Application server configured for dynamically generating web forms based on extensible markup language documents and retrieved subscriber data

• US 7,346,840 B1
• Filed: 02/26/2001
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pande, Govind V., Joshi, Satish, Zhang, Zhiwei, Ravishankar, Geetha
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stork; Kyle R
• Application Number:
  US09/791,895
• Time in Patent Office: 2,577 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/500, 715/501, 715/517, 715/523, 715/530, 345/854, 345/769, 379/67.1
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

An application server, configured for dynamically generating a web page (e.g., HTML) document based on execution of XML documents, dynamically generates an HTML page having selected form elements based on a stored XML document that defines available HTML form elements and respective attributes, and based on user attributes retrieved by the application server from an open network database server (such as LDAP). The application server, in response to a request from a user, accesses an XML document configured for specifying attributes associated with the request; the XML document may specify as form elements menus that are available for generation based on qualified user attributes, or may specify HTML fields that can be generated for display on the HTML page based on the qualified user attributes. The application server also retrieves the user attributes, and dynamically generates the HTML page based on identifying the user attributes matching the qualified user attributes of the accessed XML document. Hence, HTML pages having form elements can be dynamically generated, providing personalized HTML pages without the necessity of modifying CGI scripts or stored HTML pages.

Claims

1. A method in an application server, the method comprising:

accessing a stored extensible markup language (XML) document based on receiving a web page request from a browser serving a user, the stored XML document specifying available web page form elements and respective attributes;

retrieving subscriber attribute information about the user by accessing an Internet Protocol (IP) based database server configured for storing subscriber attributes about users; and

generating a web page having selected form elements based on the available web page form elements specified in the stored XML document and the subscriber attribute information about the user;

wherein;

the accessing step includes accessing the stored XML document specifying available web page form elements as respective menu elements for a user menu; and

the generating step includes adding within the web page selected menu elements based on the available menu elements specified in the stored XML document having respective qualified user attributes relative to the subscriber attribute information about the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating step includes generating the web page as a hypertext markup language (HTML) web page.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing a second stored XML document that specifies rules for comparing the respective qualified user attributes with the subscriber attribute information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the generating step includes selecting the selected menu elements from the available menu elements based on at least one identified subscriber attribute from the subscriber attribute information satisfying the respective rules for the selected menu elements.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored XML document specifies descriptors identifying available attributes for the menu elements, the available attributes including a name attribute, a parent attribute for identifying a parent menu for the corresponding menu element, and a value attribute for identifying a second stored XML document to be retrieved for execution based on selection of the corresponding menu element.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the generating step includes generating, for one of the selected menu elements having a corresponding specified value attribute identifying the corresponding second stored XML document, a locator that identifies the corresponding second stored XML document.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the accessing the stored XML document, retrieving the subscriber attribute information by accessing the IP based database server, and generating the web page are executed by the application server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating includes selecting the selected form elements by the application server from among the available web page form elements specified in the stored XML document, and further selected based on the subscriber attribute information.

9. A method in an application server, the method comprising:

accessing a stored extensible markup language (XML) document based on receiving a web page request from a browser serving a user, the stored XML document specifying available web page form elements and respective attributes;

retrieving subscriber attribute information about the user by accessing an Internet Protocol (IP) based database server configured for storing subscriber attributes about users; and

generating a web page having selected form elements based on the available web page form elements specified in the stored XML document and the subscriber attribute information about the user;

wherein;

the accessing step includes accessing the stored XML document specifying cells, each cell specifying a corresponding available web page form element for display as an HTML form field on the web page; and

the generating step including adding within the web page selected HTML form fields based on the subscriber attribute information about the user;

wherein the generating step includes;

adding a first type of selected HTML form fields for display of information independent of the subscriber attribute information;

adding a second type of selected HTML form fields based on the respective cells having matching attributes relative to the subscriber attribute information, wherein at least one of the second type of selected HTML form fields includes an input form element.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising accessing a second stored XML document based on parsing the stored XML document, the second stored XML document specifying validation rules for a respective plurality of the input form elements, the generating step further including adding within the web page an executable resource, configured for validating an input value entered by the user into a corresponding input form element, based on the corresponding validation rule specified by the second XML document.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the generating step further includes adding a third type of selected HTML form fields for display of action elements, the cells specifying the third type of selected HTML form fields each specifying a corresponding second stored XML document for execution of a corresponding action.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the generating step further includes generating, for each of the third type of selected HTML form fields, a locator that identifies the corresponding second stored XML document.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of adding the second type of selected HTML form fields includes, for each input form element:

identifying a corresponding bind attribute within the corresponding cell and

inserting a corresponding subscriber attribute matching the bind attribute within the input form element.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a second page request from the browser specifying a modified user input and the corresponding bind attribute for at least one input form element; and

updating the corresponding subscriber attribute based on the corresponding bind attribute.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the generating step includes:

adding a selected HTML form field that includes an input form element based on a corresponding cell specified in the stored XML document that identifies a bind attribute; and

inserting a corresponding subscriber attribute from the subscriber attribute information and matching the bind attribute within the input form element.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a second page request from the browser specifying a modified user input and the corresponding bind attribute for at least one input form element; and

updating the corresponding subscriber attribute based on the corresponding bind attribute.

17. An application server configured for generating a web page, the application server including:

an HTTP interface configured for receiving a web page request from a browser serving a user and outputting to the browser a web page;

an interface configured for retrieving subscriber attribute information about the user by accessing an Internet protocol (IP) based database server configured for storing subscriber attributes about users; and

an application runtime environment configured for accessing a stored extensible markup language (XML) document based on the received web page request, the application runtime environment configured for generating the web page by inserting selected form elements based on available web page form elements specified within the stored XML document, and the selected form elements selected based on the subscriber attribute information;

wherein the application runtime environment is configured for accessing a second stored XML document that specifies rules for comparing the subscriber attribute information with specified attributes for the available web page form elements, the application runtime environment selecting the form elements based on the rules.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the interface is configured for accessing the database server according to LDAP protocol.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the application runtime environment generates, based on the stored XML document, the selected form elements as respective menu elements for a user menu.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the stored XML document specifies cells, each cell specifying a corresponding available web page form element for display as an HTML form field on the web page, the application runtime environment generating within the web page selected HTML form fields based on parsing the stored XML document and evaluating the cells relative to the subscriber attribute information.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the application runtime environment inserts within one of the selected HTML form fields an input form element, the application runtime environment adding within the web page an executable resource configured for validating an input value entered by the user into the corresponding input form element, based on a prescribed validation rule accessed by the application runtime environment.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the application runtime environment inserts within one of the selected HTML form fields an input form element based on a corresponding cell specified in the stored XML document that identifies a bind attribute, the application runtime environment inserting a subscriber attribute from the subscriber attribute information into the input form element based on the corresponding bind attribute.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the application runtime environment is configured for updating the subscriber attribute with a modified user input in response to reception of a second web page request from the browser specifying the modified user input and the corresponding bind attribute for at least one input form element.

24. The server of claim 17, wherein the application runtime environment is configured for selecting the selected form elements from among the available web page form elements specified in the stored XML document, and further selected based on the subscriber attribute information.

25. A system configured for generating a web page, the system including:

means for accessing a stored extensible markup language (XML) document based on receiving a web page request from a browser serving a user, the stored XML document specifying available web page form elements and respective attributes;

means for retrieving subscriber attribute information about the user by accessing an Internet Protocol (IP) based database server configured for storing subscriber attributes about users; and

means for generating a web page having selected form elements based on the available web page form elements specified in the stored XML document and the subscriber attribute information about the user;

wherein;

the stored XML document specifies available web page form elements as respective menu elements for a user menu; and

the generating means is configured for adding within the web page selected menu elements based on the available menu elements specified in the stored XML document having respective qualified user attributes relative to the subscriber attribute information about the user.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the generating means is configured for generating the web page as a hypertext markup language (HTML) web page.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the accessing means is configured for accessing a second stored XML document that specifies rules for comparing the respective qualified user attributes with the subscriber attribute information.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the generating means is configured for selecting the selected menu elements from the available menu elements based on at least one identified subscriber attribute from the subscriber attribute information satisfying the respective rules for the selected menu elements.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the stored XML document specifies descriptors identifying available attributes for the menu elements, the available attributes including a name attribute, a parent attribute for identifying a parent menu for the corresponding menu element, and a value attribute for identifying a second stored XML document to be retrieved for execution based on selection of the corresponding menu element.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the generating means is configured for generating, for one of the selected menu elements having a corresponding specified value attribute identifying the corresponding second stored XML document, a locator that identifies the corresponding second stored XML document.

31. The server of claim 25, wherein the means for generating is configured for selecting the selected form elements from among the available web page form elements specified in the stored XML document, and further selected based on the subscriber attribute information.

32. A system configured for generating a web page, the system including:

means for accessing a stored extensible markup language (XML) document based on receiving a web page request from a browser serving a user, the stored XML document specifying available web page form elements and respective attributes;

means for retrieving subscriber attribute information about the user by accessing an Internet Protocol (IP) based database server configured for storing subscriber attributes about users; and

means for generating a web page having selected form elements based on the available web page form elements specified in the stored XML document and the subscriber attribute information about the user, wherein;

the stored XML document specifies cells, each cell specifying a corresponding available web page form element for display as an HTML form field on the web page; and

the generating means is configured for adding within the web page selected HTML form fields based on the subscriber attribute information about the user;

wherein the generating means is configured for;

adding a first type of selected HTML form fields, specified by the stored XML document, for display of information independent of the subscriber attribute information; and

adding a second type of selected HTML form fields, specified by the stored XML document, based on the respective cells having matching attributes relative to the subscriber attribute information, wherein at least one of the second type of selected HTML form fields includes an input form element.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the accessing means is configured for accessing a second stored XML document based on parsing the stored XML document, the second stored XML document specifying validation rules for a respective plurality of the input form elements, the generating means adding within the web page an executable resource, configured for validating an input value entered by the user into a corresponding input form element, based on the corresponding validation rule specified by the second XML document.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the generating means is configured for adding a third type of selected HTML form fields, specified by the stored XML document, for display of action elements, the cells specifying the third type of selected HTML form fields each specifying a corresponding second stored XML document for execution of a corresponding action.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the generating means is configured for generating, for each of the third type of selected HTML form fields, a locator that identifies the corresponding second stored XML document.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein generating means adds the second type of selected HTML form fields for each input form element by:

identifying a corresponding bind attribute within the corresponding cell; and

inserting a corresponding subscriber attribute matching the bind attribute within the input form element.

37. The system of claim 36, further comprising:

means for receiving a second page request from the browser specifying a modified user input and the corresponding bind attribute for at least one input form element; and

means for updating the corresponding subscriber attribute based on the corresponding bind attribute.

38. The system of claim 32, wherein the generating means is configured for:

adding a selected HTML form field that includes an input form element based on a corresponding cell specified in the stored XML document that identifies a bind attribute; and

inserting a corresponding subscriber attribute from the subscriber attribute information and matching the bind attribute within the input form element.

39. The system of claim 38, further comprising:

means for receiving a second page request from the browser specifying a modified user input and the corresponding bind attribute for at least one input form element; and

means for updating the corresponding subscriber attribute based on the corresponding bind attribute.