Utilizing common layout and functionality of multiple web pages

• US 20040255233A1
• Filed: 06/11/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Ting-Hao, Robsman, Dmitry, Anders, Mark T., Guthrie, Scott David, Croney, Joseph K., Ebbo, David Serge
• Granted Patent: US 7,389,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/500
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates

Abstract

Web pages that share a common layout and/or functionality are associated with at least one master page and at least one endpoint page. Each master page specifies a common layout and/or functionality that are intended to be shared between the web pages. The master pages also include content place holders that identify content segments that are intended to be replaced by content that is obtained from the at least one endpoint page. When a client system requests one of the web pages, the server system merges the appropriate master page and endpoint page into a resulting page that can be rendered as the requested web page by the client system. This enables web pages sharing common features to be created automatically, in real-time, and transparently to the client system, and without having to redundantly store duplicative content for each of the web pages at the server system.

Claims

1. In a server system that is connected with a client system and that is capable of accessing a master page that defines a common layout and functionality for a plurality of web pages that are associated with the master page and that can be rendered at the client system, the master page being associated with at least one endpoint page that contains one or more content controls that can be used to customize the associated web pages prior to being rendered at the client system, a method for using the master page and the at least one endpoint page to generate code that can be used by the client system to render the one or more web pages, the method comprising:

an act of the server system receiving a request from a client system for a web page that is associated with the master page and one or more endpoint pages;

an act of the server system creating a master page class that corresponds to the master page;

an act of the server system creating an endpoint page class that corresponds to the one or more endpoint pages;

an act of creating a control tree of the master page class that identifies one or more content place holders of the master page that each designate one or more sections of the master page that can be replaced;

an act of identifying one or more content controls that are associated with each of the one or more content place holders by the one or more endpoint pages; and

an act of replacing the one or more content place holders with additional content obtained from the one or more associated content controls.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further including an act of the client system accessing the merged file and rendering the requested web page with the merged file.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the master page comprises one of a plurality of different specialized master pages that can each be used to generate code for rendering the requested web page.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the master page is specifically requested by the client system.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the requested web page includes at least one of HTML, XML, WML and XSL content.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the master page is nested within another master page.

2. A method as recited in 1, wherein the additional content obtained from the one or more associated content controls overrides default content that is provided with the at least one content place holder and that is configured to be rendered when the additional content is not received.

8. In a server system that is connected with a client system and that is capable of accessing a master page that defines a common layout and functionality for a plurality of web pages that are associated with the master page and that can be rendered at the client system, the master page being associated with at least one endpoint page that contains one or more content controls that can be used to customize the associated web pages prior to being rendered at the client system, a method for using the master page and the at least one endpoint page to generate code that can be used by the client system to render the one or more web pages, the method comprising:

an act of the server system receiving a request from a client system for a web page that is associated with the master page and one or more endpoint pages;

an act of the server system creating a master page class that corresponds to the master page;

an act of the server system creating an endpoint page class that corresponds to the one or more endpoint pages; and

a step for merging the master page class and the endpoint page class into a merged file that defines the code for the requested web page and that can be accessed by the client system.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the step for merging includes:

a corresponding act of creating a control tree of the master page class that identifies one or more content place holders of the master page that each designate one or more sections of the master page that can be replaced;

a corresponding act of identifying one or more content controls that are associated with each of the one or more content place holders by the one or more endpoint pages; and

a corresponding act of replacing the one or more content place holders with additional content obtained from the one or more associated content controls.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the additional content obtained from the one or more associated content controls overrides default content that is provided with the at least one content place holder and that is configured to be rendered when the additional content is not received.

11. A method as recited in claim 8, further including an act of the client system accessing the merged file and rendering the requested web page with the merged file.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the server system transmits the merged file to the client system.

13. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the master page comprises one of a plurality of different specialized master pages that can each be used to generate code for rendering the requested web page.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the master page is specifically requested by the client system based upon one or more requirements of the client system.

15. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the master page is specifically requested by the client system based upon a desired display format of the requested web page.

16. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the master page that is utilized by the server system is selected by the server system based upon one or more predetermined criteria.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the predetermined criteria include at least one of a subscription, privilege, authorization level, and client system requirements.

18. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the requested web page includes at least one of HTML, XML, WML and XSL content.

19. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the master page is nested within another master page.

20. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the client system is unaware of the merging of the master page class and the endpoint page class.

21. A computer program product for use in a server system that is connected with a client system and that is capable of accessing a master page that defines a common layout and functionality for a plurality of web pages that are associated with the master page and that can be rendered at the client system, the master page being associated with at least one endpoint page that contains one or more content controls that can be used to customize the associated web pages prior to being rendered at the client system, the computer program product for implementing a method for using the master page and at least one endpoint page to generate code that can be used by the client system to render the one or more web pages, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the server system to perform the following:

receive a request from a client system for a web page that is associated with the master page and one or more endpoint pages;

create a master page class that corresponds to the master page;

create an endpoint page class that corresponds to the one or more endpoint pages;

create a control tree of the master page class that identifies one or more content place holders of the master page that each designate one or more sections of the master page that can be replaced;

identify one or more content controls that are associated with each of the one or more content place holders by the one or more endpoint pages; and

replace the one or more content place holders with additional content obtained from the one or more associated content controls.

23. A computer program product as recited in claim 21, further including computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the server system to access the merged file and rendering the requested web page with the merged file.

24. A computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein the master page comprises one of a plurality of different specialized master pages that can each be used to generate code for rendering the requested web page.

25. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein the master page is specifically requested by the client system.

26. A computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein the requested web page includes at least one of HTML, XML, WML and XSL content.

27. A computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein the master page is nested within another master page.

22. A computer program product as recited in 21, wherein the additional content obtained from the one or more associated content controls overrides default content that is provided with the at least one content place holder and that is configured to be rendered when the additional content is not received.

28. In a server system that is capable of communicating with one or more client systems that are each configured to render web pages that the server system provides to the client systems and that share a common layout and functionality, a method for utilizing the common layout and functionality of the plurality of web pages, the method comprising:

an act of creating a master page that defines a shared layout and functionality that can be utilized by a plurality of endpoint pages, the master page including at least one content place holder that defines one or more sections of the master page that are configured to be replaced by other content; and

an act of creating an endpoint page for each of a plurality of web pages that share the layout and functionality of the master page, each endpoint page including at least one content control that identifies customizable content the server system is to replace with the content place holder of the master page when any one of the plurality of web pages is requested by a client system,

such that when a client system requests a web page that is associated with the master page and that corresponds to one of the created endpoint pages, the server system merges the master page with the endpoint page corresponding to the requested web page, and thereby replaces the content place holder of the master page with the customizable content that is identified by the at least one content control of the endpoint page that corresponds to the requested web page.

29. A method as recited in claim 28, further including an act of the server system provides a merged file of the master page and the endpoint page to the client system, the merged file being configured to enable the client system to render the requested web page.

30. A method as recited in claim 29, wherein the requested web page is rendered by the client system using at least one of HTML, XML, WML and XSL content.

31. A method as recited in claim 28, further including an act of creating additional master pages that define shared layouts and functionality that can be utilized by the plurality of endpoint pages.

32. A method as recited in claim 31, wherein the master page is specifically requested by the client system.

33. A method as recited in claim 32, wherein the master page is specifically requested based upon at least one of a desired display format of the requested web page and one or more requirements of the client system.

34. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein the client system includes a mobile device.

35. A method as recited in claim 28, further including an act of nesting the master page within another master page.