Database access using active server pages

• US 5,999,941 A
• Filed: 11/25/1997
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Web.com Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micro Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Andersen, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Lintz, Paul R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fleurantin, Jean Bolte
• Application Number:
  US08/978,032
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 707/103, 707/104, 707/10
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/917 Text
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method and system for accessing a database management system running on a server computer from within a JAVA applet running on a client computer. The JAVA applet prepares a URL to address an active server page on the server computer, embedding a database query within the URL. The JAVA applet then accesses the active server page using the prepared URL. The server computer, upon receiving a request for access to the active server page, executes a script stored within the active server page that receives the database query embedded within the URL, passes the query to the database management system, receives from the database management system the query results, creates a HTML document, and stores the query results in the HTML document. The server computer then returns the HTML document to the client computer, where the JAVA applet reads the query results from the HTML document.

Claims

1. A method for accessing a database management system running on a server computer from within a JAVA applet running on a client computer, the method comprising:

within the JAVA applet on the client computer,

constructing a uniform resource locator that identifies an active server page on the server computer, the uniform resource locator including a database query encoded as an argument, and

sending to the server computer a request to access the active server page identified by the uniform resource locator;

on the server computer,

receiving from the client computer the request to access the active server page identified by the uniform resource locator,

extracting the argument that encodes the database query,

executing a script stored in the active server page, passing to script the extracted argument,

under control of the script,

passing the query encoded in the extracted argument to the database management system,

receiving query results from the database management system, and

producing a hyper text markup language document that includes the query result, and

returning the produced hyper text markup language document to the client computer; and

within the JAVA applet on the client computer,

receiving the returned hyper text markup language document from the server computer and reading from the hyper text markup language document the query result.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the database management system is a relational database management system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the script stored in the active server page is a Visual Basic script.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the returned hyper text markup language document is opened and read by the JAVA applet in the same way that the JAVA applet would open and read a text file.

5. A system that provides to a JAVA applet running on a client computer access to a database management system running on a server computer, the system comprising:

the JAVA applet on the client computer that

constructs a uniform resource locator that includes an argument that encodes a database query, the uniform resource locator used to address an active server page on the server computer,

uses the constructed uniform resource locator to request from the server computer access to the active server page, and

reads query results from a hyper text markup language document returned by the server computer in response to the access request; and

the active server page on the server computer containing a script that is executed by the server computer that

receives from the server computer the encoded database query,

passes the database query to the database management system,

receives query results from the database management system, and

produces the hyper text markup language document that includes the query result.

6. A method for accessing a database management system running on a server computer from within a program running on a client computer that was transferred to the client computer from the server computer, the method comprising:

constructing a uniform resource locator that identifies an active server page on the server computer, the uniform resource locator including a database query encoded as an argument;

sending to the server computer a request to access the active server page identified by the uniform resource locator, the sending of the request causing the server to invoke a'"'"'script within the active server page that causes the database query to be executed and that packages results from the database query execution into a hyper text markup language document and causing the server computer to return the hyper text markup language document containing the results from the database query execution to the program; and

receiving the returned hyper text markup language document from the server computer and reading from the hyper text markup language document the results of the database query execution.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the program running on the client computer is a JAVA applet.

8. A system that provides to a program running on a first computer access to data produced by an application program running on a second computer, the program running on the first computer transferred to the first computer from the second computer, the system comprising:

the program running on the first computer that

constructs a uniform resource locator that identifies an active server page on the second computer, the uniform resource locator including a request to the application program encoded as an argument,

sends to the second computer a request to access the active server page identified by the uniform resource locator, and

receives the application data from the second computer in a hyper text markup language document returned by the second computer in response to the access request; and

the active server page on the second computer containing a script that is executed by the second computer that

receives the request to the application program included in the uniform resource locator,

passes the request to the application program,

receives the data that results from execution of the request by the application program, and

produces the hyper text markup language document that includes the data.

9. A method for providing results of a database query executed on a server computer to a program running on a client computer that was transferred to the client computer from the server computer, the method comprising:

receiving by the server computer a request from the program running on the client computer to access an active server page addressed by a uniform resource locator;

extracting from the uniform resource locator an argument that encodes the database query;

launching execution of a script contained in the accessed active server page;

passing the extracted argument that encodes a database query to the script which, in turn, passes the database query to a database management system, receives the results of the database query back from the database management system, and prepares a hyper text markup language document that includes the results from the database query; and

returning the hyper text markup language document to the program running on the client computer.

10. A system that provides to a program running on a first computer access to data produced by an application program running on a second computer, the system comprising:

a program running on the first computer that

constructs a resource identifier that identifies a displayable resource on the second computer, the resource identifier including a request for application data encoded as an argument,

sends to the second computer a request to access the displayable resource identified by the resource identifier, and

receives the requested application data from the second computer in a displayable document returned by the second computer in response to the access request

wherein the displayable resource contains a script that is executed by the second computer when the displayable resource is accessed and wherein the script

receives the request for the application data included in the resource identifier,

passes the request to the application program,

receives the application data that results from execution of the request by the application program, and

produces the displayable document that includes the application data.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the displayable resource is an active server page.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the displayable document is a hyper text markup language page.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the resource identifier is an uniform resource locator.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the program running on the first computer is a JAVA applet.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the application program is a database management system.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the program running on the first computer is transferred to the first computer from the second computer.

17. A method for providing results of a database query executed on a server computer to a program running on a client computer, the method comprising:

receiving by the server computer a request from the program running on the client computer to access a displayable resource addressed by a resource identifier;

extracting from the resource identifier an argument that encodes the database query;

launching execution of a script contained in the addressed displayable resource;

passing the extracted argument that encodes a database query to the script which, in turn, passes the database query to a database management system, receives results of the database query back from the database management system, and prepares a displayable document that includes the results of the database query; and

returning the displayable document to the program running on the client computer.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the displayable resource is an active server page.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the program running on the client computer is JAVA applet.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the resource identifier is an uniform resource locator.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the displayable document is a hyper text markup language document.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the program running on the first computer is transferred to the first computer from the second computer.