Optimization of portable operations in a client-server environment

• US 7,065,756 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2002
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Barsness, Eric Lawrence, Dettinger, Richard Dean, Santosuosso, John Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Wei Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEELMAN, MARY J
• Application Number:
  US10/225,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20040040012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 717114-116, 717/118, 717120-123, 717/145, 717/151, 717/148, 715/500, 715/513, 715/744, 715/749, 709202-203, 709/310, 709/314, 709/205, 709/208
• US Class Current: 717/148
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/509 Offload
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals

Abstract

An apparatus, program product and method optimize the interaction between a client and server via an active document through the modification of server-side program code that generates the active document to effectively shift the performance of portable operations, e.g., data formatting and data validation operations, from the server to the client.

Claims

1. A method of compiling a JAVA Server Page (JSP) resident on a server, the method comprising:

(a) receiving first server program code associated with a JSP that is configured to generate an active document for transmission to a client, wherein the active document is configured to initiate the transmission of input data from the client to the server in response to user input supplied to the active document;

(b) receiving second server program code associated with the JSP that is configured to process the input data received by the server from the client;

(c) identifying a portable operation performed by the second server program code in connection with processing the input data, wherein the portable operation includes at least one of formatting the input data and validating the input data;

(d) modifying the first server program code to generate the active document with at least one instruction embedded therein to initiate performance of the portable operation by the client when processing the active document;

(e) modifying the second server program code to eliminate performance of the portable operation by the second server program code; and

(f) compiling the modified first and second server program code to generate at least one JAVA servlet for execution on the server.

2. A method of optimizing program code of the type configured to generate an active document for transmission to a client, and to interact with the client via the generated active document, the method comprising:

(a) identifying a portable operation to be performed by a server when executing the program code; and

(b) modifying the program code in response to identifying the portable operation to embed at least one instruction in the active document to initiate performance of the portable operation by the client when processing the active document.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising modifying the program code to eliminate performance of the portable operation by the program code.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein modifying the program code to embed at least one instruction in the active document comprises modifying the program code to embed at least one JAVASCRIPT instruction in the active document.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the portable operation and modifying the program code are performed on a source code representation of the program code, and wherein the method further comprises compiling the modified source code representation of the program code into an executable representation thereof.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the source code representation of the program code is associated with a JAVA Server Page.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the executable representation of the program code comprises a JAVA servlet.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the JAVA servlet includes a first portion configured to generate the active document, and a second portion configured to process user input received from the client via the active document.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the JAVA servlet is a first JAVA servlet configured to generate the active document, and wherein the executable representation of the program code further comprises a second JAVA servlet configured to process user input received from the client via the active document.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the portable operation comprises formatting user input received via the active document.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the portable operation is selected from the group consisting of converting the user input to a different data format, applying a date format to the user input, truncating a character from the user input, adding a comma to the user input, adding a decimal point to the user input, and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the portable operation comprises validating user input received via the active document.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

(a) collecting runtime flow information for the program code; and

(b) recompiling the program code based upon the collected runtime flow information, wherein identifying the portable operation and modifying the program code are performed in connection with recompiling the program code.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the active document comprises an HTML-encoded document.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

(a) a memory; and

(b) a processor, the processor configured to optimize program code of the type that generates an active document for transmission to a client, and that interacts with the client via the generated active document, wherein the processor is configured to optimize the program code by identifying a portable operation to be performed by a server when executing the program code, and modifying the program code in response to identifying the portable operation to embed at least one instruction in the active document to initiate performance of the portable operation by the client when processing the active document.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to modify the program code to eliminate performance of the portable operation by the program code.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to modify the program code to embed at least one instruction in the active document by modifying the program code to embed at least one JAVASCRIPT instruction in the active document.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to identify the portable operation and modify the program code using a source code representation of the program code, and wherein the processor is further configured compile the modified source code representation of the program code into an executable representation thereof.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the source code representation of the program code is associated with a JAVA Server Page.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the executable representation of the program code comprises a JAVA servlet.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the JAVA servlet includes a first portion configured to generate the active document, and a second portion configured to process user input received from the client via the active document.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the JAVA servlet is a first JAVA servlet configured to generate the active document, and wherein the executable representation of the program code further comprises a second JAVA servlet configured to process user input received from the client via the active document.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the portable operation comprises formatting user input received via the active document.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the portable operation is selected from the group consisting of converting the user input to a different data format, applying a date format to the user input, truncating a character from the user input, adding a comma to the user input, adding a decimal point to the user input, and combinations thereof.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the portable operation comprises validating user input received via the active document.

26. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to collect runtime flow information for the program code and recompile the program code based upon the collected runtime flow information, and wherein the processor is configured to identify the portable operation and modify the program code in connection with recompiling the program code.

27. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the active document comprises an HTML-encoded document.

28. A program product, comprising:

(a) first program code configured to optimize second program code of the type that generates an active document for transmission to a client, and that interacts with the client via the generated active document, by identifying a portable operation to be performed by a server when executing the second program code, and modifying the second program code in response to identifying the portable operation to embed at least one instruction in the active document to initiate performance of the portable operation by the client when processing the active document; and

(b) a tangible signal bearing medium bearing the first program code.

29. An apparatus, comprising:

(a) a client configured to receive an active document; and

(b) a server coupled to the client and configured to optimize program code of the type that generates the active document for transmission to the client, and that interacts with the client via the active document, wherein the server is configured to optimize the program code by identifying a portable operation to be performed by the server when executing the program code, and modifying the program code in response to identifying the portable operation to embed at least one instruction in the active document to initiate performance of the portable operation by the client when processing the active document.