Method and system for managing documents modified while being viewed in a browser window

• US 7,137,072 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2002
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Laux, Thorsten O., Bauer, Mathias
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US10/271,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20030088831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 715/809, 715/808, 715/748, 715/740, 715/738, 715/511, 715/530, 715/531, 719/318, 719/328, 709/201, 709/203
• US Class Current: 715/809
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

A method and system are provided for managing files which are modified while the contents of the files are being viewed in a browser window in a data processing system. During execution of the browser, if a request to close a window in the browser is received, it is determined whether a file which was displayed in the window was modified since a last save operation for the file. If the file was modified, and the file had not been saved with the modifications, then an indicator of the modified file is included in a modification list with a reference to enable access to the modified file. The modification list is then sent to a user of the file so that the user may select options for saving the modified file, discarding the modifications, or resuming editing of the file. Thus, integrity of file modifications is enhanced.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system having a browser, a client application, and a service application, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying, by the browser, contents of at least one of a plurality of files in a window;

receiving, by the browser, user input including modifications to the at least one of the plurality of files;

transmitting, by the browser to the service application, the user input including modifications to the at least one of the plurality of files;

receiving, by the browser, an indication of a termination of the execution of the window;

determining, by the service application, which of the plurality of files have been modified and not saved;

generating a list of the determined files by the service application and sending the list to the client application;

receiving the list by the client application; and

displaying the list to the user to enable the user to save at least one of the determined files, wherein the list is displayed after termination of the window and before termination of a connection between the client application and the service application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the list to the user includes displaying the list to the user to enable the user to save at least one of the determined files by displaying at least one file update option for the at least one of the determined files, the at least one file update option including at least one of

saving the at least one of the determined files with the modifications, deleting a version of the at least one of the determined files that was previously saved,

displaying the at least one of the determined files for further user input to modify the contents of the at least one of the determined files, and

closing a previously saved version of the at least one of the determined files.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of receiving, by the client application from a user, a selection of one of the at least one file update option for the file.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of transmitting to the service application, by the client application, the selection of one of the at least one file update option for the at least one of the determined files.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the step of initiating execution of a window in the browser, by a user requesting access to the at least one of the plurality of files.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of initiating execution of the window in the browser further includes initiating execution of a window in the browser, by a plug-in in response to a user request for access to the at least one of the plurality of files.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of displaying the list to the user further comprises displaying, by the client application, the list to the user to enable the user to save the determined files, after termination of the execution of the window.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, by an event detector associated with the service application, an indication of a termination of execution of a window of the browser;

receiving, from the event detector, by a determination module associated with the service application, a message indicating the termination of the execution of the window.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the service application is located on a server and the client application is located on a client device which is remote from the server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the service application and the client application are located on a common data processing device.

11. A method in a data processing system having a browser, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting data for displaying contents of a file in a window of the browser such that the contents of the file are reflected by the displayed contents;

receiving input through a connection from a user to modify the contents of the file such that the contents of the file no longer are reflected by the modified displayed contents;

receiving an indication that the window is closing when the contents of the file no longer are reflected by the modified displayed contents; and

transmitting data for displaying an indication that the contents of the file no longer are reflected by the modified displayed contents, after receiving the indication that the window is closing and before the connection is terminated.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of transmitting data for displaying the indication further comprises transmitting data for displaying the indication that the contents of the file no longer are reflected by the modified displayed contents and at least one file update option for the file.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of transmitting data for displaying the indication further comprises transmitting data for displaying the indication that the contents of the file no longer are reflected by the modified displayed contents and at least one file update option for the file, the at least one file update option including at least one of

saving the file with the modified displayed contents,

deleting the file,

displaying the modified display contents for further user input to modify the contents of the file, and

closing a previously saved version of the file.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the method is performed by a service application including at least one of a text processing application, a graphic application, and a spreadsheet application.

15. A data processing system having a browser, the data processing system comprising:

means for transmitting data for displaying contents of a file in a window of the browser such that the contents of the file are reflected by the displayed contents;

means for receiving input through a connection from a user to modify the contents of the file such that the contents of the file no longer are reflected by the modified displayed contents;

means for receiving an indication that the window is closing when the contents of the file no longer are reflected by the modified displayed contents; and

means for transmitting data for displaying an indication that the contents of the file no longer are reflected by the modified displayed contents, after the window has closed and before the connection is terminated.

16. A data processing system for managing modified documents and having a browser, the system comprising:

a memory comprising a document management system that transmits data for displaying contents of a file in a window of the browser such that the contents of the file are reflected by the displayed contents;

receives input through a connection from a user to modify the contents of the file such that the contents of the file no longer are reflected by the modified displayed contents;

receives an indication that the window is closing when the contents of the file no longer are reflected by the modified displayed contents; and

transmits data for displaying an indication that the contents of the file no longer are reflected by the modified displayed contents, after the window has closed and before the connection is terminated; and

a processor for running the document management system.

17. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the document management system further transmits data for displaying the indication that the contents of the file no longer are reflected by the modified displayed contents and at least one file update option for the file.

18. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the document management system further transmits data for displaying the indication that the contents of the file no longer are reflected by the modified displayed contents and at least one file update option for the file, the at least one file update option including at least one of

saving the file with the modified displayed contents,

deleting the file,

displaying the modified display contents for further user input to modify the contents of the file, and

closing a previously saved version of the file.

19. A tangible computer-readable medium storing instructions that cause a data processing system having a browser to perform a method comprising the steps of:

transmitting data for displaying contents of a file in a window of the browser such that the contents of the file are reflected by the displayed contents;

receiving input through a connection from a user to modify the contents of the file such that the contents of the file no longer are reflected by the modified displayed contents;

receiving an indication that the window is closing when the contents of the file no longer are reflected by the modified displayed contents; and

transmitting data for displaying an indication that the contents of the file no longer are reflected by the modified displayed contents, after the window has closed and before the connection is terminated.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the step transmitting data for displaying the indication further comprises transmitting data for displaying the indication that the contents of the file no longer are reflected by the modified displayed contents and at least one file update option for the file.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the step of transmitting data for displaying the indication further comprises transmitting data for displaying the indication that the contents of the file no longer are reflected by the modified displayed contents and at least one file update option for the file, the at least one file update option including at least one of

saving the file with the modified displayed contents,

deleting the file,

displaying the modified display contents for further user input to modify the contents of the file, and

closing a previously saved version of the file.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the method is performed by a service application including at least one of a text processing application, a graphic application, and a spreadsheet application.