Method and apparatus for exchanging data using programmatic conversion to emulated HTML form data

• US 7,552,168 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Klubertanz, Timothy John
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn; Nathan J
• Assistant Examiner(s): WASEL, MOHAMED A
• Application Number:
  US10/331,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20040143646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,367 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 715505-508, 715/513, 715522-523
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

Programming code embedded in an application automatically converts local client data to emulated HTML multi-part form data, without downloading a corresponding form from a web server. The selection of data for conversion is performed programmatically, without the need for interactive user specification of each data item. The emulated HTML multi-part form data is transmitted to a web server as a service request. Preferably, the client application is a configuration utility which generates a record of a computer system configuration, and the server performs the function of configuration verification on configuration data formatted as emulated HTML multi-part form data. The server concurrently maintains a web page which will, on request, download an. HTML form corresponding to a system configuration to a web browser, from which a user may specify a system configuration to be verified.

Claims

1. A method in a web client of obtaining service from a web server, comprising the steps of:

providing client data in said web client for use in obtaining service from said web server, said web server providing a first HTML form to requesting clients on the web, said first HTML form for formatting a request string in a web browser for a first service, said request string to be submitted from said web browser to said web server, said request string being formatted according to a first HTML multi-part data string format determined by said first HTML form, said web server further providing said first service in response to receiving requests in said first HTML multi-part data string format;

automatically converting said client data to an emulated HTML multi-part form data string, said emulated HTML multi-part form data string being functionally equivalent to data in said first HTML multi-part data string format and corresponding to a first request for said first service, said automatically converting step being performed programmatically by said web client without requesting said first HTML form from said server and without downloading said first HTML form from said server, and without employing a web browser function to format a request string in said first HTML multi-part data string format using said first HTML form;

automatically submitting said first request for said first service to said web server from said web client in said emulated HTML multi-part form data string; and

receiving said first service in response to automatically submitting said first request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said client data comprises data contained in at least one dynamic structured data record in a memory of said client, and wherein said step of automatically converting said client data to an emulated HTML multi-part form data string comprises obtaining data for conversion to said emulated HTML multi-part form data string from at least one field of said dynamic structured data record without writing said dynamic structured data record to a file in a storage system of said web client.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said client data comprises computer system configuration data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said first service provided by said web server comprises verification of a computer system configuration represented by said computer system configuration data.

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

automatically converting said client data to a plurality of emulated HTML multi-part form data strings corresponding to a respective plurality of requests for said first service; and

automatically submitting said plurality of requests for said first service to said server from said web client in said plurality of emulated HTML multi-part form data strings in batch.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

scheduling said step of automatically submitting said plurality of requests for said first service to occur automatically at a future time.

7. A method of distributed data processing in a world wide web environment, comprising the steps of:

executing an application program in a web client to generate dynamic structured client application data;

automatically converting said dynamic structured client application data to client application data in an emulated HTML multi-part form data string, said emulated multi-part form data string being functionally equivalent to data in a first HTML multi-part data string format, said automatically convening step being performed by said web client without downloading an HTML form corresponding to said first HTML multi-part data string format from a web server;

wherein a web server performs a first service, said first service comprising processing said client application data responsive to receiving said client application data in a request in said first HTML multi-part data string format;

automatically submitting a request for said first service to said web server from said web client in said emulated HTML multi-part form data string; and

receiving said first service in response to automatically submitting said request;

wherein said automatically converting step and said automatically submitting a request step are performed programmatically without requiring interactive user input and without employing a web browser function to format a request string in said first HTML multi-part data string format using a first HTML form, said first HTML form determining a format of said request string according to said first HTML multi-part data string format.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said application program generates a computer system configuration, and said client application data comprises computer system configuration data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said first service provided by said web server comprises verification of a computer system configuration represented by said computer system configuration data.