Containment of terminal application run-time data for viewing when disconnected from a host server

• US 7,689,905 B1
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twitter Inc (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Farn, Brian G., Reinhardt, Edmund H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hillery; Nathan
• Application Number:
  US12/265,287
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: 715/234, 715/778, 715744- 7, 715/808, 715/762
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131

Abstract

Run-time data and visual layout definition data can be stored in a storage medium. The run-time data and the visual layout definition data can be associated with a terminal application, which is configured to communicate with a host server in blocks of data in accordance with a standardized synchronous terminal protocol. A visual screen for the terminal application can be generated by combining the layout data and the run-time data. The generating can occur when the terminal application is disconnected from the host server or host server emulator. The generated visual screen, which is a screen of a front-end of a terminal application interface, can be presented.

Claims

1. A method for viewing terminal-based content comprising:

storing run-time data and visual layout definition data in a computer useable storage medium, wherein the run-time data and the visual layout definition data are associated with a terminal application, which is configured to communicate with a host server in blocks of data in accordance with a standardized terminal protocol;

generating a visual screen for the terminal application by combining the layout data and the run-time data, wherein the generating occurs when the terminal application is disconnected from the host server and when the terminal application is disconnected from a host server emulator; and

presenting the generated visual screen,

the stored run-time data comprises;

state data of a plurality of Boolean indicator flags;

state data of the visual screen to which data is written;

an order in which sequential blocks of data are to be written to the visual screen; and

data values of fields of records to be written to the visual screen,

the visual layout definition data comprises;

record definitions for the blocks of data, where each record defined by the record definitions comprises at least one field;

field definitions each of which represents a data value or string constant within a record; and

field attributes and record attributes, each of which affects at least one of a run-time behavior or visual presentation of a field or record, wherein each of the field attributes and record attributes is enabled or disabled based upon a Boolean condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the visual screen and the presenting of the generated visual screen is performed by a terminal playback software component, which is not dependent upon use of a device emulator for the host server and is not dependent upon human interactive data processed by the device emulator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the run-time data and the visual layout data in combination permit the generated visual screen to represent a previously recorded visual representation of a terminal screen of a session involving the terminal application and the host server, where the run-time data is previously captured data from the session.

4. A computer program product for viewing terminal-based content comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising:

computer usable program code configured to store run-time data and visual layout definition data in a storage medium, wherein the run-time data and the visual layout definition data are associated with a terminal application, which is configured to communicate with a host server in blocks of data in accordance with a standardized terminal protocol;

computer usable program code configured to generate a visual screen for the terminal application by combining the layout data and the run-time data, wherein the generating occurs when the terminal application is disconnected from the host server and when the terminal application is disconnected from a host server emulator; and

computer usable program code configured to present the generated visual screen,

the stored run-time data comprises;

state data of a plurality of Boolean indicator flags;

state data of the visual screen to which data is written;

an order in which sequential blocks of data are to be written to the visual screen; and

data values of fields of records to be written to the visual screen, the visual layout definition data comprises;

record definitions for the blocks of data, where each record defined by the record definitions comprises at least one field;

field definitions each of which represents a data value or string constant within a record; and

field attributes and record attributes, each of which affects at least one of a run-time behavior or visual presentation of a field or record, wherein each of the field attributes and record attributes is enabled or disabled based upon a Boolean condition.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the computer usable program code that generates of the visual screen and presents the generated visual screen is performed by a terminal playback software component, which is not dependent upon use of a device emulator for the host server and is not dependent upon human interactive data processed by the device emulator.

6. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the run-time data and the visual layout data in combination permit the generated visual screen to represent a previously recorded visual representation of a terminal screen of a session involving the terminal application and the host server, where the run-time data is previously captured data from the session.

7. A system for viewing terminal-based content comprising:

a processor;

a non-volatile memory;

a volatile memory; and

a bus connecting said processor, said non-volatile memory, and said volatile memory, wherein a set of computer readable instructions are stored in the non-volatile memory, which are executable by the processor, wherein said system is configured to;

store run-time data and visual layout definition data in a storage medium, wherein the run-time data and the visual layout definition data are associated with a terminal application, which is configured to communicate with a host server in blocks of data in accordance with a standardized terminal protocol;

generate a visual screen for the terminal application by combining the layout data and the run-time data, wherein the generating occurs when the terminal application is disconnected from the host server and when the terminal application is disconnected from a host server emulator; and

present the generated visual screen,

the stored run-time data comprises;

state data of a plurality of Boolean indicator flags;

state data of the visual screen to which data is written;

an order in which sequential blocks of data are to be written to the visual screen; and

data values of fields of records to be written to the visual screen,

the visual layout definition data comprises;

record definitions for the blocks of data, where each record defined by the record definitions comprises at least one field;

field definitions each of which represents a data value or string constant within a record; and

field attributes and record attributes, each of which affects at least one of a run-time behavior or visual presentation of a field or record, wherein each of the field attributes and record attributes is enabled or disabled based upon a Boolean condition.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein generating of the visual screen and presenting of the generated visual screen is performed by a terminal playback software component, which is not dependent upon use of a device emulator for the host server and is not dependent upon human interactive data processed by the device emulator.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the run-time data and the visual layout data in combination permit the generated visual screen to represent a previously recorded visual representation of a terminal screen of a session involving the terminal application and the host server, where the run-time data is previously captured data from the session.