Method for dynamically embedding objects stored in a web server within HTML for display by a web browser

• US 5,974,430 A
• Filed: 09/30/1997
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Stefaniak, Joseph Peter, Mutschler, Eugene Otto III
• Primary Examiner(s): Amsbury, Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US08/941,436
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/4, 707/500, 707/501, 707/505, 707/2, 707/9, 707/10, 707/100, 707/1, 707/513
• US Class Current: 715/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A method in a computing system having at least one server and a multiplicity of clients coupled thereto by means of a network. The server executes a Web Server program and at least one of the clients executes a Web browser program. The method operates in the server and at least one of the clients for supporting dynamic access to objects stored in the server repository by the Web browser program. The method begins in the client by parsing Form description language to obtain references to objects stored in the server repository. For each reference to an object stored in the repository, a message is constructed for the Repository Object for transmission to the Web server. Within the Web server the message is used to retrieve the contents of the Repository Object from the server repository. Next, the retrieved contents of the Repository Object is returned to the client for association with its Data Name. Next, a GUI Control is located that is associated with the Data Name; and, the contents of the Repository Object are placed into the GUI Control located in the previous step. Accordingly, a Form is displayed with GUI Controls filled in with values from the server repository.

Claims

1. In a computing system having at least one server and a multiplicity of clients coupled thereto by means of a network, said server having a CPU executing at Web Server program and having a repository coupled thereto for storing description language of a Form to be displayed, at least one of said clients executing a Web browser program, a method operating in said server and said at least one of said clients (hereafter said client) for supporting dynamic access to objects stored in said server repository by said Web browser program, said method comprising the steps of:

a. within said client, parsing said description language to obtain references to objects stored in said server repository;

b. for each reference to an object stored in said server repository;

i.) within said client, constructing a message for said Repository Object for transmission to said server;

ii.) within said server, using said message to retrieve contents of said Repository Object from said server repository;

iii.) within said server, returning the retrieved contents of said Repository Object to said client;

iv.) within said client, associating the contents of said Repository Object with its Data Name;

v.) within said client, locating a GUI Control that is associated with said Data Name; and

,

vi.) within said client, placing contents of said Repository Object into said GUI Control located in the previous step, whereby said Form is displayed with GUI Controls filled in with values from said server repository.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein the step b.i.) further includes constructing a message for transmission to said server that contains name of an object from said description language, and partition name received as parameters from a Web browser.

3. The method as in claim 1 wherein the step b.ii.) further includes parsing said message to obtain name of said object and name of partition in which it resides.

4. The method as in claim 1 wherein the step b.iii.)further includes constructing a response message containing contents of said object.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein the step b.iv) further includes extracting said object from said response message.

6. The method as in claim 1 wherein said description language is Screen Control Language.

7. An object-oriented apparatus stored in the memory of a computer system for dynamically embedding objects stored in a Web server repository that stores a description language of a Form to be displayed by a Web browser, said apparatus comprising:

a. a first program for parsing a parameter of said description language to obtain references to objects stored in said Web server repository;

b. a second program for retrieving contents of said objects and returning to said first program; and

,

c. said first program associating contents of said objects retrieved with their Data Names, locating a GUI Control associated with each of said Data Names and placing contents of each of said objects into said located associated GUI Control, where by a Form is displayed with GUI Controls filled in with values from said repository.

8. The apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said description language is SCL.

9. The apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said first program is an SCL Web Control program.

10. The apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said second program is a Web Agent program.

11. The apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said first program finds references in said description language to object references, constructs a message for transmission to said second program that parses the received message, retrieves contents of said object from said repository and constructs and transmits a message containing said contents back to said first program.

12. The apparatus as in claim 11 wherein said first program receives and parses said message and finds GUI Controls and places said contents in said GUI Control.

13. In a computing system having at least one server and a multiplicity of clients coupled thereto by means of a network, said server having a CPU executing a Web Server program and having a repository coupled thereto, at least one of said clients executing a Web browser program, a method operating in said server and said at least one of said clients (hereafter said client) for supporting dynamic access to objects stored in said server repository by said Web browser program, said method comprising the steps of:

a. within said client parsing an SCL Text parameter to obtain references to objects stored in said server repository;

b. for each reference to an object stored in said server repository;

i.) within said client constructing a message for said Repository Object for transmission to said server;

ii.) within said server using said message to retrieve contents of said Repository Object from said server repository;

iii.) within said server returning the retrieved contents of said Repository Object to said client;

iv.) within said client associating the contents of said Repository Object with its Data Name;

v.) within said client locating a GUI Control that is associated with said Data Name; and

,

vi.) within said client placing contents of said Repository Object into said GUI Control located in the previous step, whereby a Form is displayed with GUI Controls filled in with values from said server repository.

14. The method as in claim 13 wherein the step b.i.) further includes constructing a message to said Web Agent program containing name of object from SCL Text, and partition name received by said Web SCL Control as parameters from a Web browser.

15. The method as in claim 13 wherein the step b.ii.) further includes parsing said message to obtain name of requested object and name of partition in which it resides.

16. The method as in claim 13 wherein the step b.iii.) further includes constructing a response message containing contents of said Repository Object.

17. The method as in claim 13 wherein the step b.iv.) further includes extracting requested object from said response message.