Apparatus and machine-readable medium for generating markup language representing a derived entity which extends or overrides attributes of a base entity

• US 20070192682A1
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nextair Corporation
• Inventors: Neil, Tim, Grenier, Steve, Chalmers, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A markup language document (e.g. an XML document) may contain a first instance of a markup language element having an attribute with a first, platform-independent value, a second instance of the element having the attribute with a second, platform-specific value, and an indicator that the second value overrides the first. Executable code may replace both of the first and second instances with a single instance having the attribute with the second value. Alternatively the markup language document may contain a first instance of a markup language element having a first, platform-independent attribute, a second instance of the element having a second, platform-specific attribute different from the first attribute, and an indicator that the second instance extends the first. In this case executable code may replace both instances of the markup language element with a single instance having the first attribute and the second attribute.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory coupled to said at least one processor storing;

a markup language document containing;

a first instance of a markup language element having an attribute with a first, platform-independent value;

a second instance of said markup language element having said attribute with a second, platform-specific value, wherein said platform is a platform to which an instance of said markup language element is to be deployed; and

an indicator that said second value overrides said first value; and

machine-executable code which, when executed by the at least one processor, replaces both of said first instance and said second instance with a single instance of said markup language element having said attribute with said second value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said markup language element represents a graphical user interface (GUI) screen display element and wherein said attribute represents a characteristic of said GUI screen display element.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said indicator comprises a membership of said first instance of said markup language element in a first subtree of said markup language document and a membership of said second instance of said markup language element in a second subtree of said markup language document.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said first subtree of said markup language document has a first root element, said second subtree of said markup language document has a second root element, and an attribute of said second root element has a value uniquely identifying said first root element.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said indicator comprises an attribute in said second instance of said markup language element uniquely identifying said first instance of said markup language element.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said markup language is extensible markup language (XML), said markup language document is at least one XML document, said markup language element is an XML element, and said attribute is an XML attribute.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said platform is a wireless communication device platform.

8. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory coupled to said at least one processor storing;

a markup language document containing;

a first instance of a markup language element having a first, platform-independent attribute;

a second instance of said markup language element having a second, platform-specific attribute different from said first attribute, wherein said platform is a platform to which an instance of said markup language element is to be deployed; and

an indicator that said second instance extends said first instance; and

machine-executable code which, when executed by the at least one processor, replaces said both of said first instance and said second instance with a single instance of said markup language element having said first attribute and said second attribute.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said markup language element represents a graphical user interface (GUI) screen display element and wherein said first and second attributes represent characteristics of said GUI screen display element.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said indicator comprises a membership of said first instance of said markup language element in a first subtree of said markup language document and a membership of said second instance of said markup language element in a second subtree of said markup language document.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said first subtree of said markup language document has a first root element, said second subtree of said markup language document has a second root element, and an attribute of said second root element has a value uniquely identifying said first root element.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said indicator comprises an attribute in said second instance of said markup language element uniquely identifying said first instance of said markup language element.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said markup language is extensible markup language (XML), said markup language document is at least one XML document, said markup language element is an XML element, and said attribute is an XML attribute.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said platform is a wireless communication device platform.

15. A machine-readable medium comprising:

machine-executable code for replacing, in a markup language document containing;

a first instance of a markup language element having an attribute with a first, platform-independent value;

a second instance of said markup language element having said attribute with a second, platform-specific value, wherein said platform is a platform to which an instance of said markup language element is to be deployed; and

an indicator that said second value overrides said first value,

both of said first instance and said second instance with a single instance of said markup language element having said attribute with said second value.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said markup language element represents a graphical user interface (GUI) screen display element and wherein said attribute represents a characteristic of said GUI screen display element.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said indicator comprises a membership of said first instance of said markup language element in a first subtree of said markup language document and a membership of said second instance of said markup language element in a second subtree of said markup language document.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein said first subtree of said markup language document has a first root element, said second subtree of said markup language document has a second root element, and an attribute of said second root element has a value uniquely identifying said first root element.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said indicator comprises an attribute in said second instance of said markup language element uniquely identifying said first instance of said markup language element.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said markup language is Extensible Markup Language (XML), said markup language document is at least one XML document, said markup language element is an XML element, and said attribute is an XML attribute.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said platform is a wireless communication device platform.

22. A machine-readable medium comprising:

machine-executable code for replacing, in a markup language document containing;

a first instance of a markup language element having a first, platform-independent attribute;

a second instance of said markup language element having a second, platform-specific attribute different from said first attribute, wherein said platform is a platform to which an instance of said markup language element is to be deployed; and

an indicator that said second instance extends said first instance,

both of said first instance and said second instance with a single instance of said markup language element having said first attribute and said second attribute.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 wherein said markup language element represents a graphical user interface (GUI) screen display element and wherein said attribute represents a characteristic of said GUI screen display element.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said indicator comprises a membership of said first instance of said markup language element in a first subtree of said markup language document and a membership of said second instance of said markup language element in a second subtree of said markup language document.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein said first subtree of said markup language document has a first root element, said second subtree of said markup language document has a second root element, and an attribute of said second root element has a value uniquely identifying said first root element.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 wherein said indicator comprises an attribute in said second instance of said markup language element uniquely identifying said first instance of said markup language element.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 wherein said markup language is extensible markup language (XML), said markup language document is at least one XML document, said markup language element is an XML element, and said attribute is an XML attribute.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 wherein said platform is a wireless communication device platform.