User-controlled web browser table reduction

• US 8,271,866 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2004
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Yen-Fu, Handy-Bosma, John Hans, Sun, Nancy, Walker, Keith Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Queler, Adam M
• Application Number:
  US10/922,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20060041835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,952 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500, 715/503, 715/504, 715/509, 715/513, 715/200, 715/212, 715/217, 715/218, 715/227, 715/234
• US Class Current: 715/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions

Abstract

The invention that meets the needs identified above is a web browser plug-in or feature comprising a modification program (MP), a configuration program (CP), a table reduction program (TRP), algorithms and rules, that interacts with a web browser to analyze a web page for tables. The analysis consists of interrogating incoming hypertext markup language (HTML) for table structure <table>, <tr>, <th> and <td> tags, and incoming text for delimiters. The configuration program introduces controls into the text for each column and row delimeter that met a criteria for being hideable. In addition, the configuration program introduces controls into the HTML for each column and row tag that met a criteria for being hideable. The configuration program links the controls to a hiding algorithm so that when activated, the appropriate hiding algorithm will act on the row or column associated with the control. The controls are injected before the web browser renders the web page. When the web browser renders the web page, the web browser recognizes and interprets the injected HTML code so that the table may be reduced by the table reduction program.

Claims

1. A method for reducing the display size of a table, rendered in a web page, comprising:

receiving the web page, having the table, at a web browser application being run on specifically a client computer connected to the Internet;

identifying a table structure tag in a hyper text markup language in the web page, the table structure tag being for a column or a row in a table;

determining whether the table structure tag meets a criteria for being hideable;

responsive to determining that the table structure tag meets the criteria for being hideable, adding a control into the table structure tag, before the table is rendered by the web browser application being run on specifically the client computer;

linking the control to an algorithm; and

activating the control so that the algorithm causes the column or the row to not be rendered when the table is displayed on the web page;

wherein the display size of the table on the web page is reduced by not rendering the column or row in response to the control and the algorithm.

2. A system for reducing the display size of a table rendered in a web page, the system comprising:

a client computer connected to the Internet, the computer having a processor connected to a computer readable memory and to a computer readable tangible storage device;

first program instructions to receive the web page, having the table at a web browser application being run on specifically the client computer connected to the Internet;

second program instructions to identify a table structure tag in a hyper text markup language in the web page, the table structure tag being for a column or a row in a table;

third program instructions to determine whether the table structure tag meets a criteria for being hideable;

fourth program instructions to add, responsive to determining that the table structure tag meets the criteria for being hideable, a control into the table structure tag before the table is rendered by the web browser application being run on specifically the client computer;

fifth program instructions to link the control to an algorithm; and

sixth program instructions to activate the control so that the algorithm causes the column or the row to not be rendered when the table is displayed on the web page;

wherein the display size of the table on the web page is reduced by not rendering the column or row in response to the control and the algorithm; and

wherein the first throught the sixth program instructions are stored in the computer readable tangible storage device for running on the processor via the computer readable memory.

3. A computer program product for reducing the display size of a table rendered in a web page, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable tangible storage device;

first program instructions to receive the web page, having the table, at a web browser application being run on specifically a client computer connected to the Internet;

second program instructions to identify a table structure tag in a hyper text markup language in the web page, the table structure tag being for a column or a row in a table;

third program instructions to determine whether the table structure tag meets a criteria for being hideable;

fourth program instructions to add responsive to determining that the table structure tag meets the criteria for being hideable, a control into the table structure tag, before the table is rendered by the web browser application being run on specifically the client computer;

fifth program instructions to link the control to an algorithm; and

sixth program instructions to activate the control so that the algorithm causes the column or the row to not be rendered when the table is displayed on the web page;

wherein the display size of the table on the web page is reduced by not rendering the column or row in response to the control and the algorithm; and

wherein the first through the sixth program instructions are stored in the computer readable tangible storage device.