Method and system for validity checking a computer file of content for acceptable permitted design attributes

• US 6,742,005 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2001
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Reese, Curtis
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US09/891,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20030009483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115, 709/105, 707/104.1, 707/102, 707/103.R, 707/200, 715/520, 715/501.1, 345/760
• US Class Current: 707/687
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A method for validity checking a file with permitted design features stored in a profile specification. The profile specification is defined by a plurality of page components having elements with attributes, and each attribute has an associated rule specifying the permitted design features for that attribute. The method includes the steps of selecting an attribute from the file, detecting the features of the selected attribute, finding an attribute from the profile specification that matches the selected attribute from the file and comparing a rule associated with the matched attribute from the profile specification with the detected features of the selected attribute from the file, and determining whether the matched attribute complies with the rule.

Claims

1. A method for automatically validity checking a computer file defining content to determine whether the content complies with permitted design features stored in a profile specification, wherein the profile specification is defined by a plurality of page components having elements with attributes, and each attribute designates a rule indicating the permitted design features for that attribute, comprising the steps of:

selecting an attribute from the file;

detecting the features of the selected attribute;

finding a matched attribute;

comparing a rule to the matched attribute from the profile specification with the detected features of the selected attribute from the file; and

,

determining whether the matched attribute complies with the rule,

wherein finding a matched attribute includes the steps of;

determining whether the profile specification contains an attribute that matches the selected attribute from the file; and

when the profile specification is determined not to contain an attribute that matches the selected attribute from the file;

determining whether there is a next attribute for the same element of the selected attribute;

selecting the next attribute whether there is a next attribute for the same element; and

determining whether there is a next element for the same page component of the selected attribute when there is not a next attribute for the same element.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said file content is a web page, and said profile specification comprises rules relating to permitted design attributes of a web site.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said profile specification is a set of allowed page components, and each component has a plurality of associated attributes and rules.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising repeating the steps of claim 1 for a next attribute from the file until all attributes in the file have been processed.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of preparing a report using the results of the comparisons.

6. The method according to claim 5 further comprising the steps of:

displaying the report to a user; and

saving the report in memory.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein prior to said step of selecting an attribute further comprising the steps of:

selecting a file by the user; and

selecting a profile specification by the user.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein prior to said step of selecting an attribute further comprising the step of reading the source codes of the file.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein prior to said step of selecting an attribute further comprising the steps of:

selecting a page component of the selected attribute; and

,

selecting an element of the selected component.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein finding a matched attribute further includes the steps of:

selecting the next element when there is a next element for the same page component of the selected; and

when there is not a next element for the same page component of the selected attribute, determining whether there is a next page component in the file and selecting the next page component when there is a next page component.

11. A method for automatically validity checking a computer file defining content of at least a portion of a website to determine whether the content complies with permitted design features stored in a profile specification, wherein the profile specification is defined by a plurality of page components having:

elements with attributes, and each attribute having an associated rule specifying the permitted design features for that attribute, comprising;

selecting a page component from the file;

selecting an element of the selected component;

selecting an attribute of the selected element;

detecting the features of the selected attribute;

finding an attribute from the profile specification that matches the selected attribute;

comparing a rule designated to the matched attribute from the profile specification with the detected features of the selected attribute;

determining whether the matched attribute complies with the rule;

determining whether there is a next attribute for the selected element when a matched attribute from the profile specification is not found;

selecting the next attribute when there is a next attribute for the selected element; and

,

determining whether there is a next element for the selected page component when there is not a next attribute for the selected element.

12. The method according to claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

selecting the next element when there is a next element for the selected page component;

determining whether there is a next page component when there is not a next element for the selected page component; and

,

selecting the next page component when there is a next page component.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program codes embodied in the medium that when executed causes a computer to:

select an attribute from a file;

detect a design feature of the selected attribute;

find a matched attribute; and

compare a rule associated with the matched attribute from the profile specification with detected design features of the selected attribute from the file,

wherein the program codes that cause the computer to find a matched attribute include program codes that when executed cause the computer to;

determine whether a profile specification contains an attribute that matches the selected attribute from the file; and

when the profile specification is determined not to contain an attribute that matches the selected attribute from the file;

determine whether there is a next attribute for the same element of the selected attribute;

select the next attribute when there is a next attribute for the same element; and

determine whether there is a next element for the same page component of the selected attribute when there is not a next attribute for the same element.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program codes embodied in the medium that when executed causes a computer to:

select a page component from the file;

select an element of the selected component;

select an attribute of the selected element;

detect the features of the selected attribute;

find an attribute from a profile specification that matches the selected attribute;

compare a rule associated with the matched attribute from the profile specification with the detected features of the selected attribute;

determine whether there is a next attribute for the selected element when a matched attribute from the profile specification is not found;

select the next attribute when there is a next attribute for the selected element; and

,

determine whether there is a next element for the selected page component when there is not a next attribute for the selected element.