Web server with ability to process URL requests for non-markup language objects and perform actions on the objects using executable instructions contained in the URL

• US 6,192,415 B1
• Filed: 06/19/1998
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Estrada, Julio, Estrada, Miguel, Haverstock, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KANG, PAUL H
• Application Number:
  US09/100,117
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 707/513, 709/202, 709/245
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• 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: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/117 Tagging; Marking up details of markup languages G06F40/143; Designating a block; Setting of attributes style sheets, e.g. eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation [XSLT], G06F40/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/131 Fragmentation of text files, e.g. creating reusable text-blocks; Linking to fragments, e.g. using XInclude; Namespaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates

Abstract

A system for enabling access to non-HTML objects from a web browser. The system includes a database for storing non-HTML objects. A system user requests a non-HTML object from a database using a web browser. The web browser transmits the request to a server via a HTTP server and module. The server locates and retrieves the document requested. The module translates the document to a format supported by the web browser. The HTTP server communicates the translated object to the web browser over a network. The web browser then presents the translated object to the system user. The system also enables a server to respond to a URL requests containing action commands from a browser. Action commands and additional arguments are input into the URL. The server receives the request for the URL and processes the actions and arguments identified in the URL.

Claims

1. A server system enabling a server to process URL requests for one or more non-markup language objects, the URL comprising at least one executable instruction, the system comprising:

a server;

at least one database in communication with the server;

one or more non-markup language objects stored on the at least one database;

a communicating module being operable to communicate the URL request for the one or more non-markup language objects, wherein the URL comprises an object locator and at least one executable instruction; and

wherein the server, upon receipt of the URL, asks the one or more non-markup language objects to perform the at least one executable instruction provided in the URL.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said server is operable to convert the non-markup language object to a markup language object.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the URL further comprises arguments identifying parameters associated with the at least one executable instruction.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the executable instruction differs based on the one or more non-markup language objects requested.

4. A server system enabling a server to process URL requests for one or more non-markup language objects, the URL comprising at least one executable instruction, the system comprising:

storing means for storing one or more non-markup language objects;

requesting means for requesting the one or more non-markup language objects using the URL, the URL comprising an object locator and at least one executable instruction;

receiving means for receiving the URL for the one or more non-markup language objects; and

wherein the receiving means, upon receipt of the URL, asks the one or more non-markup language objects to process the at least one executable instruction provided in the URL.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the URL further comprises arguments identifying parameters associated with the at least one executable instruction.

12. The system of claim 4, wherein the server is operable to convert the non-markup language object to a markup language object.

14. The system of claim 4, wherein the executable instruction differs based on the one or more non-markup language objects requested.

6. A method for enabling a server to process URL requests for one or more non-markup language objects, the URL comprising at least one executable instruction the method comprising the steps of:

storing one or more non-markup language objects in at least one database;

requesting the one or more non-markup language objects using the URL, the URL comprising at least one executable instruction; and

asking the one or more non-markup language objects to process the at least one executable instruction provided in the URL.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of identifying parameters associated with the at least one executable instruction.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein the executable instruction differs based on the one or more non-markup language objects requested.

8. An electronic storage medium having processor readable code embodied therein for enabling a server to process at least one executable instruction contained in a URL, the electronic storage medium comprising:

processor readable code for causing a processor to store one or more non-markup language objects in at least one database;

processor readable code for causing a processor to request the one or more non-markup language objects by identifying the one or more non-markup language objects and at least one executable instruction associated with the one or more non-markup language objects in the URL;

processor readable code for causing a processor to receive the URL and locate the one or more non-markup language objects; and

processor readable code for causing a processor to ask the one or more non-markup language objects to process the at least one executable instruction provided in the URL.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein the URL further comprises arguments identifying parameters associated with the at least one executable instruction.

10. The medium of claim 8, wherein the server is operable to convert the non-markup language object to a markup language object.

11. The medium of claim 8, wherein the URL further comprises arguments identifying parameters associated with the at least one executable instruction.

16. The medium of claim 8, wherein the executable instruction differs based on the one or more non-markup language objects requested.