Object-oriented system for creating and managing websites and their content

• US 8,762,938 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2009
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Calvin, Phil
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Qing
• Application Number:
  US12/935,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20110029879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,883 Days
• Field of Search: 717106-109, 717120-123, 709201-203
• US Class Current: 717/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• 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 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

The invention teaches a method for creating and managing a website as an object oriented system, comprising: providing on a system server a plurality of hierarchical classes of objects, each of the classes representing one aspect of the storage, presentation and logic of a website; providing on a web server an interface operable to present representations of objects instantiating the plurality of hierarchical classes and receive commands meant to one of: instantiate a new object, destroy a presented object, and change a property of a presented object; and storing on a database server objects as a traversable tree in accordance with the plurality of hierarchical classes.

Claims

1. A method for creating and managing a website as an object-oriented system, comprising:

(a) providing, on a system server computer, a plurality of hierarchical classes of objects, wherein each object of the plurality of hierarchical classes of objects represents one aspect of storage, presentation, and logic of a website, wherein each object of the plurality of hierarchical classes of objects is managed separately from each other while retaining relationships between the plurality of hierarchical classes of objects organized as packages of classes, and wherein the packages of classes are organized by tiers;

(b) providing, on a web server computer, a user-interface operable to;

(i) present representations of objects instantiating the plurality of hierarchical classes of objects; and

(ii) receive commands meant to one of;

(1) instantiate a new object;

(2) destroy a presented object; and

(3) change a property of a presented object; and

(c) storing, on a database server computer, objects as a traversable object tree in accordance with the plurality of hierarchical classes of objects.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, further including rendering, on the system server computer, a requested portion of the website by:

(a) traversing a corresponding portion of the traversable object tree that defines the requested portion of the website; and

(b) generating a dynamic webserving that renders the requested portion of the website in response to properties of the traversed objects from the corresponding portion of the traversable object tree.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein presenting representations of objects includes presenting symbolic representations of objects.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein providing a user-interface includes providing a What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) user-interface.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein receiving commands includes receiving user-inputs.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the relationships between the plurality of hierarchical classes of objects comprise at least containment, parent, child, or sibling.

7. A system for creating and managing a website as an object-oriented system, comprising:

(a) a system server computer operable to provide a plurality of hierarchical classes of objects, wherein each object of the plurality of hierarchical classes of objects represents one aspect of storage, presentation, and logic of a website, wherein each object of the plurality of hierarchical classes of objects is managed separately from each other while retaining relationships between the plurality of hierarchical classes of objects organized as packages of classes, and wherein the packages of classes are organized by tiers;

(b) a web server computer in communication with the system server computer and operable to provide a user-interface operable to;

(i) present representations of objects instantiating the plurality of hierarchical classes of objects; and

(ii) receive commands meant to one of;

(1) instantiate a new object;

(2) destroy a presented object; and

(3) change a property of a presented object; and

(c) a database server computer in communication with the system server computer and operable to store objects as a traversable object tree in accordance with the plurality of hierarchical classes of objects.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the system server computer is further operable to render a requested portion of the website by:

(a) traversing a corresponding portion of the traversable object tree that defines the requested portion of the website; and

(b) generating a dynamic webserving that renders the requested portion of the website in response to properties of the traversed objects from the corresponding portion of the traversable object tree.

9. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the web server computer is further operable to present representations of objects that are symbolic representations of objects.

10. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the web server computer is further operable to provide a user-interface that is a What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) user-interface.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the web server computer is further operable to receive commands that are user-inputs.

12. A system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the relationships between the plurality of hierarchical classes of objects comprise soluable at least containment, parent, child, or sibling.

13. A system for creating and managing a website as an object-oriented system, comprising:

(a) means for providing a plurality of hierarchical classes of objects, wherein each object of the plurality of hierarchical classes of objects represents one aspect of storage, presentation, and logic of a website, wherein each object of the plurality of hierarchical classes of objects is managed separately from each other while retaining relationships between the plurality of hierarchical classes of objects organized as packages of classes, and wherein the packages of classes are organized by tiers;

(b) means for providing a user-interface, including;

(i) means for presenting representations of objects instantiating the plurality of hierarchical classes of objects; and

(ii) means for receiving commands meant to one of;

(1) instantiate a new object;

(2) destroy a presented object; and

(3) change a property of a presented object; and

(c) means for storing objects as a traversable object tree in accordance with the plurality of hierarchical classes of objects.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13, further including means for rendering a requested portion of the website.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the means for rendering includes:

(a) means for traversing a corresponding portion of the traversable object tree that defines the requested portion of the website; and

(b) means for generating a dynamic webserving that renders the requested portion of the website in response to properties of the traversed objects from the corresponding portion of the traversable object tree.

16. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the means for presenting representations of objects includes means for presenting symbolic representations of objects.

17. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the means for providing a user-interface includes means for providing a What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) user-interface.

18. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the means for receiving commands includes means for receiving user-inputs.

19. A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the relationships between the plurality of hierarchical classes of objects comprise at least containment, parent, child, or sibling.