Web-based data form

• US 20060074981A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mauceri, Robert J. Jr., Parker, Charles W., Yun, Simon S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,917,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/154 Tree transformation for tree-structured or markup documents, e.g. XSLT, XSL-FO or stylesheets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

Abstract

A web-based data form enables modifications made to values in the data form to be dynamically implemented in a data source. Form fields of the data form are associated with items in the data source using data binding information. Data from the data source is transformed into intermediate code using Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT) code. Form controls of the data form are instantiated using the intermediate code. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is generated from the intermediate code including the form controls.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for processing a web-based data form, comprising:

associating a control of the data form with a field in a data source;

modifying the control of the data form; and

implementing the modifications to the control in the field of the data source.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to retrieve a web page associated with the data form; and

instantiating the control.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein instantiating the control comprises processing Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT) code and Extensible Markup Language (XML) data associated with the data source into intermediate code.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein associating the control of the data form with the field in the data source further comprises generating data binding information associated with the control and the field, wherein the data binding information includes an identifier for identifying the control and the field, a name of the control, and a value.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

transforming XML data associated with the data source into intermediate code using XSLT code associated with the data form;

regenerating the control such that the data binding information associated with the control reflects the modified control;

processing the intermediate code into Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) using the regenerated control; and

displaying a web page using the HTML.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising determining which modifications were made to the control by using the data binding information to compare data associated with the control of the data form with the field of the data source.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein implementing the modifications to the control in the field of the data source further comprises updating the field in the data source.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein implementing the modifications to the control in the field of the data source further comprises inserting a new field in the data source.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein implementing the modifications to the control in the field of the data source comprises deleting the field in the data source.

10. A system for processing a web-based data form, comprising:

a client that is arranged to request and display a web page associated with the data form, wherein the data form comprises a control;

a data source comprising a field;

a server coupled to the client and the data source, wherein the server is arranged to;

associate the control of the data form with the field in the data source; and

implement modifications made to the control of the data form in the field of the data source.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the server is further arranged to instantiate the control by:

processing XSLT code associated with the data form into intermediate code;

retrieving XML data associated with the data source; and

generating the control from the intermediate code and the XML data.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the server is further arranged to associate the control with the field by generating data binding information associated with the control and the field, wherein the data binding information includes an identifier for identifying the control and the field, a name of the control, and a value.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the server is further arranged to:

transform XML data associated with a requested data source into intermediate code using XSLT code associated with the data form;

regenerate the control such that the data binding information associated with the control reflects the modified control;

process the intermediate code into HTML using the regenerated control; and

display the web page using the HTML.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the server is further arranged to determine which modifications were made to the control by using the data binding information to compare data associated with the control of the data form with the field of the data source.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for processing a web-based data form, comprising:

receiving a request to retrieve a web page associated with the data form; and

instantiating a control of the data form by;

processing XSLT code associated with the data form into intermediate code;

retrieving XML data associated with the data form; and

generating the control from the intermediate code and the XML data.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

generating data binding information associated with the control of the data form and a field in a data source,

associating the control of the data form with the field in the data source using the data binding information; and

implementing the modifications to the control of the data form in the field of the data source.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the data binding information includes an identifier for identifying the control and the field, a name of the control, and a value.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising:

transforming XML data associated with the requested web page into intermediate code using XSLT code associated with the data form;

regenerating the control such that the data binding information associated with the control detects the modified control;

processing the intermediate code into HTML using the regenerated control; and

displaying the web page using the HTML.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising determining which modifications were made to the control by using the data binding information to compare data associated with the control of the data form with the field of the data source.