Creating and saving multi-frame web pages

• US 6,266,684 B1
• Filed: 08/06/1997
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Kraus, William F., Clarke, Emily E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, CONG LAC T
• Application Number:
  US08/907,165
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: 707/520, 707/513, 707/500, 707/501, 707/517, 707/509, 345/339, 345/342, 345/340
• US Class Current: 715/209
• 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 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

A web page authoring program allows a user to create a multiple frame web page by manipulating a graphical display representing the web page. The program presents a graphical display representing how the web page will appear when viewed through a web browser and allows the user to manipulate the graphical display directly to divide the web page into multiple frames. The program also allows the user to target a frame in the web page to display a particular web resource when the page is viewed through a web browser. In this regard, the program presents a graphical image representing the frameset structure of the web page and allows the user to target a frame by selecting a corresponding portion of the graphical image with a pointing device. In saving a portion of the web page, the program presents a miniature graphical image representing the structure of the web page and including a highlighted portion representing the portion of the web page to be saved and, in response to an instruction provided by the user, saves the portion of the web page in a storage medium.

Claims

1. A method for use in creating a multiple-frame web page, the method comprising:

presenting on a display device a browser view of the web page showing the web page as it will appear when viewed through a web browser;

allowing a creator of the web page to manipulate the browser view of the web page directly to;

create in the browser view a new frame;

define frame content for the new frame;

edit any frame content displayed within each frame of the web page; and

embodying the browser view as a web page in a format that can be used by the web browser to render the web page.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the format comprises HTML.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising requiring the creator to supply a predetermined control command before allowing the creator to manipulate the browser view of the web page.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device initially includes a border enclosing the web page.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein allowing the creator to manipulate the browser view of the web page comprises allowing the creator to reposition an edge of the border.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the browser view of the web page includes a border around each frame in the web page.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising allowing the creator to add a frame to the web page by repositioning an edge of one of the borders.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising allowing the creator to remove a frame from the web page by repositioning an edge of one of the borders.

9. A program, residing in a storage medium, for use in creating a multiple-frame web page, the program comprising executable instructions which enable a computer system to:

present on a display device a browser view of the web page showing the web page as it will appear when viewed through a web browser;

allow a creator of the web page to manipulate the browser view of the web page directly to;

create in the browser view a new frame;

define frame content for the new frame;

edit any frame content displayed within each frame of the web page, wherein the frame content comprises text and graphics; and

embody the browser view as a web page in a format that can be used by the web browser to render the web page.

10. The program of claim 9, wherein the format comprises HTML.

11. The program of claim 9, wherein the creator is required to supply a predetermined control command before being allowed to manipulate the browser view of the web page.

12. The program of claim 9, wherein the browser view of the web page initially includes a border enclosing the web page.

13. The program of claim 12, wherein the creator is allowed to manipulate the browser view of the web page by repositioning an edge of the border.

14. The program of claim 9, wherein the browser view of the web page includes a border around each frame in the web page.

15. The program of claim 14, wherein the creator is allowed to add a frame to the web page by repositioning an edge of one of the borders.

16. The program of claim 14, wherein the creator is allowed to remove a frame from the web page by repositioning an edge of one of the borders.

17. A method for use in saving a portion of a web page to a storage medium, the method comprising:

displaying a browser view of a web page on a display device of a computer, the web page having a frameset structure;

simultaneously displaying a miniature graphical image representing the frameset structure of the web page;

highlighting a portion of the miniature graphical image corresponding to a frame of the web page to be saved; and

in response to an instruction provided by a user of the computer, saving the content of the frame of the web page in the storage medium.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the content of the frame is saved in HTML format.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving an input from a user selecting a frame of the web page to be saved;

highlighting a portion of the miniature graphical image corresponding to the user-selected frame of the web page; and

in response to an instruction provided by the user, saving the content of the user-selected frame of the web page in the storage medium.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the content of the user-selected frame is saved in HTML format.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the graphical image is presented automatically if the user attempts to exit the web page without saving the portion.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the graphical image is presented only if the portion has changed since a previous save.

23. A method for use in saving the contents of one or more frames of a multiple-frame web page in a storage medium, the method comprising:

displaying a browser view of a web page on a display device of a computer, the web page having a frameset structure;

for each frame in the browser view displaying frame content to be saved, displaying a miniature graphical image representing the frameset structure of the web page and highlighting a portion of the miniature graphical image corresponding to its respective frame; and

in response to an instruction provided by a user of the computer, saving the contents of one or more of the frames in the storage medium.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising saving less than all of the frames for which graphical images are presented.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising saving the contents of each frame in a separate file.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein each file is an HTML file.

27. A program, residing on a storage medium, for use in saving a portion of a web page in the same or another storage medium, the program comprising executable instructions that enable a computer system to:

display a browser view of a web page on a display device of a computer, the web page having a frameset structure;

simultaneously display a miniature graphical image representing the frameset structure of the web page;

highlight a portion of the miniature graphical image corresponding to a frame of the web page to be saved; and

in response to an instruction provided by a user of the computer system, save the content of the frame of the web page in the storage medium.

28. The program of claim 27, wherein the content of the frame is saved in HTML format.

29. The program of claim 27, wherein the computer system further comprises executable instructions that enable a computer system to,

receive an input from a user selecting a frame of the web page to be saved; highlight a portion of the miniature graphical image corresponding to the user-selected frame of the web page; and

in response to an instruction provided by the user, save the content of the user-selected frame of the web page in the storage medium.

30. The program of claim 29, wherein the content of the user-selected frame is saved in HTML format.

31. The program of claim 27, wherein the graphical image is presented automatically if the user attempts to close the web page without saving the portion.

32. The program of claim 31, wherein the graphical image is presented only if the portion has been changed since a previous save.

33. A program, residing on a storage medium, for use in saving the contents of one or more frames of a multiple-frame web page in a storage medium, the program comprising executable instructions that enable a computer system to:

display a browser view of a web page on a display device of a computer, the web page having a frameset structure;

for each frame in the browser view displaying frame content to be saved, display a miniature graphical image representing the frameset structure of the web page and highlight a portion of the miniature graphical image corresponding to its respective frame; and

in response to an instruction provided by a user of the computer, save the contents of one or more of the frames in the storage medium.

34. The program of claim 33, wherein the computer system saves less than all of the frames for which graphical images are presented.

35. The program of claim 33, wherein the computer system saves the contents of each frame in a separate file.

36. The program of claim 35, wherein each file is an HTML file.