Method for performing programming by plain text requests

• US 7,058,582 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2001
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IRN, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IRN, Inc.
• Inventors: Powell, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierre, Elisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Greene, Daniel L.
• Application Number:
  US09/955,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20020103758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,722 Days
• Field of Search: 705/51, 705/18, 705/1, 717/106, 715/760, 715/764, 715/5, 709/224, 709/218
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management

Abstract

A method of making programming changes using plain text requests. A requestor can request a programming change in plain text and the software program converts the plain text to programming code. The method includes steps of: (1) receiving a plain text request for a programming change; (2) verifying that the requestor is authorized to request the change; (3) interpreting the request; and (4) making the requested change. The software may send a confirmation to the requester before and/or after the programming change. If the confirmation is sent before the change, the software waits for a reply from the user instructing it to proceed with the change.

Claims

1. A method of operating a software program in order to change a web site, the web site having a plurality of web pages stored on a server, comprising the steps of:

receiving an email;

parsing the email to create a variable list;

determining from the variable list a request type, the request type indicative of a type of modification to the web site, the type of modification being one of deleting a web page from the web site;

determining from the variable list the first web page, the first web page being the target of the request type; and

modifying the web site in accordance with the request type.

2. The method of claim 1 where and the email has a subject line further comprising:

where the step of determining the first web page consists of parsing a subject line of the email.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

determining whether the sender of the email is authorized to change the web site.

4. The method of claim 3 further where the email has a sender address and the step of determining whether the sender of the email is authorized to change the web site comprises:

comparing the sender address with a first database to determine a sender access level; and

based upon the sender access level, determining if the sender is authorized to change the first web page.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

obtaining a sender IP address; and

comparing the sender IP address to a range of IP addresses.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

sending a confirmation email to a web site administrator.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

if the sender IP address was not within the range of IP addresses, then;

creating an error notification; and

sending the error notification to the sender address.

13. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

if the request type is for a change to web pages, creating a programming code segment from the variable list; and

incorporating the programming code segment into the programming code for the first web page.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

if the request type is to delete the first web page, then deleting the first web page from the web site.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

if the request type is to add the additional web page, then creating the additional web page in the web site.

16. The method of claim 1 where the request type could also be one of adding an additional web page to the web site.

8. A computer readable medium for modifying a web site, the web site having web pages stored on a server, the computer readable medium having program code recorded thereon for execution in a computer comprising:

a first program code unit for receiving an email from a sender;

a second program code unit for parsing the email into a variable list;

a third program code unit for determining from the variable list a request type, the request type being one of deleting a first web page from the web site; and

a fourth program code unit for modifying the web site in accordance with the request type.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8 further comprising:

a fifth program code unit for determining from the variable list a web page variable, the web page variable identifying the first web page.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 further comprising:

a sixth program code unit for determining from the variable list a count of changes to the web site.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 further comprising:

a seventh program code unit for determining a first portion of the first web page to be changed; and

an eighth program code unit for applying the first change item to the first portion.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 where the communication was initiated by a user further comprising:

a ninth program code unit for determining a user identifier, comparing the user identifier with a security verification database and retrieving from the security verification database an access level for the user;

and a tenth program code unit for applying the first change item to the first portion if the access level is acceptable.