Method and apparatus for generating object-oriented world wide web pages

• US 7,836,148 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bruce Ong, Nicolas Popp
• Original Assignee: Bruce Ong, Nicolas Popp
• Inventors: Ong, Bruce, Popp, Nicolas
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder; Patrice
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH CHAU
• Application Number:
  US11/497,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20070033280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4488 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

In the present invention, HTML elements are mapped to objects in an object-oriented environment. Classes of objects are defined for each HTML element as well as the HTML document (or page). By providing a one-to-one mapping between each HTML element and object classes, HTML documents can be manipulated programmatically. The properties of each element are stored in instance variables of the associated object. Each object class can include methods to manipulate the HTML element within an HTML document.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically generating a display page, comprising:

using a processor to obtain an object tree comprising a plurality of hierarchically organized objects, each object containing data and methods for processing a corresponding definitional element of said display page;

using the processor to modify said object tree at runtime; and

using the processor to invoke said methods of the objects comprising the object tree as modified to generate, dynamically at runtime, a plurality of definitional statements, each definitional statement being associated with one or more definitional elements of said display page;

wherein said methods for processing a corresponding definitional element of said display page comprise computer instructions which when executed generate said plurality of definitional statements;

wherein said definitional statements comprise hypertext markup language (HTML) or other statements usable by a browser or other software to render the display page; and

wherein the display page generated using the objects comprising the object tree as modified reflects the modification made to said object tree at runtime.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the object tree comprises generating the object tree dynamically, at runtime.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the object tree is generated by an application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein modifying the object tree comprises adding to the object tree one or more additional objects based at least on processing performed by the application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying said object tree at runtime comprises repeating a definitional element associated with a group a number of times determined at least in part on a number of corresponding data values received from a data source.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the data source comprises an external data source.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying said object tree at runtime comprises modifying a hierarchical structure of said object tree.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying said object tree at runtime comprises adding an additional object to said object tree.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying said object tree at runtime comprises modifying an object included in said plurality of hierarchically organized objects.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said object tree is modified based at least in part on an external data retrieved from an external data source.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said object tree is modified based at least in part on an output provided at runtime by an application.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying said object tree at runtime comprises resolving a server side extension prior to using the objects comprising the object tree to generate the plurality of definitional statements such that the plurality of definitional statements include only standard definitional statements that do not require any understanding of the extension to render.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying said object tree at runtime comprises linking an object included in the object tree to a corresponding business object.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the object tree comprises generating the object tree based at least in part on a template.

15. A computer program product for dynamically generating a display page, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

obtaining an object tree comprising a plurality of hierarchically organized objects, each object containing data and methods for processing a corresponding definitional element of said display page;

modifying said object tree at runtime; and

invoking said method of the objects comprising the object tree to generate, dynamically at runtime, a plurality of definitional statements, each definitional statement being associated with one or more definitional elements of said display page;

wherein said methods for processing a corresponding definitional element of said display page comprise computer instructions which when executed generate said plurality of definitional statements;

wherein said definitional statements comprise hypertext markup language (HTML) or other statements usable by a browser or other software to render the display page; and

wherein the display page generated using the objects comprising the object tree as modified reflects the modification made to said object tree at runtime.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein modifying said object tree at runtime comprises modifying a hierarchical structure of said object tree.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein modifying said object tree at runtime comprises adding an additional object to said object tree.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said object tree is modified based at least in part on an external data retrieved from an external data source.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said object tree is modified based at least in part on an output provided at runtime by an application.

20. A computer system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

obtain an object tree comprising a plurality of hierarchically organized objects, each object containing data and methods for processing a corresponding definitional element of said display page;

modify said object tree at runtime; and

invoke said methods of the objects comprising the object tree to generate, dynamically at runtime, a plurality of definitional statements, each definitional statement being associated with one or more definitional elements of said display page; and

a memory configured to store said object tree;

wherein said methods for processing a corresponding definitional element of said display page comprise computer instructions which when executed generate said plurality of definitional statements;

wherein said definitional statements comprise hypertext markup language (HTML) or other statements usable by a browser or other software to render the display page; and

wherein the display page generated using the objects comprising the object tree as modified reflects the modification made to said object tree at runtime.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein modifying said object tree at runtime comprises modifying a hierarchical structure of said object tree.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein modifying said object tree at runtime comprises adding an additional object to said object tree.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein said object tree is modified based at least in part on an external data retrieved from an external data source.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein said object tree is modified based at least in part on an output provided at runtime by an application.