphical identifier associated with the link, text associated with the link, and a background for the link.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

validating each link in the set of links.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the validating step includes:

sending a request using a selected link in the set of links;

responsive to content being returned, identifying the selected link as being a valid link; and

responsive to an error occurring, identifying the selected link as being invalid.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the validating step includes:

initiating a thread for each link in the set of links to validate the set of links.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the validating step is performed only for external links in the set of links.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

changing a display of a particular link in the set of links in response to the particular link pointing to external content.

9. A data processing system for processing a set of links in a document, the data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to display the set of links as being validated in response to receiving the document, change a display of the first link in the set of links to indicate that the first link is valid in response to a first link in the set of links being validated, and change a display of the second link in the set of links to indicate that the second link is invalid in response to a second link in the set of links being invalidated.

10. A data processing system for processing a set of links in a document, the data processing system comprising:

displaying means, responsive to receiving the document, for displaying the set of links as being validated;

first changing means, responsive to a first link in the set of links being validated, for changing a display of the first link in the set of links to indicate that the first link is valid; and

second changing means, responsive to a second link in the set of links being invalidated, for changing a display of the second link in the set of links to indicate that the second link is invalid.

11. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein a valid link is displayed using a first color, an invalid link is displayed using a second color, and a validating link is displayed using a third color.

12. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the a state of a link in the set of links is identified using at least one of a color, font type, font size, graphical identifier associated with the link, text associated with the link, and a background for the link.

13. The data processing system of claim 10 further comprising:

validating means for validating each link in the set of links.

14. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the validating means includes:

sending means for sending a request using a selected link in the set of links;

first identifying means, responsive to content being returned, for identifying the selected link as being a valid link; and

second identifying means, responsive to an error occurring, for identifying the selected link as being invalid.

15. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the validating means includes:

initiating means for initiating a thread for each link in the set of links to validate the set of links.

16. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the validating means is initiated only for external links in the set of links.

17. The data processing system of claim 10 further comprising:

third changing means for changing a display of a particular link in the set of links in response to the particular link pointing to external content.

18. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for processing a set of links in a document, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for displaying the set of links as being validated responsive to receiving the document;

second instructions for changing a display of the first link in the set of links to indicate that the first link is valid responsive to a first link in the set of links being validated; and

third instructions for changing a display of the second link in the set of links to indicate that the second link is invalid responsive to a second link in the set of links being invalidated.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein a valid link is displayed using a first color, an invalid link is displayed using a second color, and a validating link is displayed using a third color.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the state of a link in the set of links is identified using at least one of a color, font type, font size, graphical identifier associated with the link, text associated with the link, and a background for the link.

21. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising:

fourth instructions for validating each link in the set of links.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the fourth instructions includes:

first sub instructions for sending a request using a selected link in the set of links;

second sub instructions for identifying the selected link as being a valid link responsive to content being returned; and

third sub instructions for identifying the selected link as being invalid responsive to an error occurring.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the fourth instructions includes:

sub instructions for initiating a thread for each link in the set of links to validate the set of links.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the validating step is performed only for external links in the set of links.

25. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising:

fourth instructions forchanging a display of a particular link in the set of links in response to the particular link pointing to external content.