System, method, and program product for saving a submitted form of a web page

• US 6,950,980 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2000
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Malcolm, Jerry Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blackwell, James H.
• Application Number:
  US09/583,520
• Time in Patent Office: 1,945 Days
• Field of Search: 715/505, 715/507, 715/508, 715/506, 382/305, 705/26, 704/275
• US Class Current: 715/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

Abstract

A system, method, and program product enables saving a submitted form of a web page. A browser application receives from a user data for a form in a web page. Upon the submission of the form with the data to a server system hosting the web page, an address of the web page, the data provided from the user for the form, and at least one field identifier for associating the data to at least one respective field of the form, are saved into a volatile memory of the client. The address, the data, and the at least one field identifier remain stored in the volatile memory system after the browser application is closed. When the user opens the browser that had been dosed and again requests retrieval of the web page, the browser retrieves from the server the web page that is at the address stored in the volatile memory. The browser restores the form of the web page with the data stored in the volatile memory. The browser calls a clipboard operation of an operating system on which the client system operates to save the address of the web page, the data for the form, and the one or more field identifiers, into the volatile memory. If the data for the form is successfully submitted to the server and the browser receives another request for a next web page from the user, the browser application erases, if required, the data from the volatile memory system.

Claims

1. A method for saving a submitted form of a web page, said method comprising:

receiving, from a user by a browser application executed in a client system, data for a form in a web page; and

prior to submission of the form with the data to a server system hosting the web page, the browser application automatically saving an address of the web page, the data provided from the user for the form, and at least one field identifier for associating the data to at least one respective field of the form, into a volatile memory system of the client system, wherein the address, the data and the at least one field identifier are still stored in the volatile memory system after the browser application is closed.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the user opening the browser application that had been closed and again requesting retrieval of the web page, retrieving the web page from the server system;

detecting a match between the saved address and the address of the retrieved web page, and

in response to detecting a match between the saved address and the address of the retrieved web page, automatically filling in the form of the web page with the data stored in the volatile memory system.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein automatically filling in the form of the web page with the data stored in the volatile memory system further comprises:

parsing, by the browser application, the data for the form; and

displaying, by the browser application, the form with the data.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

said automatically filling comprises automatically filling in the form of the web page with the data only in response to the user responding with an affirmative response to a query by the browser application regarding whether the user wishes to fill in the form with the data saved in the volatile memory system.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the requested web page has a submittable form; and

only in response to the requested web page having the submittable form, implementing, by the browser application, the receiving and saving steps.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein saving an address of the web page and the data provided from the user for the form further comprises:

calling a clipboard operation of an operating system on which the browser application operates to save the address, the data, and the at least one field identifier into the volatile memory system.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the data for the form being successfully submitted to the server system and the browser application receiving a request for a next web page from the user, erasing the data from the volatile memory system.

8. A system for saving a submitted form of a web page, said system comprising:

a processing unit; and

a storage system coupled to said processing unit and storing a browser application executable by the processing unit, wherein said storage system includes a volatile memory system and wherein said browser application includes;

means for receiving, from a user of the system data for a form in a web page; and

means for automatically saving an address of the web page, the data provided from the user for the form, and at least one field identifier for associating the data to at least one respective field of the form, into the volatile memory system prior to submission of the form with the data to a server system hosting the web page, wherein the address, the data, and the at least one field identifier are still stored in the volatile memory system after the browser application is closed.

9. The system according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for retrieving the web page from the server system in response to the user opening the browser application that had been closed and again requesting retrieval of the web page;

means for detecting a match between the saved address and the address of the retrieved web page; and

means, responsive to detecting a match between the saved address and the address of the retrieved web page, for automatically filling in the form of the web page with the data stored in the volatile memory system.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said means for automatically filling in the form of the web page with the data stored in the volatile memory system further comprises:

means for parsing, by the browser application, the data for the form; and

means for displaying, by the browser application, the form with the data.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein:

said system further comprises means for querying, by the browser application, whether the user wishes to fill in the form using the data saved in the volatile memory system in response to a match between the address of the requested web page and the address stored in the volatile memory system; and

said means for automatically filling comprises means for automatically filling said form only in response to the browser application receiving an indication that the user wishes to fill in the form with the data saved in the volatile memory system.

12. The system according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for determining whether the requested web page has a submittable form; and

means for implementing, by the browser application, the receiving and saving steps only in response to the requested web page having the submittable form.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein said means for saving an address of the web page and the data provided from the user for the form further comprises:

means for calling a clipboard operation of an operating system on which the browser application operates to save the address, the data, and the at least one field identifier into the volatile memory system.

14. The system according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for erasing the data from the volatile memory system in response to the data for the form being successfully submitted to the server system and the browser application receiving a request for a next web page from the user.

15. A program product for saving a submitted form of a web page, said program product comprising:

instruction means for receiving, from a user by a browser application executed in a client system data for a form in a web page;

instruction means for automatically saving an address of the web page, the data provided from the user for the form, and at least one field identifier for associating the data to at least one respective field of the form, into a volatile memory system of the client system prior to submission of the form with the data to a server system hosting the web page, wherein the address, the data, and the at least one field identifier are still stored in the volatile memory system after the browser application is closed; and

computer usable media bearing said instruction means for receiving and said instruction means for saving.

16. The program product according to claim 15, further comprising:

instruction means for retrieving the web page from the server system in response to the user opening the browser application that had been clo sed and again requesting retrieval of the web page;

instruction means for detecting a match between the saved address and the address of the retrieved web page, and

instruction means, responsive to detecting a match between the saved address and the address of the retrieved web page, for automatically fill in the form of the web page with the data stored in the volatile memory system.

17. The program product according to claim 16, wherein said instruction means for automatically filling in the form of the web page with the data stored in the volatile memory system further comprises:

instruction means for parsing, by the browser application, the data for the form; and

instruction means for displaying, by the browser application, the form with the data.

18. The program product according to claim 15, wherein:

said program product further comprises instruction means for querying, by the browser application, whether the user wishes to fill in the form using the data saved in the volatile memory system in response to a match between the address of the requested web page and the address stored in the volatile memory system; and

said instruction means for filling comprises instruction means for filling said form with the saved data only in response to the browser application receiving an indication that the user wishes to fill in the form with the data saved in the volatile memory system.

19. The program product according to claim 18, further comprising:

instruction means for determining whether the requested web page has a submittable form; and

instruction means for implementing, by the browser application, the receiving and saving steps only in response to the requested web page having the submittable form.

20. The program product according to claim 15, wherein said instruction means for saving an address of the web page and the data provided from the user for the form further comprises:

instruction means for calling a clipboard operation an operating system on which the browser application operates to save the address, the data, and the at least one field identifier into the volatile memory system.

21. The program product according to claim 15, further comprising:

instruction means for erasing the data from the volatile memory system in response to the data for the form being successfully submitted to the server system and the browser application receiving another request for a next web page from the user.