Dynamic windowing system in a transaction base network for a client to request transactions of transient programs at a server

• US 5,920,696 A
• Filed: 02/25/1997
• Issued: 07/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Olson, Diane Elaine, Snyder, Devon Daniel, O'Keefe, Timothy Jude, Brandt, Marcia Lynn, Hansen, Jason Robert, DiCecco, Joseph Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ton, David
• Application Number:
  US08/805,959
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.48, 395/680, 395/200.33, 707/500, 380/49
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An enhanced document browsing method and apparatus for requesting transactions of transient programs at a server, that sends a first transaction to a server that requests first data from a first transient program; receives the first data from the server; inserts the first data into an entry field; and requests a second transaction from a second transient program by sending the first data to the server.

Claims

1. A method at a client for requesting transactions of transient programs at a server, comprising:

requesting a manager document from a first transient program at the server;

receiving the manager document from the server;

retrieving an address of a start document from a field in the manager document;

requesting the start document from the server using the retrieved address;

determining whether the start document has been previously processed;

when the start document has not been previously processed, submitting a form to the server, wherein the form requests a second transient program to copy a system name into a hidden variable in the start document and resend the start document to the client;

when the start document has been previously processed, copying the system name from the start document to the manager document, retrieving an address of a logon document from the manager document, and requesting the logon document from the server using the address;

interpreting control codes in the logon document; and

displaying a logon screen in response to the interpreting step.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

validating a user-id and password in response to the interpreting step, wherein a user enters the user-id and password in the logon screen;

building a logon form in response to the interpreting step, wherein the logon form contains the user-id, the password, and an identification of a third transient program at the server; and

sending the logon form to the server.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a main document from the server, wherein the main document contains hidden variables.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the hidden variables in the main document comprise the user-id.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the hidden variables in the main document comprise a language version.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the hidden variables in the main document comprise a security level associated with the user.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the hidden variables in the main document comprise an indication of whether the user is administrative or non-administrative.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the hidden variables in the main document comprise an indication of products installed on the server that are accessible by the user.

9. A program product that is to be interpreted by a browser and executing on a computer system, comprising:

a manager document comprising a system name, a script function, an address of a start document that when interpreted by the browser causes the browser to retrieve the start document, an address of a logon document that when interpreted by the browser causes the browser to retrieve the logon document, and a control function;

a start document, comprising hidden variables and a pointer that identifies the control function in the manager document, wherein the control function is executed by the browser when the browser loads the start document, and wherein the control function determines whether the start document has been previously loaded;

a main document comprising hidden variables and a pointer to the script function in the manager document wherein the script function is to be executed by the browser when the browser loads the main document; and

signal-bearing media bearing the manager document, the start document, and the main document.

10. The program product of claim 9, further comprising:

a logon document, comprising

a pointer to a control function in the manager document that is to be executed by the browser when the browser loads the logon document, and

name control codes,

wherein the signal-bearing media bears the logon document.

11. The program product of claim 9, wherein the manager document further comprises:

frame control codes that, when interpreted by the browser display a task frame, a work frame, and a control flame; and

global variables.

12. The program product of claim 9, wherein when the control function determines that the start document has not been previously loaded, the control function submits a form to the server, wherein the form requests a transient program at a server to copy a system name into a hidden variable in the start document.

13. The program product of claim 10, wherein when the control function determines that the start document has been previously processed, the control function copies the system name from the start document to the manager document, retrieves an address of the logon document from the manager document, and requests the logon document from a server using the address.

14. The program product of claim 13, wherein the control function further opens a logon window on a display.

15. The program product of claim 14, wherein the manager document further comprises:

a validate function that validates a user id and a password entered in the logon screen; and

a name function that reads the system name from the manager document and creates the name control codes in the logon document.

16. The program product of claim 15, wherein the logon document further comprises:

control codes, wherein the control codes send a form to the server, wherein the form comprises the validated user id and password, an identification of a second transient program at the server, and an address of the main document.

17. The program product of claim 9, wherein the hidden variables in the main document comprise a user id.

18. The program product of claim 9, wherein the hidden variables in the main document comprise a language version.

19. The program product of claim 9, wherein the hidden variables in the main document comprise a security level associated with a user.

20. The program product of claim 9, wherein the hidden variables in the main document comprise an indication of whether a user is administrative or non-administrative.

21. The program product of claim 9, wherein the hidden variables in the main document comprise an indication of products installed on the server that are accessible by a user.