Method for inline variables management in a hypermedia display language

• US 6,353,839 B1
• Filed: 04/30/1998
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Openwave Systems Incorporated (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Greer, Russell S., Schwartz, Bruce V., Martin, Jr., Bruce K., Lentczner, Mark G., Stein, Lawrence M., King, Peter F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US09/071,235
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 707/501, 707/513, 707/501.1, 374/43.25, 374/90.01, 709/202-203, 709/217-219, 345/352-354
• US Class Current: 715/236
• 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 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]

Abstract

To accept, store, and use dynamic information within a markup language, a markup language variable system is introduced. The markup language variable system allows variable scopes to be created within markup language user agents. Variables can then be assigned using static variable assignment via markup language tags or dynamic variable assignment via user requests. Variables can be used within markup language displays or within addresses such as Uniform Resource Locators (URLs). Automatic escaping ensures that variables are correctly modified for use within certain contexts such as URLs.

Claims

1. A method of processing a markup language in a thin-client device with an interpreter that does not use an auxiliary scripting language to perform the method, said method comprising:

creating a first new activity frame to store variables in response to a markup; and

processing subsequent markup language commands that refer to variables in said first new activity frame.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

accepting an input from a user; and

storing said input from said user into a variable associated with said first new activity frame.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said creating a first new activity frame comprises adding a first new entry on an activity frame stack.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said markup further comprises a parameter defining variables in said first new activity frame.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 further comprising:

creating a first new activity, said first new activity comprising a set of markup language commands.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising:

returning a set of variables when said first new activity completes.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein said markup defining a first new activity further comprises a destination that will be accessed when said first new activity completes normally.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein said markup defines said first new activity and comprises a destination that will be accessed when said first new activity terminates with a negative indication of success.

9. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein said markup defines said first new activity and comprises a parameter that specifies if said first new activity is trusted.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising:

specifying a new destination that will be accessed after said first new activity completes if said first new activity is trusted.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 further comprising:

clearing variables in a calling activity from said first new activity if said first new activity is trusted.

12. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising:

detecting a markup defining an end of said first new activity; and

destroying said first new activity frame associated with said first new activity.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 further comprising:

returning a set of variables to a calling activity.

14. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising:

detecting a markup defining a second new activity; and

creating a second new activity frame to store variables, said second new activity frame associated with said second new activity.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein said creating a second new activity frame comprises adding a second new entry on an activity stack.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein said markup defining a second new activity further comprises a parameter defining variables in said second new activity.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein said markup defining a second new activity further comprises a list of variables that said second new activity will return to said first new activity when said second new activity completes.

18. A method of processing a markup language in a thin-client device, said method comprising:

calling a secondary markup language deck from a primary markup language deck; and

detecting a public markup in a secondary markup language deck, said public markup defining if said secondary markup language deck is publicly accessible,

ceasing processing of said secondary markup language deck if said primary markup language deck is not authorized to access said secondary markup language deck.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 wherein a determination if said primary markup language deck is authorized to access said secondary markup language deck is based upon an address of said primary markup language deck.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18 further comprising:

detecting an accessdomain markup in said primary markup language deck, said accessdomain markup defining an Internet domain that is authorized to access said secondary markup language deck.

21. The method as claimed in claim 18 further comprising:

detecting an accesspath markup in said secondary markup language deck, said accesspath markup defining a base deck system path of markup language decks that are authorized to access said secondary markup language deck.

22. A method of processing a markup language in a thin-client device that does not use an auxiliary scripting language to perform the method, said method comprising:

parsing markup language file containing a variable reference; and

replacing said variable reference with a variable value when a markup language file containing said variable reference is processed.

23. A method of processing a markup language in a thin-client device that does not use an auxiliary scripting language to perform the method, said method comprising:

accepting user input from said user;

setting a first variable according to said input from said user; and

storing said first variable in a current activity frame.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23 further comprising:

detecting a markup requesting user input, said markup specifying said first variable that will be set by said user input.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24 further comprising:

displaying a menu, said menu comprising at least one menu item; and

setting a second variable according to a menu item selected.

26. The method as claimed in claim 23 wherein user input comprises alphanumeric text.

27. The method as claimed in claim 23 wherein a default parameter specifies a default value of said first variable.

28. A method of processing a markup language file in a thin-client device that does not use an auxiliary scripting language to perform the method, said method comprising:

parsing a string containing a variable reference; and

replacing said variable reference with a variable value modified depending upon the context of said variable reference in said string.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said variable value is modified to make said variable value acceptable for use in a Uniform Resource Locator.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein said variable reference is replaced with said variable value during the display of said markup language file.