METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING XML-BASED ASYNCHRONOUS AND INTERACTIVE FEEDS FOR WEB APPLICATIONS

• US 20110072116A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Schultz, Neil J., Kordun, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 8,122,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A system for providing XML-based asynchronous and interactive feeds for Web applications that provides a highly efficient and extensible XML Javascript framework allowing easy insertion of a comment/news feed control into any Web page. The framework allows for reading of any XML format and provides a new and easy way for modifying the look-and-feel of the control via HTML templates with familiar XPath bindings. The rendering performed through the system supports both flat and indented (“threaded”) views for a comment thread. The system improves the parsing speed of incoming XML, and supports a flexible event model for others to develop plug-ins and mashups in the spirit of Web 2.0.

Claims

1. A method for providing a feed control, comprising:

loading a template defining a format of one of a plurality of entries in a data feed to be displayed to a local user;

loading the data feed onto a local device from a remote data server, wherein said loading includes retrieving data bindings from said template and using said data bindings retrieved from said template to request data specified by said data bindings from said remote data server;

receiving said requested data from said remote server system at said local device;

applying said template to said plurality of entries; and

displaying said plurality of entries to said local user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said data feed comprises an XML data feed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said data feed comprises a Web news feed and said plurality of entries are made up of news entries, each of said news entries including a summary and a link to a corresponding complete article.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said data feed comprises a discussion thread and said plurality of entries are made up of comment entries, each of said comment entries including a comment body and an identifier of a comment author.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an identifier of said template based on an automatically determined type of said data feed.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said automatically determined type of said data feed is RSS.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said automatically determined type of said data feed is ATOM.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling said local user to post data back to said data feed source.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said template is made up of HTML.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said local device comprises a local computer.

11. An apparatus including a computer readable memory, said computer readable memory having program code stored thereon operable when executed to cause a computer system to provide a feed control by:

loading a template defining a format of one of a plurality of entries in a data feed to be displayed to a local user;

loading the data feed onto a local device from a remote data server, wherein said loading includes retrieving data bindings from said template and using said data bindings retrieved from said template to request data specified by said data bindings from said remote data server;

receiving said requested data from said remote server system at said local device;

applying said template to said plurality of entries; and

displaying said plurality of entries to said local user.

12. A computer program product including a computer readable memory, said computer readable memory having program code thereon operable when executed to cause a computer system to provide a feed control by:

loading a template defining a format of one of a plurality of entries in a data feed to be displayed to a local user;

loading the data feed onto a local device from a remote data server, wherein said loading includes retrieving data bindings from said template and using said data bindings retrieved from said template to request data specified by said data bindings from said remote data server;

receiving said requested data from said remote server system at said local device;

applying said template to said plurality of entries; and

displaying said plurality of entries to said local user.

13. A method for providing a feed control, comprising:

determining a data feed to be displayed to a local user, said data feed made up of a plurality of entries;

determining a template defining a format and appearance of one of said entries in said data feed;

loading said template from a template source;

loading said data feed onto a local device from a data feed source;

applying said template to each of said plurality of entries;

firing an entry formatted event to at least one service other than said data feed, after each of said entries is formatted based on said template, wherein said at least one service other than said data feed adds at least one display object to each of said entries; and

displaying said plurality of entries to said local user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said at least one other service comprises a star rating service.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said at least one other service comprises an inline personal information card.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising firing a template received event to said at least one service other than said data feed upon receipt of said template by said local device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising firing a feed data received event to said at least one service other than said data feed upon receipt of said feed data from said feed data source.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising firing a feed data ready for display event to said at least one service other than said data feed upon completion of formatting all of said entries of said data feeds.

19. An apparatus including a computer readable memory, said computer readable memory having program code stored thereon operable when executed to cause a computer system to provide a feed control by:

determining a data feed to be displayed to a local user, said data feed made up of a plurality of entries;

determining a template defining a format and appearance of one of said entries in said data feed;

loading said template from a template source;

loading said data feed onto a local device from a data feed source;

applying said template to each of said plurality of entries;

firing an entry formatted event to at least one service other than said data feed, after each of said entries is formatted based on said template, wherein said at least one service other than said data feed adds at least one display object to each of said entries; and

displaying said plurality of entries to said local user.

20. A computer program product including a computer readable memory, said computer readable memory having program code thereon operable when executed to cause a computer system to provide a feed control by:

determining a data feed to be displayed to a local user, said data feed made up of a plurality of entries;

determining a template defining a format and appearance of one of said entries in said data feed;

loading said template from a template source;

loading said data feed onto a local device from a data feed source;

applying said template to each of said plurality of entries;

firing an entry formatted event to at least one service other than said data feed, after each of said entries is formatted based on said template, wherein said at least one service other than said data feed adds at least one display object to each of said entries; and

displaying said plurality of entries to said local user.