Automated generation of aliases based on embedded alias information

• US 7,284,232 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2000
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Day, Paul Reuben, Bates, Cary Lee, Santosuosso, John Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Al T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kang; Insun
• Application Number:
  US09/570,871
• Time in Patent Office: 2,710 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/217, 709/219, 707/104.1, 707/512, 707/100, 707/4, 345/826, 345/156, 715/513, 715/501.1, 717100-115
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management

Abstract

An apparatus, program product and method incorporate embedded alias information into a document for use in automatically generating aliases (e.g., bookmarks, favorites, shortcuts, etc.) in a computer environment. The embedded alias information may incorporate both an identification of a predetermined storage location and an alias description to be associated therewith, such that, during generation of an alias, both the location and the description for the alias are obtained from the embedded alias information. The embedded alias information may also incorporate a condition associated with a predetermined storage location, in addition to or in lieu of an identification of the actual predetermined storage location, such that, during generation of an alias, the condition may be tested so that the alias will be generated only upon the condition being met. The embedded alias information may also incorporate an executable program to further customize or enhance the generation of aliases.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of creating an alias for a predetermined storage location in a computer system, the method comprising:

analyzing a document to locate embedded alias information within the document that identifies a predetermined storage location and an alias description to be associated therewith; and

generating an alias for the predetermined storage location based upon the embedded alias information, wherein the embedded alias information identifies a plurality of predetermined storage locations and a plurality of alias descriptions to associate therewith, wherein generating the alias further includes;

displaying the alias descriptions for each of the plurality of predetermined storage locations to a user;

receiving user input to generate aliases for selected predetermined storage locations from the plurality of predetermined storage locations; and

generating aliases for each of the selected predetermined storage locations based upon the embedded alias information, wherein no alias is generated for at least one non-selected predetermined storage location from the plurality of predetermined storage locations.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying at least a portion of the document on a computer display, wherein analyzing the document and generating the alias are performed in response to user input while the document is displayed on the computer display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the document is formatted in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), and wherein the embedded alias information is embedded within a tag in the document.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the embedded alias information includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for the predetermined storage location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the document is addressed at a storage location that is different from the predetermined storage location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the alias further includes generating a second alias for the storage location at which the document is addressed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the embedded alias information further identifies a second predetermined storage location and a second alias description to associate therewith, the method further comprising generating a second alias for the second predetermined storage location based upon the embedded alias information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the alias further includes:

(a) displaying alias information for the alias to a user prior to generating the alias; and

(b) receiving user input to generate the alias while the alias information is displayed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the embedded alias information further identifies a container within which to store the alias, wherein generating the alias includes storing the alias in the container.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the alias further includes creating the container if the container does not exist.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the embedded alias information further includes a condition associated with the predetermined storage location, the method further comprising testing the condition prior to generating the alias.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the alias is performed only in response to the condition being met.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising initially de-selecting the alias if the condition is not met, wherein generating the alias is performed only in response to user input to select the alias.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the condition includes a local user criterion, and wherein testing the condition includes comparing the local user criterion with local user information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the local user criterion includes at least one of user location, user navigation history, user purchase history, user language, and user demographics.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the condition includes a chronological criterion, and wherein testing the condition includes comparing the chronological criterion with current chronological information.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the condition includes a document position criterion, and wherein testing the condition includes comparing the document position criterion with a current document position.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein testing the condition includes analyzing a cookie stored on a local computer.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein testing the condition includes analyzing current user settings stored on a local computer.

11. A computer-implemented method of creating an alias for a predetermined storage location in a computer system, the method comprising:

analyzing a document to locate embedded alias information with the document that identifies a predetermined storage location and an alias description to be associated therewith, wherein the embedded alias information further identifies a container within which to store the alias; and

generating an alias for the predetermined storage location based upon the embedded alias information and storing the alias in the container, wherein generating the alias further includes;

displaying container information for the container to a user prior to storing the alias in the container; and

receiving user input to store the alias in the container while the container information is displayed.

21. A computer-implemented method of creating an alias for a predetermined storage location in a computer system, the method comprising:

(a) analyzing a document to locate embedded alias information within the document that identifies a predetermined storage location and an alias description to be associated therewith; and

(b) generating an alias for the predetermined storage location based upon the embedded alias information, wherein generating the alias includes executing an executable program referenced in the embedded alias information, wherein executing the executable program includes testing a condition, and generating the alias only if the condition is met.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory within which is stored at least a portion of a document including embedded alias information that identifies a predetermined storage location and an alias description to be associated therewith; and

a program configured to analyze the document to locate the embedded alias information, and to generate an alias for the predetermined storage location based upon the embedded alias information, wherein the embedded alias information identifies a plurality of predetermined storage locations and a plurality of alias descriptions to associate therewith, and wherein the program is further configured to;

display the alias descriptions for each of the plurality of predetermined storage locations to a user;

receive user input to generate aliases for selected predetermined storage locations from the plurality of predetermined storage locations; and

generate aliases for each of the selected predetermined storage locations based upon the embedded alias information, wherein no alias is generated for at least one non-selected predetermined storage location from the plurality of predetermined storage locations.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the document is addressed at a storage location that is different from the first predetermined storage location, and wherein the program is configured to generate a second alias for the storage location at which the document is addressed.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the embedded alias information further identifies a second predetermined storage location and a second alias description to associate therewith, and wherein the program is further configured to generate a second alias for the second predetermined storage location based upon the embedded alias information.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the embedded alias information further identifies a container within which to store the alias, wherein the program is further configured to store the alias in the container.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the embedded alias information further includes a condition associated with the predetermined storage location, and wherein the program is further configured to test the condition prior to generating the alias.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the program is configured to generate the alias by executing an executable program referenced in the embedded alias information.

28. A program product stored in a computer storage medium, comprising:

a program configured when executed by a computer to analyze a document to locate embedded alias information within the document that identifies a predetermined storage location and an alias description to be associated therewith, and to generate an alias for the predetermined storage location based upon the embedded alias information, wherein the embedded alias information identifies a plurality of predetermined storage locations and a plurality of alias descriptions to associate therewith, and wherein the program is further configured to;

display the alias descriptions for each of the plurality of predetermined storage locations to a user;

receive user input to generate aliases for selected predetermined storage locations from the plurality of predetermined storage locations; and

generate aliases for each of the selected predetermined storage locations based upon the embedded alias information, wherein no alias is generated for at least one non-selected predetermined storage location from the plurality of predetermined storage locations.

29. A computer-implemented method of creating an alias for a predetermined storage location in a computer system, the method comprising:

(a) analyzing a document to locate embedded alias information within the document that identifies a condition associated with a predetermined storage location and an alias description to be associated therewith, wherein the document is addressed at a storage location that is different from the predetermined storage location;

(b) testing the condition; and

(c) generating an alias for the predetermined storage location only if the condition is met.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the condition includes a local user criterion, and wherein testing the condition includes comparing the local user criterion with local user information.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the local user criterion includes at least one of user location, user navigation history, user purchase history, user language, and user demographics.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the condition includes a chronological criterion, and wherein testing the condition includes comparing the chronological criterion with current chronological information.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the condition includes a document position criterion, and wherein testing the condition includes comparing the document position criterion with a current document position.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein testing the condition includes analyzing cookie information stored on a local computer.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein testing the condition includes analyzing current user settings stored on a local computer.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein testing the condition includes executing an executable program referenced in the embedded alias information, and wherein the condition is incorporated into the executable program.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein generating the alias is performed only in response to the condition being met.

38. The method of claim 29, further comprising initially de-selecting the alias if the condition is not met, wherein generating the alias is performed only in response to user input to select the alias.

39. An apparatus, comprising:

(a) a memory within which is stored at least a portion of a document including embedded alias information that identifies a condition associated with a predetermined storage location and an alias description to be associated therewith, wherein the document is addressed at a storage location that is different from the predetermined storage location; and

(b) a program configured to analyze the document to locate the embedded alias information, to test the condition, and to generate an alias for the predetermined storage location only if the condition is met.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the condition includes a local user criterion, and wherein the program is configured to test the condition by comparing the local user criterion with local user information.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the local user criterion includes at least one of user location, user navigation history, user purchase history, user language, and user demographics.

42. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the condition includes a chronological criterion, and wherein the program is configured to test the condition by comparing the chronological criterion with current chronological information.

43. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the condition includes a document position criterion, and wherein the program is configured to test the condition by comparing the document position criterion with a current document position.

44. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the program is configured to test the condition by executing an executable program referenced in the embedded alias information, and wherein the condition is incorporated into the executable program.

45. A program product stored in a computer storage medium, comprising:

a program configured when executed by a computer to analyze a document to locate embedded alias information within the document that identifies a condition associated with a predetermined storage location and an alias description to be associated therewith, to test the condition, and to generate an alias for the predetermined storage location only if the condition is met, wherein the document is addressed at a storage location that is different from the predetermined storage location.