HTML mapping substitution graphical user interface for display of elements mapped to HTML files

• US 7,117,433 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1998
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Glaser, Howard Justin, House, Daniel Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): BASHORE, WILLIAM L
• Application Number:
  US09/162,685
• Time in Patent Office: 2,926 Days
• Field of Search: 707/513, 707/505, 707/522, 707/515, 707/517, 707/523, 707/514, 707/10, 345/335, 345/347, 345/744, 715513-523
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture, and memory for displaying a relationship between an HTML file and an element in the HTML file is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of reading information from a project file, the information comprising a relationship between the element and the HTML file, processing the information to map the element to the HTML file, and displaying the mapping. In one embodiment, the invention also comprises a program storage device, tangibly embodying instructions for performing the above method steps.

The invention also comprises an apparatus for displaying a relationship between an HTML file and an element such as a control in the HTML file. The apparatus includes a means for reading information from a project file, a processor coupled to the reading means for using the information to map the element to the HTML file, and a display coupled to the processor for displaying the mapping.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of displaying a relationship between an HTML file and an element from a form, wherein the element is in an HTML page, comprising:

reading information from a project file, the information comprising a relationship between the element that has been transferred from the form to the HTML page and the HTML file associated with the HTML page;

processing the information to map the element from the form to the HTML file; and

displaying the mapping on a graphical user interface that indicates the relationship between the element, the form, and the HTML file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is generated when the element is transferred from the form to the HTML page associated with the HTML file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the element is selected from a group comprising:

a visual control; and

a non-visual control, selected from a group comprising a button, a picklist, and a data entry box.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises an element name and an HTML file name.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the information further comprises a form name.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying the mapping comprises presenting an element name and an HTML file name in a row of a table.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the table comprises cells defined by the row and the column of the cell, and the mapping is entered into a cell of the table.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying the mapping comprises presenting the element name and the HTML file name in a column of a table.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising flagging an invalid mapping between the element and the HTML file.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the flagging an invalid mapping between the element and the HTML file comprises:

reading the project file;

extracting the HTML filename from the project file;

searching for the HTML file using the extracted HTML filename; and

flagging the mapping as invalid when the extracted HTML file is not found.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accepting a modified mapping; and

storing the modified mapping in the project file.

12. A apparatus for displaying a relationship between an HTML file and an element from a form, wherein the element is in an HTML page, comprising:

means for reading information from a project file, the information comprising a relationship between the element that has been transferred from the form to the HTML page and the HTML file associated with the HTML page;

means for processing the information to map the element from the form to the HTML file; and

a display for presenting the mapping to a user on a graphical user interface that indicates the relationship between the element, the form, and the HTML file.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the information is generated when the element is transferred from the form to the HTML page associated with the HTML file.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the element is selected from a group comprising:

a visual control;

a non-visual control, selected from a group comprising a button, a picklist, and a data entry box.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the information comprises an element name and an HTML file name.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the information further comprises a form name.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for displaying the mapping comprises means for presenting the element name and the HTML file name in a row of a table.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the table comprises cells defined by the row and the column of the cell, and the mapping is entered into a cell of the table.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for displaying the mapping comprises means for presenting the element name and the HTML file name in a column of a table.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for flagging an invalid mapping between the element and the HTML file.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for flagging an invalid mapping between the element and the HTML file comprises:

means for reading the project file;

means for extracting the HTML filename from the project file;

means for searching for the HTML file using the extracted HTML filename; and

means for flagging the mapping as invalid when the extracted HTML file is not found.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for accepting a modified mapping; and

means for storing the modified mapping in the project file.

23. An article of manufacture, tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium, embodying logic to perform a method of displaying a relationship between an HTML file and an element that has been transferred from a form to an HTML page, the method comprising:

reading information from a project file, the information comprising a relationship between the element that has been transferred from a form to an HTML page and the HTML file associated with the HTML page;

processing the information to map the element from the form to the HTML file; and

displaying the mapping on a graphical user interface that indicates the relationship between the element, the form, and the HTML file.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the information is generated when the element is transferred from the form to the HTML page associated with the HTML file.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the element is selected from a group consisting:

a visual control; and

a non-visual control, selected from a group comprising a button, a picklist, and a data entry box.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the information comprises an element name and an HTML file name.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the information further comprises a form name.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the displaying the mapping comprises presenting the element name and the HTML file name in a row of a table.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein the table comprises cells defined by the row and the column of the cell, and the mapping is entered into a cell of the table.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the displaying the mapping comprises presenting the element name and the HTML file name in a column of a table.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises flagging an invalid mapping between the element and the HTML file.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein the flagging an invalid mapping between the element and the HTML file comprises:

reading the project file;

extracting the HTML filename from the project file;

searching for the HTML file using the extracted HTML filename; and

flagging the mapping as invalid when the extracted HTML file is not found.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

accepting a modified mapping; and

storing the modified mapping in the project file.

34. A computer readable data structure, tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium, for representing a software project in a single file, the software project comprising a project application defined by executable programming logic, and a project environment for developing the application, the data structure comprising:

a first section comprising the executable programming logic needed to load and execute the project application for the computer;

a second section for storing data required to restore the project environment, and for storing information comprising a relationship between elements that have been transferred from a form to an HTML page and HTML files associated with the HTML page in the project;

wherein the relationship between elements, the form, and the HTML file is displayed in a graphical user interface.