Method for dynamically generating a “table of contents” view of the HTML-based information system

• US 8,359,550 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2010
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Meyer, Gordon R., Howard, Albert R. Jr., Knabe, Kevin, Hoiberg, Richard B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US12/764,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20100269035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 707/708, 707/713, 707/732, 707741-747, 707/797, 707/798, 707802-808, 707828-831, 715/760, 715/713, 715/738, 715/739, 715/853, 715/855
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for displaying information topics that are available via an online help system. The methods and systems store information for given topics in a respective folder associated with a given topic, detect the selection of one of the folders associated with a topic of interest, search files at a hierarchical level in the selected folder to identify files of a predetermined type, locate HTML metatags that pertain to the display of help information, merge data associated with the HTML metatags into a HTML template file to generate an HTML file containing data associated with each of the located HTML metatags, and provide a table of contents for the topic of interest associated with the selected folder using the generated HTML file.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically generating a table-of-contents for an information system, the method comprising:

detecting a user-selection of one of a plurality of folders, said folders including source files related to a corresponding topic in a table-of-contents;

identifying one or more source files in the selected folder for inclusion in the table-of-contents;

identifying meta-tags associated with the identified source files;

selectively merging, based on the identified meta-tags, data associated with the identified meta-tags into a table-of-contents template;

generating a table-of-contents record containing the merged data associated with the identified meta-tags; and

causing the display of, in accordance the table-of-contents record, a table-of-contents for the topic corresponding to the selected folder.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the source files within the folders are related by one or more hierarchical levels; and

the identified sources files are at the topmost of the hierarchical levels.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more source files includes, identifying source files in the selected folder specified for inclusion on the table-of-contents.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the specified source files are specified by a creator designation.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the specified source files are specified by a file extension.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the specified source files are text files.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the identified meta-tags correspond to tokens within the template, and

merging the data associated with the identified meta-tags includes;

duplicating the template; and

replacing the tokens in the duplicated template that correspond to the identified meta-tags with the merged data associated with the, identified meta-tags.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the duplicated template is stored in the selected folder.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein replacing includes, creating a separate record in said generated table-of-contents for the respective data from each identified file.

10. An information system, comprising:

means for detecting a user-selection of one of a plurality of folders, said folders including source files related to a corresponding topic in a table-of-contents;

means for identifying one or more source files in the selected folder for inclusion in the table-of-contents;

means for identifying meta-tags associated with the identified source files;

means for selectively merging, based on the identified meta-tags, data associated with the identified meta-tags into a table-of-contents template;

means for generating a table-of-contents record containing the merged data associated with the identified meta-tags; and

means for displaying, in accordance the table-of-contents record, a table-of-contents for the topic corresponding to the selected folder.

11. The information system of claim 10, wherein:

the source files within the folders are related by one or more hierarchical levels; and

the identified sources files are, at the topmost of the hierarchical levels.

12. The information system of claim 10, wherein the means for identifying one or more source files includes, means for identifying source files in the selected folder specified for inclusion on the table-of-contents.

13. The information system of claim 12, wherein said specified source files are specified by a creator designation.

14. The information system of claim 12, wherein said specified source files are specified by a file extension.

15. The information system of claim 10, wherein said specified source files are text files.

16. The information system of claim 10, wherein:

the identified meta-tags correspond to tokens within the template, and

the means for merging the data associated with the identified meta-tags includes;

means for duplicating the template; and

means for replacing the tokens in the duplicated template that correspond to the identified meta-tags with the merged data associated with the identified meta-tags.

17. The information system of claim 16, wherein the duplicated template is stored in the selected folder.

18. The information of claim 16, wherein said means for replacing creates a separate record in said table-of-contents for the respective data from each identified file.

19. A non-volatile computer readable storage medium having program instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a processor, cause an information system to:

detect a user-selection of one of a plurality of folders, said folders including source files related to a corresponding topic in a table-of-contents;

identify one or more source files in the selected folder for inclusion in the table-of-contents;

identify meta-tags associated with the identified source files;

selectively merge, based on the identified meta-tags, data associated with the identified meta-tags into a table-of-contents template;

generate a table-of-contents record containing the merged data associated with the identified meta-tags; and

cause the display of, in accordance the table-of-contents record, a table-of-contents for the topic corresponding to the selected folder.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein:

the source files within the folders are related by one or more hierarchical levels; and

the identified sources files are the topmost source files in hierarchical level.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein identifying one or more source files includes, identifying source files in the selected folder specified for inclusion on the table-of-contents.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein said specified source files are specified by a creator designation.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein specified source files are specified by a file extension.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein said specified source files are text files.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein:

the identified meta-tags corresponding to tokens within the template, and

merging the data associated with the identified meta-tags includes;

duplicating the template; and

replacing the tokens in the duplicated template that correspond to the identified meta-tags with the merged data associated with the identified meta-tags.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the duplicated template is stored in the selected folder.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein replacing includes, creating a separate record in said table-of-contents for the respective data from each identified file.