Cross-environment context-sensitive help files

• US 7,886,227 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2002
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Aggarwal, Radhika, Styles, David B., Schreiber, Elizabeth A., Krebs, William H. Jr., Nock, Clifton M., Allen, Thomas Jay, Cragun, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chuong; Truc T
• Application Number:
  US10/041,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20030122859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,323 Days
• Field of Search: 715/784, 715/707, 715/708, 715/733, 715/705, 715/714, 709/203, 709/218
• US Class Current: 715/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A method for providing context-sensitive help across variable environments. In each of the variable environments, the method can include tokenizing a received network request for help, the tokenization producing a contextually pertinent help file name and a base address of a corresponding help file. Subsequently, the corresponding help file can be located in a fixed storage location referenced by associating the help file name with the base address. Finally, the located help file can be encoded with the base address, and transmitting to a requesting client.

Claims

1. A cross-environment help system for supporting a network distributable application comprising a collection of network distributable documents, the documents comprising markup, the help system comprising:

fixed storage containing one of a plurality of context-specific help files and a help file archive comprising a plurality of context-specific help files;

a base address and at least one help link, both embedded in the markup in selected ones of the network distributable documents, said help link specifying a relative address of one of said context-specific help files, said base address specifying a base location in said fixed storage from which said relative address can be resolved; and

,

a help servlet configured both to resolve a location of a selected help file from said base and relative addresses, and also to retrieve said selected help file at said resolved location from among said one of said plurality of context-specific files and said help file archive.

2. The cross-environment help system of claim 1, further comprising:

a base path and servlet address, both embedded in said base address, wherein said help servlet can be accessed through said base path at said servlet address.

3. The cross-environment help system of claim 1, further comprising:

a document encoder configured to append said base address to selected ones of the help files.

4. The cross-environment help system of claim 1, wherein said help files comprise help objects, each said help object comprising at least one instance of at least one help class.

5. A method for providing context-sensitive help across variable environments, the method comprising:

in one of the variable environments, tokenizing a received network request for help, said tokenization producing a contextually pertinent help file name and a base address of a corresponding help file;

locating said corresponding help file in a fixed storage location referenced by associating said help file name with said base address;

encoding said located help file with said base address

transmitting said encoded help file to a requesting client;

wherein said locating comprises of providing said help file name and base address to a class loader in the variable environment, said class loader searching said fixed storage location for said corresponding help file; and

,

if said class loader locates said corresponding help file in a help file archive, extracting said corresponding help file from said archive.

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

encoding each help file in said fixed storage with said base address.

7. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for providing context-sensitive help across variable environments, the computer program comprising a routine set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

in one of the variable environments, tokenizing a received network request for help, said tokenization producing a contextually pertinent help file name and a base address of a corresponding help file;

locating said corresponding help file in a fixed storage location referenced by associating said help file name with said base address;

encoding said located help file with said base address;

transmitting said encoded help file to a requesting client

wherein said locating comprises of providing said help file name and base address to a class loader in the variable environment, said class loader searching said fixed storage location for said corresponding help file; and

,

if said class loader locates said corresponding help file in a help file archive, extracting said corresponding help file from said archive.

8. The machine readable storage of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

encoding each help file in said fixed storage with said base address.