Data sharing system, method and software tool

• US 20060064422A1
• Filed: 09/15/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jerrard-Dunne, Stanley Kieran, Smith, Charles Robert Edward, Arthurs, Brendan P., O'Mahony, Kieran Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,670 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

A method, software tool and system for communicating data between components in a client computer system is provided. The client computer system has a user interface for displaying a page comprising content rendered by a plurality of components. A property broker is provided which maintains a registry of linked source and destination data fields of components of the client computer system. The property broker is notified when a user request is detected by a component registered with the property broker, and a set of components registered with the property broker is then notified of the start of a communication phase. The user request is processed by the actioned component and the value of each source data field updated during processing of the user request is communicated to each component having a linked destination data field. The property broker notifies the set of components when the communications phase has ended, and at least one component then renders content for display.

Claims

1. A method of communicating data between components in a client computer system, the client computer system having a user interface for displaying a page comprising content rendered by a plurality of components, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a property broker for maintaining a registry of linked source and destination data fields of components of the client computer system;

notifying the property broker when a user request is detected by a component registered with the property broker;

notifying a set of components registered with the property broker of a start of a communication phase;

processing the user request by the actioned component;

communicating the value of each source data field updated during processing of the user request to each component having a linked destination data field;

the property broker notifying said set of components of an end of the communication phase; and

rendering updated content by at least one component.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the destination data field of a component to which the updated value is communicated is a source data field linked to a data field of one or more further component(s), the method further comprising communicating the updated data value to each a further component.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein a destination component to which the updated value is communicated processes the updated value.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein if processing of the updated value by a destination component updates a value of a source data field of the destination component, the method further comprises communicating the value of the updated source data field to each destination data field linked thereto.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising detecting a user request for action by a component.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising displaying a page comprising a plurality of views each contributed by one or more component(s) of the client computer system.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein a user request for action by a component is detected by detecting user interaction with a view contributed by that component.

8. A method according to claim 5, in which detecting a user request comprises setting an event listener in a component.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the set of components notified of the start and end of the communication phase is the set of those components which have views displayed on the display page.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the actioned component renders its content before the notification of end of the communications phase is sent.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein each component having a data field which is updated during the communications phase renders updated content.

12. A method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying an updated page to the user.

13. A method according to claim 6, wherein at least one component having a view displayed on the display page is a portlet.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising providing in the client computer system a portlet server for processing requests for portlet content, the portlet server having one or more portlet(s) installed thereon.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising providing a view window on the display page and running a web browser therein to display the portlet content.

16. A method according to claim 15, comprising requesting web content from a portlet installed on the portlet server via the web browser;

and displaying the web content received on the display page in the view window provided.

17. A method according to claim 1, further comprising running a client platform on the client computer system, the user interface allowing the display of views contributed by plug-in components registered with the client platform.

18. A method according to claim 14, comprising providing a portlet view tool associated with each portlet installed on the portlet server.

19. A method according to claim 18, comprising the portlet view tool intercepting user requests for web content from a portlet.

20. A method according to claim 19, comprising notifying the property broker when a user request is intercepted.

21. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of components, each having one or more data field(s) and being operable to render content; and

a property broker comprising a registry mapping source data fields of source components to destination data field of destination components registered with the property broker;

wherein;

a first component is operable to receive a user request, to send a notification of receipt of the request to the property broker; and

to process the user request;

the property broker being operable to notify a set of components of a start of a communications phase in response to receipt of the notification from the first component, and to notify the set of components of an end of the communications phase;

the value of each source data field updated during processing of the user request being communicated to each component having a linked destination data field.

22. A computer system according to claim 21, further comprising communications means for communicating the updated data value to one or more further component(s) when the destination data field of a destination component is also a source data field linked to a data field of said one or more further component(s).

23. A computer system according to claim 21, wherein the property broker is operable to communicate the value of each source data field updated during processing of the user request to each component having a linked destination data field.

24. A computer system according to claim 21, further comprising processing means for processing an updated value received by a destination component.

25. A computer system according to claim 24, further comprising means for communicating an updated value of a source data field to each destination data field linked thereto, if processing of the received updated value by a destination component updates a value of a source data field of the destination component.

26. A computer system according to claim 21, further comprising means for detecting a user request for action by a component.

27. A computer system according to claim 21, further comprising display means for displaying a page comprising a plurality of view windows each containing content contributed by one or more component(s) of the client computer system.

28. A computer system according to claim 27, further comprising means for detecting user interaction with a view window contributed by a component.

29. A computer system according to claim 25, in which detecting a user request comprises setting an event listener in a component.

30. A computer system according to claim 21, wherein the set of components to which the property broker is operable to send notifications of the start and end of the communication phase is the set of those components which have views displayed on the display page.

31. A computer system according to claim 21, further comprising:

a user interface for displaying a page including one or more view window(s) each displaying content provided by a component of the computer system.

32. A computer system according to claim 31, further comprising:

a portlet server for processing requests for portlet content, the portlet server having one or more portlet(s) installed thereon; and

a portlet view tool, associated with a portlet installed on the portlet server, for controlling the associated portlet and for running a web browser for displaying content from its associated portlet in a view window.

33. A computer system according to claim 32, comprising a plurality of portlet view tools, each associated with a portlet installed on a portlet server.

34. A computer system according to claim 32, wherein a portlet view tool comprises a portlet view plug-in associated with the portlet and configurable to contribute a view to The computer system.

35. A computer system according to claim 32, the system comprising a plurality of portlet servers, each having one or more portlets installed thereon.

36. A computer system according to claim 35, wherein the portlet view tool comprises a portlet interface for enabling interaction with the associated portlet on the relevant portal server.

37. A computer system according to claim 32, wherein the portlet view tool is configurable to provide a frame for the view window displaying portlet content.

38. A computer system according to claim 21, further comprising means for running a client platform and a user interface allowing the display of views contributed by plug-in components registered with the client platform.

39. A computer system according to claim 32, wherein the portlet view tool comprises means for determining a URL for portlet content to be requested by the web browser for display in the portlet view window.

40. A client computer system including a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium having program code stored thereon, the program code including a software tool for communicating data between components in the client computer system, the client computer system having a user interface for displaying a page comprising content rendered by a plurality of the components, the software tool comprising:

program code operable to maintain a registry of linked source and destination data fields of the components in the client computer system;

program code operable to receive notification of detection of a user request by one of the components in the computer system;

program code operable to notify a set of the components in the computer system of the start of a communication phase;

program code operable to communicate the value of each source data field updated during processing of the user request to each of the components in the computer system having a linked destination data field; and

program code operable to notify the set of components in the computer system when the communication phase has ended.

41. A client computer system according to claim 40, further comprising program code operable to communicate the updated data value to one or more further component(s) when a destination data field of a destination component is also a source data field linked to a data field of said one or more further component(s).

42. A client computer system according to claim 40, further comprising program code operable to communicate the value of each source data field updated during processing of the user request to each component having a linked destination data field.

43. A client computer system according to claim 40, further comprising program code operable to communicate an updated value of a source data field to each destination data field linked thereto, if processing of the received updated value by a destination component updates a value of a source data field of the destination component.

44. A computer program product including a computer readable medium, said computer readable medium having program code stored thereon for communicating data between components in a client computer system, the client computer system having a user interface for displaying a page comprising content rendered by a plurality of components, wherein the program code comprises:

program code for providing a property broker for maintaining a registry of linked source and destination data fields of components of the client computer system;

program code for notifying the property broker when a user request is detected by a component registered with the property broker;

program code for notifying a set of components registered with the property broker of a start of a communication phase;

program code for processing the user request by the actioned component;

program code for communicating the value of each source data field updated during processing of the user request to each component having a linked destination data field;

program code in the property broker for notifying said set of components of an end of the communication phase; and

program code for rendering updated content by at least one component.

45. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, said computer data signal having program code stored thereon for communicating data between components in a client computer system, the client computer system having a user interface for displaying a page comprising content rendered by a plurality of components, the program code comprising:

program code for providing a property broker for maintaining a registry of linked source and destination data fields of components of the client computer system;

program code for notifying the property broker when a user request is detected by a component registered with the property broker;

program code for notifying a set of components registered with the property broker of a start of a communication phase;

program code for processing the user request by the actioned component;

program code for communicating the value of each source data field updated during processing of the user request to each component having a linked destination data field;

program code in the property broker for notifying said set of components of an end of the communication phase; and

program code for rendering updated content by at least one component.

46. A system for communicating data between components in a client computer system, the client computer system having a user interface for displaying a page comprising content rendered by a plurality of components, comprising:

means for providing a property broker for maintaining a registry of linked source and destination data fields of components of the client computer system;

means for notifying the property broker when a user request is detected by a component registered with the property broker;

means for notifying a set of components registered with the property broker of a start of a communication phase;

means for processing the user request by the actioned component;

means for communicating the value of each source data field updated during processing of the user request to each component having a linked destination data field;

means in the property broker for notifying said set of components of an end of the communication phase; and

means for rendering updated content by at least one component.