Enhanced viewing of hypertext markup language file

• US 6,694,485 B1
• Filed: 07/27/1999
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kelley, Edward E., Dauerer, Norman J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): QUELER, ADAM M
• Application Number:
  US09/362,173
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: 707/525, 715/525, 715/513, 715/501.1, 715/500.1
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for correctly positioning the text of a hypertext markup language (html) file on a display screen linked to a computer such that there are no partial lines of text displayed and without the re-display of text that was displayed on a previous screen. By correctly positioning the text on the display screen, even when the user scrolls the text backwards and forwards, only entire lines of text are displayed which makes reading the text on the screen much more user friendly. By locating the html tags within the html source file, the number of lines of text in the file are determined and subsequently assigned to a screen row within the display screen such that only entire lines of text are displayable.

Claims

1. A method of viewing a hypertext markup language file containing text comprising the steps of:

providing a computer linked to a display screen with an adjustable number of screen rows for displaying lines of text on the screen;

accessing a hypertext markup language file containing lines of text;

determining a total number of lines of text in said file;

creating a reserve table;

writing the number of screen rows and the total number of lines of text in said file to the reserve table;

assigning within the reserve table the lines of text in the file to the screen rows; and

viewing a portion of the total number of lines of text in said file assigned to the screen rows of the screen such that only entire lines of text are displayed on the screen therein ensuring that said lines of text are complete vertically.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (g) further includes the steps of:

reading said reserved table to determine which of the lines of text in said file corresponding to the screen rows is to be viewed on the screen; and

writing the lines of text determined from the reserve table to the screen rows for viewing.

3. The method of claim 1 further including the step of forward scrolling said file.

5. The method of claim 1 further including the step of backward scrolling said file.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of backward scrolling said file further includes the steps of:

determining the number of lines of text scrolled backward;

determining the number of lines of text scrolled backward to be written to the screen;

assigning the lines of text to the screen rows; and

writing the lines of text to the screen such that only entire lines of text that are complete vertically are displayed on the screen.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) comprises determining a total number of lines of text in said file by locating hypertext markup language tags in said file, said tags indicating a beginning and an end of said file.

4. The method of claim 4 wherein said of foward scrolling said file includes the steps of:

determining the number of lines of text scrolled forward;

determining the number of lines of text scrolled forward to be written to the screen;

assigning the lines of text to the screen rows; and

writing the lines of text to the screen such that only entire lines of text that are complete vertically are displayed on the screen.

8. A method of viewing a hypertext markup language file containing text comprising the steps of:

providing a computer linked to a display screen having an adjustable number of screen rows for displaying lines of text;

accessing a hypertext markup language file for viewing on the screen;

creating a reserve table, said reserve table having the number of screen rows written thereon;

formatting said file by locating hypertext markup language tags within said file to determine the number of lines of text in said file;

writing the number of lines of text in said file to said reserve table;

assigning, within said reserve table, the lines of text in said file to the screen rows;

reading said reserved table to determine which of the lines of text in said file is to be viewed on the screen;

writing the lines of text assigned to the screen rows to the screen; and

displaying only entire lines of text that are complete vertically on the screen such that re-display of text that was displayed on a previous screen is avoided.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein during step (i) partial lines of text are non-displayable on a currently viewed screen, whereby entire lines of said non-displayable partial lines of text are displayed on a next viewed screen.

10. The method of claim 8 further including the steps of:

forward scrolling said file;

determining the number of lines of text scrolled forward;

determining the number of lines of text scrolled forward to be written to the screen;

assigning the lines of text to the screen rows; and

writing the lines of text to the screen such that only entire lines of text that are complete vertically are displayed.

11. The method of claim 8 further including the steps of:

backward scrolling said file;

determining the number of lines of text scrolled backward;

determining the number of lines of text scrolled backward to be written to the screen;

assigning the lines of text to the screen rows; and

writing the lines of text to the screen such that only entire lines of text that are complete vertically are displayed.

12. A method of browsing a web site comprising the steps of:

providing a web browser linked to a display screen having an adjustable number of screen rows;

engaging the web browser and accessing a web site;

accessing a hypertext markup language file on the web site;

assigning absolute row numbers to said file, said row numbers corresponding to the lines of text within said file;

creating a reserve table;

writing the number of screen rows and the absolute row numbers to the reserve table;

assigning within the reserve table said absolute row numbers that correspond to the screen rows; and

displaying said absolute row numbers which correspond to the screen rows on the display screen such that only entire lines of text are displayed on the screen therein ensuring that said lines of text are complete vertically.

13. The method of claim 12 further including, prior to step (e), the step of reading said reserve table to determine the lines of text in said hypertext markup language file to be displayed on the display screen.

14. The method of claim 12 further including the steps of:

forward scrolling said file;

determining the number of lines of text scrolled forward;

determining the number of lines of text scrolled forward to be written to the screen;

assigning the lines of text to the screen rows; and

writing the lines of text to the screen such that only entire lines of text that are complete vertically are displayed.

15. The method of claim 12 further including the steps of:

backward scrolling said file;

determining the number of lines of text scrolled backward;

determining the number of lines of text scrolled backward to be written to the screen;

assigning the lines of text to the screen rows; and

writing the lines of text to the screen such that only entire lines of text that are complete vertically are displayed.

16. A method of creating and utilizing a reserve table comprising the steps of:

providing a computer with a display screen having a number of screen rows, said computer having access to a hypertext markup language file;

selecting the file for display on the screen;

creating a reserve table comprising the number of screen rows for displaying lines of text on the screen and a total number of lines of text of the file;

assigning each line of text of the file to a screen row; and

displaying only entire lines of text which correspond to the screen rows of the screen therein ensuring that said lines of text are complete vertically.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein in step (a) the number of screen rows on the display screen is determined by font size of the lines of text of the file.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein upon scrolling forward the lines of text in the file, step (d) comprises assigning each line of text scrolled forward to a screen row.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein upon scrolling backward the lines of text in the file, step (d) comprises assigning each line of text scrolled backward to a screen row.

20. A method of formatting a hypertext markup language file comprising the steps of:

accessing a hypertext markup language file on a computer, said file having one or more hypertext markup language tags;

determining a total number of lines of text in said file by locating the tags;

assigning each line of text to a screen row on a display screen; and

writing the number of lines of text in said file corresponding to the screen rows to a reserve table such that upon viewing said file, only entire lines of text that are complete vertically will be displayed as determined by the number of screen rows on the screen therein avoiding re-display of text that was displayed on a previous screen.

21. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for a method of viewing a hypertext markup language file on a computer linked to a display screen with an adjustable number of screen rows for displaying lines of text on the screen, said method steps comprising:

accessing a hypertext markup language file containing lines of text;

determining a total number of lines of text in said file;

creating a reserve table adapted to contain the number of screen rows and the total number of lines of text in said file;

assigning the lines of text in said file to the screen rows;

writing the number of lines of text in said file to said reserve table to correspond to the screen rows; and

displaying a portion of the total number of lines of text in said file, said portion having lines of text assigned to the screen rows of the screen such that only entire lines of text that are vertically complete are displayed on the screen.

22. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for a method of viewing a hypertext markup language file containing text on a display screen having an adjustable number of screen rows for displaying lines of text, said method steps comprising:

accessing a hypertext markup language file to be displayed on the screen;

creating a reserve table, said table having the number of screen rows written thereon;

formatting said file by locating hypertext markup language tags within said file to determine the number of lines of text in said file;

writing the number of lines of text in said file to said reserve table;

assigning, within said reserve table, the lines of text in said file to the screen rows;

reading said reserved table to determine which of the lines of text in said file is to be viewed on the screen;

writing the lines of text assigned to the screen rows to the screen; and

displaying only entire lines of text that are vertically complete on the screen therein avoiding re-display of text that was displayed on a previous screen.

23. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for a method of browsing a web site utilizing a web browser linked to a display screen having an adjustable number of screen rows, said method steps comprising:

engaging a web browser and accessing a web site;

accessing a hypertext markup language file on the web site;

assigning absolute row numbers to said file, said row numbers corresponding to the lines of text within said file;

creating a reserve table adapted to contain the number of screen rows and the total number of lines of text in said file;

assigning the lines of text in said file to the screen rows;

writing the number of lines of text in said file to said reserve table to correspond to the screen rows; and

displaying said absolute row numbers which correspond to the screen rows on the display screen such that only entire lines of text are displayed on the screen therein ensuring that said lines of text are complete vertically.

24. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for a method of creating and utilizing a reserve table on a computer with a display screen having a number of screen rows, said computer having access to a hypertext markup language file, said method steps comprising:

accessing a hypertext markup language file to be displayed on the screen;

creating a reserve table comprising the number of screen rows for displaying lines of text on the screen and a total number of lines of text of the file;

assigning each line of text of the file to a screen row; and

displaying only entire lines of text corresponding to the screen rows of the screen therein ensuring that said lines of text are complete vertically and avoiding re-display of text that was displayed on a previous screen.

25. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for a method of formatting a hypertext markup language file, said method steps comprising:

accessing a hypertext markup language file, said file having one or more hypertext markup language tags;

determining a total number of lines of text in said file by locating the tags;

assigning each line of text to a screen row on a display screen; and

writing the number of lines of text in said file corresponding to the screen rows to a reserve table such that upon viewing said file only entire lines of text that are complete vertically as determined by the number of screen rows on the screen are displayed therein avoiding re-display of text that was displayed on a previous screen.

26. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a hypertext markup language file on a computer linked to a display screen to be viewed, the screen having an adjustable number of screen rows for displaying lines of text on the screen, said computer program product having;

computer readable program code means for causing said computer to access a hypertext markup language file to be displayed on the screen;

computer readable program code means for causing said computer to create a reserve table, said reserve table having the number of screen rows written thereon;

computer readable program code means for causing said computer to format said file by locating hypertext markup language tags within said file to determine the number of lines of text in said file;

computer readable program code means for causing said computer to write the number of lines of text in said file to said reserve table;

computer readable program code means for causing said computer to assign, within said reserve table, the lines of text in said file to the screen rows;

computer readable program code means for causing said computer to read said reserve table to determine which of the lines of text in said file is to be viewed on the screen;

computer readable program code means for causing said computer to write the lines of text assigned to the screen rows to the screen; and

computer readable program code means for causing said computer to display only entire lines of text on the screen therein ensuring that said lines of text are complete vertically.

27. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for causing a reserve table to be created and utilized on a computer with a display screen having a number of screen rows, said computer having access to a hypertext markup language file, said computer program product having;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to access a hypertext markup language file to be displayed on the screen;

computer readable program code means for causing said computer to create a reserve table comprising the number of screen rows for displaying lines of text on the screen and a total number of lines of text of the file;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to assign each line of text of the file to a screen row; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to display only entire lines of text corresponding to the screen rows of the screen therein ensuring that said lines of text are complete vertical.