Methods and systems for multiple styling HyperText Markup Language (HTML) form fields

• US 9,058,309 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2010
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Tanaka, Jamison M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Quoc A
• Application Number:
  US12/979,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20120072832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 715234-275, 715221-225, 715/731, 715/780
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/12 Use of codes for handling textual entities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/154 Tree transformation for tree-structured or markup documents, e.g. XSLT, XSL-FO or stylesheets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

Techniques to provide multiple styles in a single HTML text object. An input field to receive user-generated input is presented. User-generated input is received via the input field. The user-generated input based on formatting criteria. The formatting criteria provides N formatting types to be applied to the user-generated input, where N is at least two. An underlay field is provided for each of N−1 formatting types. One of the formatting types is applied to each of the N−1 underlay fields and the input field. The N−1 underlay fields are aligned with and the input field. Portions of the user-generated input are displayed within the corresponding fields while maintaining spacing of the user-generated input.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting, via a graphical user interface, a plurality of fields including at least an input field to receive user-generated input, wherein the protocol to present the plurality of fields supports only a single format for the input field;

receiving the user-generated input with a computing platform providing the graphical user interface via the input field;

parsing the user-generated input based on formatting criteria, wherein the formatting criteria comprises N text formatting types to be applied to the user-generated input, wherein N is at least two;

providing an underlay field for each of N−

1 text formatting types;

applying one of the text formatting types to each of the N−

1 underlay fields and the input field;

aligning the N−

1 underlay fields and the input field, wherein in aligning comprises at least providing proper spacing between text characters and by superimposing a translucent field on top of a corresponding element with a text formatting type and in the one or more underlay fields only showing characters that are stylized in higher layers, replacing other characters with a space so non-space characters in the one or more underlay fields show through;

displaying portions of the user-generated input within the corresponding fields while maintaining spacing of the user-generated input.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the protocol comprises a HyperText Markup Language (HTML)-compliant protocol.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are utilized to define formatting of at least the input field.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the input field comprises a form field.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the input field comprises a text area.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein maintaining spacing of the user-generated input comprises, for each of the fields, replacing a character to be displayed in a different field with a space.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein maintaining spacing of the user-generated input comprises, for each of the fields, replacing a character to be displayed in a different field with an underscore character.

8. A non-transitory data storage device having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

present, via a graphical user interface, a plurality of fields including at least an input field to receive user-generated input, wherein the protocol to present the plurality of fields supports only a single format for the input field;

receive the user-generated input with a computing platform providing the graphical user interface via the input field;

parse the user-generated input based on formatting criteria, wherein the formatting criteria comprises N text formatting types to be applied to the user-generated input, wherein N is at least two;

provide an underlay field for each of N−

1 text formatting types;

apply one of the text formatting types to each of the N−

1 underlay fields and the input field;

aligning the N−

1 underlay fields and the input field, wherein in aligning comprises at least providing proper spacing between text characters and by superimposing a translucent field on top of a corresponding element with a text formatting type and in the one or more underlay fields only showing characters that are stylized in higher layers, replacing other characters with a space so non-space characters in the one or more underlay fields show through;

display portions of the user-generated input within the corresponding fields while maintaining spacing of the user-generated input.

9. The data storage device of claim 8 wherein the protocol comprises a HyperText Markup Language (HTML)-compliant protocol.

10. The data storage device of claim 9 wherein Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are utilized to define formatting of at least the input field.

11. The data storage device of claim 9 wherein the input field comprises a form field.

12. The data storage device of claim 9 wherein the input field comprises a text area.

13. The data storage device of claim 8 wherein the instructions that cause the one or more processors to maintain spacing of the user-generated input comprise instructions that cause the one or more processors to, for each of the fields, replace a character to be displayed in a different field with a space.

14. The data storage device of claim 8 wherein the instructions that cause the one or more processors to maintain spacing of the user-generated input comprise instructions that cause the one or more processors to, for each of the fields, replace a character to be displayed in an underscore character.

15. A system comprising:

a bus;

an output device coupled with the bus;

a memory coupled with the bus;

a processor coupled with the bus to communicate with the memory and with the output device, the processor to execute instructions stored in the memory to provide a graphical user interface on the output device, the processor to present, via a graphical user interface, a plurality of fields including at least an input field to receive user-generated input, wherein the protocol to present the plurality of fields supports only a single format for the input field, to receive the user-generated input via the input field, to parse the user-generated input based on formatting criteria, wherein the formatting criteria comprises N text formatting types to be applied to the user-generated input, wherein N is at least two, to provide an underlay field for each of N−

1 text formatting types, to apply one of the text formatting types to each of the N−

1 underlay fields and the input field, to align the N−

1 underlay fields and the input field, wherein in aligning comprises at least providing proper spacing between text characters and by superimposing a translucent field on top of a corresponding element with a text formatting type and in the one or more underlay fields only showing characters that are stylized in higher layers, replacing other characters with a space so non-space characters in the one or more underlay fields show through, and to display portions of the user-generated input within the corresponding fields while maintaining spacing of the user-generated input.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the input field comprises a form field.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the input field comprises a text area.