Extending the capabilities of an XSL style sheet to include components for content transformation

• US 6,507,857 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2000
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Yalcinalp, L. Umit
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Application Number:
  US09/523,378
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 707/501.1, 707/513, 707/514, 707/530, 707/523, 707/522
• US Class Current: 715/235
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• 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 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Systems and methods consistent with the present invention use a Namespace paradigm to define an external component reference to a style sheet. When the style sheet processor processes the tags in the style sheet, it recognizes the external component declaration. The style sheet will contain a name of the external component instance and a definition of the method to execute associated with the external component instance, and may contain arguments for the method associated with the external component instance which is executing. The XSLT processor then relinquishes control to the external component to execute the method defined in the style sheet. The results of the method'"'"'s execution may be placed in the transform document generated by processing the style sheet. However, this is not required and other results may be generated, including those not related to the transform document.

Claims

1. In a data processing system, a method of creating a transform document, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for an input document;

retrieving the style sheet, having tags, associated with the input document, wherein one of the tags represents an external component;

processing the tags, including one tag representing an external component, in the style sheet to generate a transform document;

identifying a location of the external component based on the tag representing the external component;

loading the external component into the style sheet from the identified location; and

processing a method associated with the external component.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of placing the results of processing the method associated with the external component in the transform document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method associated with the external component generates application specific results.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the style sheet contains commands written in an XSL format.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of validating the style sheet and the input document.

6. A method for executing an external component in a style sheet, comprising the steps of:

defining an external component to a style sheet processor;

providing a definition of the external component in the style sheet;

identifying a location of the external component based on the definition;

loading the external component into the style sheet from the identified location; and

processing the external component by the style sheet processor.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of processing the external component includes executing a method associated with the external component which generates a result and placing the result in a transform document.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of providing a global context, a current input document fragment as processed by the style sheet and a mechanism to generate a transformed document fragment to the external component.

9. A system for processing external components in a style sheet, comprising:

a style sheet containing a definition of an external component, a location of the external component, and a definition of a method associated with the external component; and

a style sheet processor operative to receive a request for an input document, retrieve the style sheet, identify the location of the external component, load the external component into the style sheet, and call the method associated with the external component defined in the style sheet.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the style sheet contains an argument to pass to the method associated with the external component.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the style sheet processor is an XSLT processor and the style sheet contains tags written in an XSL format.

12. A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for creating a display document using a style sheet to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for an input document;

retrieving the style sheet, having tags, associated with the input document, wherein one of the tags represents an external component;

processing the tags, including one tag representing an external component, in the style sheet to generate a transform document;

identifying a location of the external component based on the tag representing the external component;

loading the external component into the style sheet from the identified location; and

processing a method associated with the external component.

13. In a data processing system, a method of creating a transform document using a style sheet, wherein the style sheet contains commands written in an XSL format, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for an input document;

retrieving the style sheet, having tags, associated with the input document, wherein one of the tags represents an external component;

processing the tags, including one tag representing an external component, in the style sheet to generate a transform document; and

processing a method associated with the external component, wherein the method includes loading the external component in an XSLT processor and initiating the execution of the method associated with the external component.

14. In a data processing system, a method of creating a transform document using a style sheet, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for an input document;

retrieving the style sheet, having tags, associated with the input document, wherein one of the tags represents an external component;

processing the tags, including one tag representing an external component, in the style sheet to generate a transform document;

processing a method associated with the external component;

locating an existing instance of the external component, wherein the processing of the one tag representing an external component includes using the existing instance.

15. A method for executing an external component in a style sheet, comprising the steps of:

defining an external component to a style sheet processor;

providing a definition of the external component in the style sheet;

processing the external component by the style sheet processor;

loading the external component into the style sheet processor;

calling the method associated with the external component defined in the style sheet; and

passing an argument contained in the style sheet to the external component for use by the method.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of loading the external component includes the step of locating an existing instance of the external component.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of processing different methods within the existing instance of the external component.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

naming a first and a second instance of the external component; and

processing the first and the second instance of the external component.

19. A method for executing an external component in a style sheet, comprising the steps of:

defining an external component to a style sheet processor, wherein the external component is defined to an XSLT processor and the style sheet using a Namespace;

providing a definition of the external component in the style sheet; and

processing the external component by the style sheet processor.

20. A method for executing an external component in a style sheet, comprising the steps of:

defining an external component to a style sheet processor;

providing a definition of the external component in the style sheet;

processing the external component by the style sheet processor;

retaining state information from the processing of the external component; and

reusing the state information during the processing of a second activation of the external component, wherein a result generated by the processing of an external component depends on the state information.

21. A system for processing external components in a style sheet, comprising:

a style sheet containing a definition of an external component and a definition of a method associated with the external component, wherein a Namespace is used in defining the external component to the style sheet and the style sheet processor; and

a style sheet processor operative to receive a request for an input document, retrieve the style sheet, and call the method associated with the external component defined in the style sheet.

22. A system for processing external components in a style sheet, comprising:

a style sheet containing a definition of an external component and a definition of a method associated with the external component, wherein the style sheet processor is operative to generate a transform document and to insert a result of a call to the method associated with the external component; and

a style sheet processor operative to receive a request for an input document, retrieve the style sheet, and call the method associated with the external component defined in the style sheet.

23. A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for creating a display document using a style sheet to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for an input document;

retrieving the style sheet, having tags, associated with the input document, wherein one of the tags represents an external component;

processing the tags, including one tag representing an external component, in the style sheet to generate a transform document;

processing a method associated with the external component; and

locating an existing instance of the external component, wherein the processing of the one tag representing an external component includes using the existing instance.

24. A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for creating a display document using a style sheet to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for an input document;

retrieving the style sheet, having tags, associated with the input document, wherein one of the tags represents an external component;

processing the tags, including one tag representing an external component, in the style sheet to generate a transform document; and

processing a method associated with the external component, wherein the method includes loading the external component in an XSLT processor and initiating the execution of the method associated with the external component.