Method for the server side processing of user interactions with a web-browser

• US 8,112,473 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2006
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Saillet, Yannick
• Primary Examiner(s): Jagannathan, Melanie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Kai
• Application Number:
  US11/377,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20060212514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,154 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 715/234, 715/240, 715/205, 715/243, 715/246
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for client-side interacting with a server-side web application in a web-based client-server environment, in which a client-side web browser is used as a user interface for displaying web pages sent by the web application within a browser application frame and for converting events triggered by one or more user actions within said application frame into a request directed to said server-side web application, wherein an executable program object for example a Java Script is used at the client side as a part of the client-side web application user interface.

In order to improve the user interface it is proposed to use an additional frame in the browser which communicates with the server and which prevents the displayed document from being reloaded when the server sends its response. Instead, only delta information (50) is displayed within the frame.

Claims

1. A method of updating a browser application frame, the method comprising:

monitoring a user input action within a browser application frame of a client-side web application user interface to detect a user event;

encoding control characteristics of the user event into an extension of a respective, predetermined Uniform Resource Locator (URL) addressing a server-side web application;

generating a request at the browser application frame displaying content, the request generated in response to the user event, wherein the request includes the URL and an instruction that is independent of the content displayed at the browser application frame;

instructing a user-hidden frame of the client-side web application to send the request to the server-side web application,

receiving a predetermined server response comprising an executable display programming element at the user-hidden frame together with response parameters generated by the server-side web application; and

executing the executable display programming element from within the user-hidden frame, wherein a predetermined portion of content displayed at the browser application frame is updated according to program logic of the server-side web application in response to executing the executable display programming element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-hidden frame sends the request to the server-side web application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the user-hidden frame as a user interface for displaying, within the browser application frame, web pages sent by the server-side web application.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the request within the browser application frame by converting events triggered by one or more user input actions within the browser application frame.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises characteristics of the user input.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the characteristics include event-specific key-value pairs.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the event-specific key-value pairs are encoded into the predetermined Uniform Resource Locator that points to a servlet.

8. A method of interacting with a client-side web browser configured to execute a web application, the method comprising:

receiving, at a web-based client server from a browser application frame of the client-side web browser that is displaying content, a request generated by the browser application frame in response to user input, wherein the request includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), a first instruction that is generated in response to the user input and is independent of the content displayed at the browser application frame, and a second instruction to place a response to the request in a user-hidden frame of the client-side web browser;

decoding an appended URL extension to derive event control characteristics of the user input;

processing an event corresponding to the derived event control characteristics and according to server-side web application program logic;

generating a web application response document comprising response parameters generated by the web-based client server and representing a response of the web application program logic to the event, and an executable display program element dedicated for execution in the client-side web browser; and

sending the web application response document including the executable display programming element with response parameters generated by the web-based client server to a mediator frame to be placed in the mediator frame.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the executable display programming element includes JAVASCRIPT code.

10. A web server computer system configured to execute a web application, the system comprising:

a memory storing program code; and

a processor configured to access the memory and execute the program code to;

evaluate request parameters and server application response data, wherein the request parameters are generated by an application frame of a client-side web browser that is displaying content in response to user input and are received at a server-side web application from the application frame, wherein the request parameters include a first instruction to place a response to a request in a hidden mediator frame associated with the application frame, and a second instruction that is generated in response to the user input and is independent of the content displayed at the application frame, wherein the hidden mediator frame is located at the client-side web browser,

select an executable display programming element based on the request parameters and the server application response data by;

decoding an appended Universal Resource Locator (URL) extension to derive event control characteristics of the user input;

processing an event corresponding to the derived event control characteristics and according to server-side web application program logic; and

generating a web application response document comprising response parameters generated by the server-side web application program logic and representing a response of the server-side web application program logic to the event, and an executable display program element dedicated for execution in the client-side web browser, and

send to the hidden mediator frame a server response comprising the server application response data and the executable display programming element, wherein the hidden mediator frame is configured to update only a portion of the application frame.

11. The web server computer system of claim 10, wherein the user input includes a button click, and wherein the application frame uses event characteristics descriptive of a screen position at which the button click occurred to generate the request.

12. The web server computer system of claim 10, wherein the request includes a Uniform Resource Locator.

13. A computer program stored within a memory and configured to be executed to perform a web application, wherein the computer program is executable to:

receive a request at a server-side web application, the request generated in response to user input at an application frame of a client-side web browser that is displaying content, the request including a first instruction to place a response to the request in a hidden mediator frame and a second instruction that is generated in response to the user input and is independent of the content displayed at the application frame;

decode an appended Universal Resource Locator (URL) extension to derive event control characteristics of the user input;

process an event corresponding to the derived event control characteristics and according to server-side web application program logic;

generate a web application response document comprising response parameters generated by the server-side web application program logic and representing a response of the server-side web application program logic to the event, and an executable display program element dedicated for execution in the client-side web browser; and

send the web application response document including the executable display programming element meters generated by the server-side web application to the hidden mediator frame.

14. The computer program of claim 13, wherein the application frame generates the request in response to a user action within the application frame.

15. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer usable medium, wherein the computer program product is executable to:

monitor a user input action within a browser application frame of a client-side web application user interface to detect a user event based on user input;

encode control characteristics of the user event into an extension of a respective, predetermined Uniform Resource Locator (URL) addressing a server-side web application;

generate a request, at an application frame of a client-side web browser that is displaying content, in response to user input, the request including a first instruction to place a response to the request in a hidden mediator frame and a second instruction that is generated in response to the user input and is independent of the content displayed at the application frame;

instructing the hidden mediator frame of the client-side web application to send the request to the server-side web application,

receive at the hidden mediator frame of the client-side web browser a predetermined server response comprising an executable display programming element and response parameters generated by the server-side web application; and

cause the hidden mediator frame to update only a portion of the application frame according to program logic of the server-side web application in response to executing the executable display programming element.