Methods, data structures, and computer program products for representing states of interaction in automatic host access and terminal emulation using scripts

• US 6,374,207 B1
• Filed: 02/10/1999
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raritan Americas Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hind, John R., Li, Yongcheng, Ims, Steven D., Tan, Yih-Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): FREJD, RUSSELL WARREN
• Application Number:
  US09/247,261
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 703/23, 703/24, 703/25, 703/27, 703/22, 379/67, 379/265, 345/348, 340/147, 709/203, 709/227
• US Class Current: 703/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/107 Terminal emulation

Abstract

Host interaction and terminal emulation sessions are conducted between a client and a resource by transitioning between terminal emulation states that represent interaction between the client and the resource. Transitions from a present terminal emulation state to a next terminal emulation state is automatically performed based on output provided by the resource and the present terminal emulation state. The terminal emulation may thereby be provided by ScriptUnits XML tags that represent the transitioning of terminal emulation states. The ScriptUnits can be parsed to create an object tree that can be manipulated using a visual editor. The visual editor may be used to change existing states in the terminal emulation session and add new states. The visual manipulation may allow a person who is unfamiliar with source programming languages to support the terminal emulation services. The format of the script representation may allow one vendor to import a script from another vendor to process in the importing vendor'"'"'s internal structure without affecting the external terminal emulation programs.

Claims

1. A method of providing terminal emulation service for a client that interacts with a resource comprising the step of transitioning from a first terminal emulation state of interaction between the client and the resource to a second terminal emulation state of interaction between the client and the resource selected from a plurality of possible next terminal emulation states based on output provided by the resource and the first terminal emulation state of interaction between the client and the resource using an XML data structure to represent the transitioning of respective terminal emulation states.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the XML data structure comprises:

a first XML tag that represents the terminal emulation state of interaction between the client and the resource;

a second XML tag that represents the output to the client provided by the resource based on the first XML tag; and

a third XML tag that represents one of the plurality of possible next terminal emulation states of interaction between the client and the resource based on the first and second XML tags.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the XML data structure further comprises a fourth XML tag that represents input from the client to the resource, wherein the fourth XML tag is based on the first XML tag.

4. A method of representing terminal emulation service for a client that interacts with a resource comprising the step of creating an XML data structure that defines a first terminal emulation state of interaction between the client and the resource based on output provided by the resource and a second terminal emulation state of interaction between the client and the resource that represents a possible next terminal emulation state selected from a plurality of possible next terminal emulation states.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of creating comprises the steps of:

defining a first XML tag of the XML data structure that represents the output provided to the client from the resource;

defining a second XML tag of the XML data structure that represents the possible next terminal emulation state selected from the plurality of possible next terminal emulation states of interaction between the client and the resource; and

parsing the first and second XML tags to execute an XML script that provides the terminal emulation service for the client.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the steps of defining comprise the step of editing the script with a text editor or a graphical editor.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of creating comprises the steps of recording a script.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of playing the created XML script.

9. A system that provides terminal emulation service for a client that interacts with a resource, the system comprising:

means for defining a first XML tag of the XML data structure that represents the output provided to the client from the resource;

means for defining a second XML tag of the XML data structure that represents the possible next terminal emulation state selected from the plurality of possible next terminal emulation states of interaction between the client and the resource; and

means for parsing the first and second XML tags to execute an XML script that provides the terminal emulation service for the client.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for defining comprise means for editing the script with a text editor or a graphical editor.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for creating comprises means for recording a script.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for playing the created XML script.

13. A terminal emulation data structure that represents a state of interaction in a terminal emulation session provided between a resource and a client, the terminal emulation data structure comprising:

a first tag that represents a present terminal emulation state of interaction between the client and the resource;

a second tag that represents output provided by the resource to the client based on the first tag; and

a third tag that represents a next terminal emulation state of interaction between the client and the resource.

14. The terminal emulation data structure of claim 13 further comprising a fourth tag that represents input from the client to the resource, wherein the fourth tag is based on the first tag.

15. The terminal emulation data structure of claim 13, wherein the tags are XML tags.

16. The terminal emulation data structure of claim 13, wherein the tags are created using a graphical editor.

17. The terminal emulation data structure of claim 13, wherein the third tag represents a next terminal emulation state of interaction between the client and the resource selected from a plurality of next possible terminal emulation states of interaction between the client and the resource based on the second tag.

18. A computer program product for providing terminal emulation service for a client that interacts with a resource comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising;

computer readable program code means for transitioning from a first terminal emulation state of interaction between the client and the resource to a second terminal emulation state of interaction between the client and the resource selected from a plurality of possible next terminal emulation states based on output provided by the resource and the first terminal emulation state of interaction between the client and the resource, wherein the computer readable program code means for transitioning comprises;

computer readable program code means for transitioning from a first terminal emulation state of interaction between the client and the resource to a second terminal emulation state of interaction between the client and the resource using an XML data structure to represent the respective terminal emulation states.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the XML data structure comprises:

a first XML tag that represents the terminal emulation state of interaction between the client and the resource;

a second XML tag that represents the output to the client provided by the resource based on the first XML tag; and

a third XML tag that represents one of the plurality of possible next terminal emulation states of interaction between the client and the resource based on the first and second XML tags.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the XML data structure further comprises a fourth XML tag that represents input from the client to the resource, wherein the fourth XML tag is based on the first XML tag.

21. A computer program product for representing terminal emulation service for a client that interacts with a resource comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising;

computer readable program code means for creating an XML data structure that defines a first terminal emulation state of interaction between the client and the resource based on output provided by the resource and a second terminal emulation state of interaction between the client and the resource that represents a possible next terminal emulation state selected from a plurality of possible next terminal emulation states.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the computer readable program code means for creating comprises:

computer readable program code means for defining a first XML tag of the XML data structure that represents the output provided to the client from the resource;

computer readable program code means for defining a second XML tag of the XML data structure that represents the possible next terminal emulation state selected from the plurality of possible next terminal emulation states of interaction between the client and the resource; and

computer readable program code means for parsing the first and second XML tags to create an XML script that provides the terminal emulation service for the client.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the computer readable program code means for defining comprise:

computer readable program code means for editing the script with a text editor or a graphical editor.

24. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the computer readable program code means for creating comprises:

computer readable program code means for recording a script.

25. The computer program product of claim 22 further comprising computer readable program code means for playing the created XML script.

26. A method of modifying a terminal emulation script, comprising:

parsing XML ScriptUnits associated with terminal emulation states;

providing a graphical object tree including graphical terminal emulation states associated with the ScriptUnits and paths therebetween;

receiving first input associated with at least one of the graphical terminal emulation states;

providing information associated with the ScriptUnit that is associated with the at least one of the graphical terminal emulation states; and

to allowing second input to modify the ScriptUnit.