Client-server system using embedded hypertext tags for application and database development

• US 5,835,712 A
• Filed: 05/03/1996
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Original Assignee: WebMate Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: DuFresne, Fred B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lall, Parshotam S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US08/642,426
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.3, 395/200.38, 395/200.55, 395/200.47, 395/186, 395/187.01, 395/603, 395/761, 395/762, 395/766, 395/769, 395/200.32, 395/200.33 , 395/200.49, 707/9, 707/10, 707/100, 707/104
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer

Abstract

A system and methods for rapid deployment of World Wide Web applications on the Internet. A preferred method provides a template, accessible to both client and server, for constructing Web source text. The source text includes HTML tag extensions for implementing dynamic Web environment. The tag extensions are nested and grouped to form scripts to perform specific tasks, such as state construction and on-line data arrangement. Each tag extension or script is expanded and replaced with data value to be embedded within a traditional HTML tag. A processor is employed to process templates and execute tag extensions therein, and produces pages in pure HTML form for displaying by any Web browser.

Claims

1. A method of deploying client-server applications on a network comprising:

inserting executable tags in a hypertext source to a displayable page;

in response to a request for the displayable page from a client to a server, retrieving the hypertext source and, prior to forwarding the hypertext source to the client, processing the source at the server by executing the tags; and

forwarding the hypertext source processed at the server to the client.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the executable tags identifies from a database a value such that executing the executable tags replaces each tag with the corresponding value.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the value is identified by a field name and the database stores field name/value pairs.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

providing a hypertext form including a text area containing the source;

accessing the form through a client browser; and

revising the hypertext source in the text area of the form through the client browser.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the form further includes an input field for entering an access control list to specify authorized users of the form.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the source is remotely entered into the form through electronic mail.

7. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the form further includes an identification field for entering a form identification.

8. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the hypertext source includes the executable tags, each executable tag identifying from a database a value which is directed to another hypertext form.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the source includes markup codes and the executable tags are embedded within the markup codes.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the executable tags are executed by the server.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the executable tags include instructions to cause the server to perform predefined functions.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the instructions include a control-loop function to collect data from a group of data sources in a predefined manner.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the source includes executable scripts each including a series of other executable tags to perform predefined tasks.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the executable tags point to the scripts such that executing the executable tag causes the script to expand and further execute the other executable tags arranged within the script.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the executable tag identifies from a database a value which includes the script such that executing the executable tag causes the script to expand and exhaustively execute the other executable tags arranged within the script until a final one of the other executable tags is executed to replace the executable tag in the hypertext source with a resulting data.

16. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the value includes instructions.

17. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the database is controlled by the server.

18. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the value is alphanumeric text.

19. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the value is a uniform resource locator.

20. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the value is a new executable tag.

21. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the client-server applications are World Wide Web applications and the network is the Internet.

22. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the client and server communicate through hypertext transfer protocol.

23. A method of implementing client-server applications for deployment over a network comprising:

preparing a template to a hypertext source of a displayable page for processing by a server, the template comprising;

a text area for containing source codes which includes executable tags embedded within hypertext codes, each executable tag specifying from a database a value such that executing the executable tags replaces each executable tag with the corresponding value, and renders the source codes to include only the values embedded within the hypertext codes;

an identification field for entering a template identification; and

an input field for entering an access control list to specify authorized users of the template;

retrieving the template in response to a client request from a client browser to the server for the page;

processing the source code in the text area, at the server, by executing the executable tags to replace each executable tag with the corresponding value to produce the hypertext source of the page; and

transmitting the source to the browser for displaying the page.

24. A method of claim 23 wherein the network is the Internet.

25. A system for deploying client-server applications on a network comprising:

at a server, executable tags in a hypertext source to a displayable page; and

at the server, a process for processing the source in response to a request for the page from a client to the server, the process executing the executable tags prior to forwarding of the page to the client;

wherein each of the executable tags identifies from a database a value such that executing the executable tags replaces each executable tag with the corresponding value;

a hypertext form including a text area for containing the source, the form being accessible through a client browser for revising the source in the text area of the form through the browser;

wherein the form further includes an input field for entering an access control list to specify authorized users of the form; and

wherein the source includes the executable tags, each executable tag identifying from a database a value which is directed to another hypertext form.

26. A system for deploying client-server applications on a network comprising:

at a server, executable tags in a hypertext source to a displayable page; and

at the server, a process for processing the source in response to a request for the page from a client to the server, the process executing the executable tags prior to forwarding of the page to the client;

wherein each of the executable tags identifies from a database a value such that executing the executable tags replaces each executable tag with the corresponding value; and

wherein the source includes hypertext markup codes and the executable tags are embedded within the codes.

27. A system for implementing network applications for deployment over a network comprising:

a template to a hypertext source of a displayable page, the template comprising;

a text area for containing source codes which includes executable tags embedded within hypertext codes, each tag specifying from a database a value such that executing the tags replaces each tag with the corresponding value, and renders the source codes to include only the values embedded within the hypertext codes;

an identification field for entering a template identification; and

an input field for entering an access control list to specify authorized users of the template; and

a server for retrieving the template in response to a request for the page from a client browser, the server processing the source code in the text area by executing the tags to replace each tag with the corresponding value to produce the hypertext source of the page, and transmitting the source to the browser for displaying the page.

28. A method for managing web page contents of a world wide web site served by a server without having to repetitively edit web page sources, comprising the steps of:

inserting executable tags in a hypertext source to a displayable web page;

maintaining a database including data and objects referenced by the executable tags;

prior to forwarding the displayable web page to a client from the server, retrieving the hypertext source and, processing the source at the server by executing the tags to incorporate the data and objects referenced by the executable tags within the database into the hypertext source; and

forwarding the hypertext source processed at the server to the client.