XML server pages language

• US 6,748,569 B1
• Filed: 09/20/1999
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Brooke, David M., Saxon, Steve M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): QUELER, ADAM M
• Application Number:
  US09/399,451
• Time in Patent Office: 1,723 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/500.1, 715/522, 715/523, 707/1
• US Class Current: 715/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/154 Tree transformation for tree-structured or markup documents, e.g. XSLT, XSL-FO or stylesheets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A method and computer program product for generating XML documents using a script language that extends the capabilities of XML. The script language includes control statements for including data content and style information from a plurality of sources. One or more scripts may be developed that includes script language control statements. A script processor processes the scripts and generates a content document and a style document. The content document specifies the content to be included in the XML document, and the style document specifies the style for displaying the content in the XML document. One set of program instructions transform the content document and the style document into an XML document. Another set of program instructions convert the XML document to an output document for a selected type of display. The script language and script processor provide facilities for gathering content and style information from a plurality of sources. Numerous scripts may be generated to override and/or extend information in one or more of the other scripts, thereby allowing a developer to customize selected portions of the output document while using shared content and style for the remaining portions of the output document.

Claims

1. A method of generating an XML document in a computer system, wherein the computer system includes a script processor operable to interpret a script language, the computer system further including a script language, the script language including control statements for including data content and style information from a plurality of data sources, the method comprising:

generating a first script having at least one script language control statement;

processing the first script in the script processor to generate a first document specifying content to be included in the XML document; and

processing the first script in the script processor to generate a second document specifying the style of the content in the XML document;

generating a second script having at least one script language control statement; and

processing the second script in the script processor to further generate the first document specifying the content to be included in the XML document, wherein the content specified by the second script overrides at least a portion of the content specified by the first script.

2. A method of generating an XML document in a computer system, wherein the computer system includes a script processor operable to interpret a script language, the computer system further including a script language, the script language including control statements for including data content and style information from a plurality of data sources, the method comprising:

generating a first script having at least one script language control statement;

processing the first script in the script processor to generate a first document specifying content to be included in the XML document; and

processing the first script in the script processor to generate a second document specifying the style of the content in the XML document;

generating a second script having at least one script language control statement; and

processing the second script in the script processor to further generate the second document specifying the style to be included in the XML document, wherein the style specified by the second script overrides at least a portion of the style specified by the first script.

3. A method of generating an XML document in a computer system, wherein the computer system includes a script processor operable to interpret a script language, the computer system further including a script language, the script language including control statements for including data content and style information from a plurality of data sources, the method comprising:

generating a first script having at least one script language control statement;

processing the first script in the script processor to generate a first document specifying content to be included in the XML document; and

processing the first script in the script processor to generate a second document specifying the style of the content in the XML document;

generating a second script having at least one script language control statement; and

processing the second script in the script processor to further generate the first document specifying the content to be included in the XML document, wherein the content specified by the second script is an extension to the content specified by the first script.

4. A method of generating an XML document in a computer system, wherein the computer system includes a script processor operable to interpret a script language, the computer system further including a script language, the script language including control statements for including data content and style information from a plurality of data sources, the method comprising:

generating a first script having at least one script language control statement;

processing the first script in the script processor to generate a first document specifying content to be included in the XML document; and

processing the first script in the script processor to generate a second document specifying the style of the content in the XML document;

generating a second script having at least one script language control statement; and

processing the second script in the script processor to further generate the second document specifying the style to be included in the XML document, wherein the style specified by the second script is an extension to the style specified by the first script.

5. A method of generating an XML document in a computer system, wherein the computer system includes a script processor operable to interpret a script language, the computer system further including a script language, the script language including control statements for including data content and style information from a plurality of data sources, the method comprising:

generating a first script having at least one script language control statement;

processing the first script in the script processor to generate a first document specifying content to be included in the XML document; and

processing the first script in the script processor to generate a second document specifying the style of the content in the XML document;

wherein the computer system is operable to access a plurality of databases, the method further comprising;

generating a second script having at least one script language control statement; and

processing the second script in the script processor to further generate the first document specifying the content to be included in the XML document, wherein the content specified by the second script is in a different database than the content specified by the first script.

6. A method of generating an XML document in a computer system, wherein the computer system includes a script processor operable to interpret a script language, the computer system further including a script language, the script language including control statements for including data content and style information from a plurality of data sources, the method comprising:

generating a first script having at least one script language control statement;

processing the first script in the script processor to generate a first document specifying content to be included in the XML document; and

processing the first script in the script processor to generate a second document specifying the style of the content in the XML document;

wherein the computer system is operable to access a plurality of databases, the method further comprising;

generating a second script having at least one script language control statement; and

processing the second script in the script processor to further generate the second document specifying the style to be included in the XML document, wherein the style specified by the second script is in a different database than the style specified by the first script.

7. A computer program product stored on a computer for generating XML documents using a script language, the script language having control statements that are executable by a computer system for including data content and style information from a plurality of sources, the computer program product comprising:

a first script having at least one script language control statement; and

a script processor being operable to process the first script to generate a content document, wherein the content document specifies content to be included in the XML document, the script processor being further operable to generate a style document, the style document specifying the style of the XML document;

a second script having at least one script language control statement, the script processor being further operable to process the second script to generate the content document, wherein the content specified by the second script overrides at least a portion of the content specified by the first script.

8. A computer program product stored on a computer for generating XML documents using a script language, the script language having control statements that are executable by a computer system for including data content and style information from a plurality of sources, the computer program product comprising:

a first script having at least one script language control statement; and

a script processor being operable to process the first script to generate a content document, wherein the content document specifies content to be included in the XML document, the script processor being further operable to generate a style document, the style document specifying the style of the XML document;

a second script having at least one script language control statement, the script processor being further operable to process the second script to generate the style document, wherein the style specified by the second script overrides at least a portion of the style specified by the first script.

9. A computer program product stored on a computer for generating XML documents using a script language, the script language having control statements that are executable by a computer system for including data content and style information from a plurality of sources, the computer program product comprising:

a first script having at least one script language control statement; and

a script processor being operable to process the first script to generate a content document, wherein the content document specifies content to be included in the XML document, the script processor being further operable to generate a style document, the style document specifying the style of the XML document;

a second script having at least one script language control statement, the script processor being further operable to process the second script to generate the content document, wherein the content specified by the second script is an extension to the content specified by the first script.

10. A computer program product stored on a computer for generating XML documents using a script language, the script language having control statements that are executable by a computer system for including data content and style information from a plurality of sources, the computer program product comprising:

a first script having at least one script language control statement; and

a script processor being operable to process the first script to generate a content document, wherein the content document specifies content to be included in the XML document, the script processor being further operable to generate a style document, the style document specifying the style of the XML document;

a second script having at least one script language control statement, the script processor being further operable to process the second script to generate the style document, wherein the style specified by the second script is an extension to the style specified by the first script.

11. A computer program product stored on a computer for generating XML documents using a script language, the script language having control statements that are executable by a computer system for including data content and style information from a plurality of sources, the computer program product comprising:

a first script having at least one script language control statement; and

a script processor being operable to process the first script to generate a content document, wherein the content document specifies content to be included in the XML document, the script processor being further operable to generate a style document, the style document specifying the style of the XML document;

a second script having at least one script language control statement, wherein the script processor is operable to access a plurality of databases to further generate the content document, and the content specified by the second script is in a different database than the content specified by the first script.

12. A computer program product stored on a computer for generating XML documents using a script language, the script language having control statements that are executable by a computer system for including data content and style information from a plurality of sources, the computer program product comprising:

a first script having at least one script language control statement; and

a script processor being operable to process the first script to generate a content document, wherein the content document specifies content to be included in the XML document, the script processor being further operable to generate a style document, the style document specifying the style of the XML document;

a second script having at least one script language control statement, wherein the script processor is operable to access a plurality of databases to further generate the style document, and the style specified by the second script is in a different database than the style specified by the first script.

13. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a nonvolatile memory coupled to the processor;

a data bus connected between the processor and the nonvolatile memory;

a first script generated using a script language, the script language having control statements for including data content and style information from a plurality of sources, the first script including at least one script language control statement; and

a script processor operable with the processor to process the first script to generate a content document, wherein the content document specifies content to be included in an XML document, the script processor being further operable to generate a style document, the style document specifying the style of the XML document; and

a second script having at least one script language control statement, the script processor being further operable with the processor to process the second script to generate the content document, wherein the content specified by the second script overrides at least a portion of the content specified by the first script.

14. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a nonvolatile memory coupled to the processor;

a data bus connected between the processor and the nonvolatile memory;

a first script generated using a script language, the script language having control statements for including data content and style information from a plurality of sources, the first script including at least one script language control statement; and

a script processor operable with the processor to process the first script to generate a content document, wherein the content document specifies content to be included in an XML document, the script processor being further operable to generate a style document, the style document specifying the style of the XML document; and

a second script having at least one script language control statement, the script processor being further operable with the processor to process the second script to generate the style document, wherein the style specified by the second script overrides at least a portion of the style specified by the first script.

15. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a nonvolatile memory coupled to the processor;

a data bus connected between the processor and the nonvolatile memory;

a first script generated using a script language, the script language having control statements for including data content and style information from a plurality of sources, the first script including at least one script language control statement; and

a script processor operable with the processor to process the first script to generate a content document, wherein the content document specifies content to be included in an XML document, the script processor being further operable to generate a style document, the style document specifying the style of the XML document; and

a second script having at least one script language control statement, the script processor being further operable with the processor to process the second script to generate the content document, wherein the content specified by the second script is an extension to the content specified by the first script.

16. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a nonvolatile memory coupled to the processor;

a data bus connected between the processor and the nonvolatile memory;

a first script generated using a script language, the script language having control statements for including data content and style information from a plurality of sources, the first script including at least one script language control statement; and

a script processor operable with the processor to process the first script to generate a content document, wherein the content document specifies content to be included in an XML document, the script processor being further operable to generate a style document, the style document specifying the style of the XML document; and

a second script having at least one script language control statement, the script processor being further operable with the processor to process the second script to generate the style document, wherein the style specified by the second script is an extension to the style specified by the first script.

17. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a nonvolatile memory coupled to the processor;

a data bus connected between the processor and the nonvolatile memory;

a first script generated using a script language, the script language having control statements for including data content and style information from a plurality of sources, the first script including at least one script language control statement; and

a script processor operable with the processor to process the first script to generate a content document, wherein the content document specifies content to be included in an XML document, the script processor being further operable to generate a style document, the style document specifying the style of the XML document; and

a second script having at least one script language control statement, wherein the script processor is operable with the processor to access a plurality of databases to further generate the content document, and the content specified by the second script is in a different database than the content specified by the first script.

18. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a nonvolatile memory coupled to the processor;

a data bus connected between the processor and the nonvolatile memory;

a first script generated using a script language, the script language having control statements for including data content and style information from a plurality of sources, the first script including at least one script language control statement; and

a script processor operable with the processor to process the first script to generate a content document, wherein the content document specifies content to be included in an XML document, the script processor being further operable to generate a style document, the style document specifying the style of the XML document; and

a second script having at least one script language control statement, wherein the script processor is operable with the processor to access a plurality of databases to further generate the style document, and the style specified by the second script is in a different database than the style specified by the first script.