Method for developing a custom tagbean

• US 7,266,766 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1999
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Claussen, Christopher Shane, McClain, Matthew Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESAI, RACHNA SINGH
• Application Number:
  US09/409,376
• Time in Patent Office: 2,896 Days
• Field of Search: 715/501.1, 715/513, 715/514, 715/515, 717/144, 717/148, 709/203, 709/219
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code

Abstract

A method for simplifying the development, testing and maintenance of code objects that may be used, for example, to generate custom web page content. According to the invention, a developer isolates a given task, generates code for the task, and then provides a means by which a page-generating Java servlet can access that code at request time. The code may be generated at any time, and the servlet preferably is generated at translation time, i.e. when a request for the page is first made at a server. In a preferred embodiment, the code for the task is supported within a given method of a Java tagbean.

Claims

1. A process for serving a web page, the process comprising the steps of:

prior to receiving a request for the web page, generating a Java object that implements an interface that defines a method for performing a function against an element in a Document Object Model (DOM) tree representing the web page;

in response to receiving an initial request for the web page;

generating a DOM tree representing the web page;

replacing a custom tag in the DOM tree with a script;

processing the DOM tree to generate a servlet having a method call that is generated as a result of processing the script, wherein execution of the method call invokes the method in the Java object;

in response to receiving the initial request or a subsequent request for the web page;

executing the servlet; and

invoking the method in the Java object.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of invoking the method in the Java object further includes passing into the method an element in the DOM tree representing the custom tag.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

processing a given file into XML compliant code; and

translating the XML compliant code to generate the DOM tree.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the Java object is a Java bean.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein access to the servlet is unrestricted and access to the Java object is restricted.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

registering a set of custom tags in a tag library, wherein the tag library contains one or more elements defining custom tags, wherein an element defining a custom tag contains an attribute for a tag handler that processes an instance of the custom tag, wherein the Java object is a tag handler.

7. A computer program product in a computer-useable medium for serving a web page, the computer program product comprising:

means for generating a Java object that implements an interface that defines a method for performing a function against an element in a Document Object Model (DOM) tree representing the web page prior to receiving a request for the web page;

means responsive to receiving an initial request for the web page;

(a) for generating a DOM tree representing the web page;

(b) for replacing a custom tag in the DOM tree with a script;

(c) for processing the DOM tree to generate a servlet having a method call that is generated as a result of processing the script, wherein execution of the method call invokes the method in the Java object;

means responsive to receiving the initial request or a subsequent request for the web page;

(d) for executing the servlet; and

(e) for invoking the method in the Java object.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the means for invoking the method in the Java object further includes passing into the method an element in the DOM tree for the custom tag.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising:

means for processing a given file into XML compliant code; and

means for translating the XML compliant code to generate the DOM tree.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the Java object is a Java bean.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein access to the servlet is unrestricted and access to the Java object is restricted.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising:

means for registering a set of custom tags in a tag library, wherein the tag library contains one or more elements defining custom tags, wherein an element defining a custom tag contains an attribute for a tag handler that processes an instance of the custom tag, wherein the Java object is a tag handler.

13. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

system memory;

means for generating a Java object that implements an interface that defines a method for performing a function against an element in a Document Object Model (DOM) tree representing the web page prior to receiving a request for the web page;

means responsive to receiving an initial request for the web page;

(a) for generating a DOM tree representing the web page;

(b) for replacing a custom tag in the DOM tree with a script;

(c) for processing the DOM tree to generate a servlet having a method call that is generated as a result of processing the script, wherein execution of the method call invokes the method in the Java object;

means responsive to receiving the initial request or a subsequent request for the web page;

(d) for executing the servlet; and

(e) for invoking the method in the Java object.

14. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the means for invoking the method in the Java object further includes passing into the method an element in the DOM tree for the custom tag.

15. The computer system of claim 13 further comprising:

means for processing a given file into XML compliant code; and

means for translating the XML compliant code to generate the DOM tree.

16. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the Java object is a Java bean.

17. The computer system of claim 13 wherein access to the servlet is unrestricted and access to the Java object is restricted.

18. The computer system of claim 13 further comprising:

means for registering a set of custom tags in a tag library, wherein the tag library contains one or more elements defining custom tags, wherein an element defining a custom tag contains an attribute for a tag handler that processes an instance of the custom tag, wherein the Java object is a tag handler.