Inserting devices specific content

• US 7,428,725 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2001
• Issued: 09/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Schechter, Greg D., Lehenbauer, Daniel R., Kurlander, David J., Niyogi, Shanku S., Brid, Regis L. F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kendall; Chuck O
• Application Number:
  US09/989,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20030097639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,499 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178, 717104-146, 709202-219, 345961-963
• US Class Current: 717/109
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

A server-based application includes at least one page file that identifies one or more server objects. The page file describes the particular layout and interaction of the server objects, such as controls, in such a way that a page of information may be transmitted to a target device. When designing the page file a developer may use declarative statement, so that certain properties of the specified controls may be altered based on the particular type of target device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing content to a target device, the method comprising:

identifying a device class associated with the target device, the target device including a user interface with display properties, the device class associated with the display properties;

if the compiled version of the page does not exist, compiling an application based on a page file including information describing the content to be returned to the target device, the information including statements of device class-specific user interface display properties for the content to be returned, the device class-specific user interface display properties being based on the device class of the target device;

replacing at least one default property with the device class-specific user interface display properties; and

rendering the content based on the device class-specific user interface display properties of the content within the compiled application, wherein the content is custom formatted for the target device user interface.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the device class is included within an instruction to transmit the content to the target device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the instruction comprises a request generated by the target device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the request comprises an HTTP request for the page file.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the instruction further includes an identification of the page file.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the information describing the content includes tags within the page file that identify at least one server object that is programmed to create the content.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the statements that provide the choices include a declarative statement identifying at least one choice for at least one user interface display property of a server object corresponding to the declarative statement.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the at least one choice applies if a pre-determined condition is satisfied.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein compiling the application further comprises generating code that describes a control hierarchy of server objects that are programmed to create the content.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein evaluating the choices comprises instantiating the control hierarchy based on the generated code.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein a server object includes a user interface display property and the control hierarchy further includes at least one choice for that user interface display property, the choice including a filter against which the device class of the target device is evaluated to determine whether to apply that choice to the user interface display property of the content.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein each user interface display property corresponds to an input parameter for an associated server object in the control hierarchy of server objects that create the content.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the choices includes comparing the device class of target device against a filter to determine whether to apply the existing value to the user interface display property.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a first user interface display property of the content to be returned identifies a graphic element and wherein the choice for the first user interface display property is a choice of values corresponding to different graphics, each graphic being suitable for display on a different, associated device class.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a second user interface display property of the content to be returned identifies a font size and wherein the choice for the second user interface display property is a choice of values corresponding to different font sizes based on the device class, each value corresponding to a font size associated with a different device class.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein a third user interface display property of the content to be returned identifies a user control element and wherein the choice for the third user interface display property is a choice of different user controls, each user control being suitable for display on a different, associated device class.

17. A computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions, comprising:

receiving an instruction to provide a page to a target device, wherein data is provided in the instruction identifying the target device, the target device including a user interface with display properties;

determining whether a compiled version of the page exists for the target device;

if the compiled version of the page does not exist, compiling the page to create a class based on a page file including values for device-specific content, the class associated with the display properties;

instantiating an instance of the class including a plurality of controls, at least one of the controls having a user interface display property and a set of values for that user interface display property based on the target device in the page file, wherein each value is associated with different device-specific content to be displayed by the control;

choosing one of the values in the page file based on the target device identified in the instruction;

applying the value associated with the choice to the at least one control; and

rendering device-specific content to the target device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instruction comprises a request generated by the target device.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instruction comprises an HTTP request for the page.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instruction further includes an identification of the page.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the page includes tags that identify at least one server object that is programmed to create the content, and at least one device condition and an associated value for a user interface display property of the at least one server object.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the tags include a declarative statement identifying the choice for the property of the control.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the at least one choice applies if a pre-determined condition is satisfied.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein compiling the application further comprises generating code that describes a control hierarchy of server objects that are programmed to create the content.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the choice includes a filter against which the target device is evaluated to determine whether to apply that choice to the user interface display property.