GB2365550A

GB2365550A - Plug-in for a browser

Info

Publication number: GB2365550A
Application number: GB0007539A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Umberto Charles Gregory Guida
Original assignee: DATA CONVERTERS Ltd
Current assignee: DATA CONVERTERS Ltd
Priority date: 2000-03-28
Filing date: 2000-03-28
Publication date: 2002-02-20
Also published as: GB0007539D0

Abstract

A computer program product for use in a computer system comprises a plug-in for a browser installed in a user terminal. The plug-in comprises executable program code for execution by the browser upon the browser reading a browser readable link to at least one object file which link is embedded in a browser readable document accessed by the user terminal via the browser, wherein said executable program code creates and displays a user editable window in said accessed browser readable document via which editable window said user may edit the contents of said object file(s), and stores said user edited object file(s) in a local non-volatile memory of the user terminal, and presents the contents of said stored user edited object file (s) in said user editable window, for further editing by a user, upon a subsequent read of said browser readable link to said object file(s) by the browser. In an alternative embodiment the invention comprises a computer program embodied on a carrier signal, for distribution in a network system from a network server to a user terminal in communication therewith. In a further embodiment the invention comprises a method of saving user entered data locally in an interactive browser operated computer environment. The plug-in may be used for text file editing or graphic file editing or sound file editing. The plug-in may be used for courses and training programs.

Description

<Desc/Clms Page number 1> Plug-In For a BrOWSer The present invention relates to the field of browsers for reading and displaying documents, and especially documents written in HyperText Markup Language(HTML). More specifically, the invention relates to a plug-in for such a browser.

HTML has been one of the fastest spreading standards of all time. From Unix workstations to Windows CE Palmtops, all computers now have at least one way of displaying documents written in HTML. 'More significantly, new developments in computer paradigms, such as electronic books, internet TV set- top boxes, internet "browser pads" or "wearable computers", revolve around HTML and the internet. one of the huge benefits of HTML is in the area of multimedia where HTML has become the backbone for multimedia developments. Almost all multimedia tools make documents that can be embedded in an HTML page. Future developments such as VRML or video conferencing are compatible with HTML.

Due to the popularity of HTML, many computers are now used to publish HTML documents on an intranet or the internet. This means that a browser for HTML documents often already exist on a user's computer e.g.Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator. Many browser plug-ins are already available which add additional features and/or functions to browsers. A plug- in is essentially a special program, usually in the form of a

library of executable subroutines, to be executed by the browser and which normally enhance the operation of the browser by enabling it to launch, display or interpret a file created using another application. Various plug-ins such as Shockwave, RealPlayer and Quicktime are readily available and among the most popular in the world, and these can enable a multiplicity of different objects to be embedded within HTML documents, from simple pictures to completely interactive movies.

The versatility of HTML, or indeed DHTML, XML or other markup language documents normally exchanged over the Internet and readable by browsers, and the ease with which a user can interact with an HTML document via a browser, makes it the ideal production format for educational courses and training programs for use on a computer. However, one significant limitation in the use of HTML documents (or other markup languages) for courses/training programs, is that although a user can often interact with the document via the browser,- there is no facility for the user to save locally any significant amount of data which he enters (e.g. an essay) so that he can retain a record of such entered data. Traditionally, the only facility for saving user related data on the hard disk has been in the limited "cookie" area in which user profiles accessed by the network server can be

stored. These are normally stored there by the network server without the knowledge or consent of the user. Such profiles are normally compiled on the basis of information accessed by a user during use of a website (e.g. the nature of websites a user "clicks" on), or sometimes on the basis of specific user responses obtained, for example, when a user fills out a form on-line. Typically this facility will only enable about up to about two kilobytes of data to be stored, and the user has no control over the storage of this data.

The present invention aims to avoid or minimise one or more of the foregoing disadvantages.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a computer program product for use in a computer system comprising a user terminal with local non-volatile memory, the computer program product comprising: a computer usable medium having computer readable program code physically embedded therein, said computer readable program code comprising: a plug-in for a browser installed on the user terminal, the plug-in comprising executable program code for execution by the browser upon the browser reading a browser readable link to at least one object file which link is embedded in a browser readable document accessed by the user terminal via the browser, wherein said executable program code creates and

displays a user editable window in said accessed browser readable document via which editable window said user may edit the contents of said object file(s), and stores said user edited object file(s) in the local non-volatile memory of the user terminal, and presents the contents of said stored user edited object file(s) in said user editable window, for further editing by a user, upon a subsequent read of said browser readable link to said object file(s) by the browser. Said executable program code of the plug-in is preferably subroutine program code to be executed by the browser.

The computer usable medium may conveniently be supplied in the form of a CD-ROM having said computer readable code (namely the plug-in) recorded thereon. The browser will most conveniently already be installed in the user terminal, for example it will usually be stored in the hard disk memory thereof (or, for example, in a non-volatile FLASH memory provided in the user terminal). Prior to use of the computer program product, the plug-in must be stored in the plug-in folder of the browser.

The computer program product may further include a library of browser readable documents, such as HTML documents for example, for accessing by the user terminal via the browser, these documents being stored in the computer usable medium

(e.g. CD-ROM) of the computer program product. One or more of these documents may include at least one browser readable link to one of more object files for containing user entered data. In use, the terminal may access said browser readable document(s) directly from the computer usable medium or, alternatively, the documents may first be copied into the local non-volatile memory of the user terminal, from where the document(s) are subsequently accessed. In these two cases, the user terminal can be a personal computer (PC) which need not have any facility for linking to a database, or a network. Alternatively, each said browser readable document may be accessed by the computer from a remote source connected to the user terminal via a network, for example via the Internet (particularly the World Wide Web), via an Intranet, or another type of network.

The local non-volatile memory into which the object file(s) are saved is most conveniently the hard disk (or non-volatile FLASH memory) of the terminal, but could alternatively be a- floppy disk inserted in a floppy disk drive of the terminal, or any other readable/writable non-volatile memory locally available to the user terminal.

The plug-in may include program code for implementing a "Save" button which, when the user clicks on the button, causes a

currently stored version of at least one said object file in the local non-volatile memory of the user terminal to be overwritten by the latest version of said user edited object file(s). Alternatively, or additionally, the latest user edited object file is automatically overwritten on the currently stored version when the plug-in and/or browser senses that the user has not edited the object file contents presented in the user editable window for a predetermined period of time.

The plug-in preferably includes program code for determining the maximum amount of data which can be stored in the or each said object file in the local non-volatile memory of the terminal. This is a desirable safety feature since it prevents the execution of any request to store an inordinately large amount of data, which could cause other necessary data already stored on the non-volatile memory of the user terminal to be overwritten and/or which could fill necessary available buffer space in the memory, and which could therefore have caused-the user terminal to crash.

The user editable window created and displayed by the plug-in may, for example, be an editable text window, an editable graphics window, an editable sound file window (e.g. a "tape control bar"), or an editable table or spreadsheet window.

Other multimedia editable windows may, though, alternatively or additionally be used.

Preferably, said link to said at least one object file provided in the browser readable document is in the form of a browser readable embed tag, such as an HTML < EMBED> tag where the browser readable document is a HTML document, containing the name(s) of the object file(s) to be presented in the user editable window.

Preferably, said object file(s) are already present in the local non-volatile memory of the user terminal. (They may, for example, have been supplied with the library of browser readable documents.) Nevertheless, the plug-in may include program code for creating the named object file(s) as respective blank document(s) where the named object file(s) do not yet exist in the local non-volatile memory. Alternatively, the plug-in may generate an error message and/or fail to create and display the user editable window, if the named object file(s) does/do no exist. In the latter case it will-be necessary for the user to create and/or load the object file(s), or empty versions thereof, into the local nonvolatile memory prior to the browser readable link to these files being read from the browser readable document.

It will be appreciated that while one way of distributing the computer program product to the user is in the form of a prerecorded computer readable medium, such as a CD-ROM, the computer readable program code, including the executable application (the plug-in), could be distributed (with or without the library of browser readable documents for use therewith) to the user terminal via a network, for example an intranet or the internet. Thus, according to a second aspect of the invention we provide a computer program for distribution in a network system from a network server to a user terminal in communication therewith, the computer program comprising: a plug-in for a browser installed on the user terminal, the plug-in comprising executable program code for execution by the browser upon the browser reading a browser readable link to at least one object file, said link being embedded in a browser readable document accessed by the user terminal via the browser, wherein said executable program code creates and displays a user editable window in said accessed browser - readable document via which editable window said user may edit the contents of said object file(s), and stores said user edited object file(s) in the local non-volatile memory of the user terminal, and presents the contents of said stored user edited object file(s) in said user editable window, for further editing by a user, upon a subsequent read of said browser readable link by the browser.

According to yet further aspect of the invention we provide a method of saving user entered data locally in an interactive browser operated computer environment, the method comprising: providing a user terminal having a local non-volatile memory, and at least one browser readable document accessible to said user terminal; storing a plug-in in a plug-in folder of a browser installed on the user terminal, wherein the plug-in comprises executable program code for creating and displaying a user editable window in a browser readable document via which editable window the contents of at least one object file presented therein are editable by said user; executing the browser so as to display a said browser readable document accessed by the user terminal, wherein said browser readable document includes at least one browser readable link to at least one object file which link, when read by the browser, causes the browser to execute said executable program code of the plug-in so as to present said object file(s) in said user editable window, for editing by a user, said plug7in further including program code for storing said user edited object file(s) in the local non-volatile memory of the user terminal, and for presenting the contents of said stored user edited object file(s) in said editable window, for editing by said user, upon a subsequent read of said browser readable link by the browser.

Conveniently the browser readable document may be an HTML document and the browser is an Internet browser. Alternatively, the browser readable document may be in any other suitable markup language which the browser is designed to read (and display). The HTML (or other browser readable) document may in fact be a hypertext or hypermedia document (i.e. the HTML document may contain hyperlinks to other HTML documents which may contain text and/or images or video).

In any of the above-described aspects of the invention, the plug-in may include executable program code for creating and displaying different types of user editable window for presenting respective different types of object file, for example different editable windows for text, graphics, and sound files, respectively, and the browser readable link contains an indicator of the type of editable window to be displayed.

The or each said HTML document may be available locally to-the user terminal, for example it may be stored in the hard disk memory of the terminal (or in non-volatile FLASH memory), or may be stored on a CD-ROM accessible to the terminal. Alternatively, the HTML document(s) may be accessible to the user terminal over a network such as an intranet or the internet, for example the HTML documents may be hypermedia

internet web pages which may contain hyperlinks to other hypertext and/or hypermedia documents.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the following drawings in which: Fig.1 illustrates the file structure of a computer based distance learning course; Fig.2 shows an editable text box created and displayed by a plug-in according to the invention; Fig.3 is a screen dump showing a page of an HTML document, displayed by a browser, and incorporating two user editable text boxes like that of Fig.2; Fig.4 shows an editable graphics box, showing a graphics document therein, created and displayed by a plug-in according to the invention; Fig.5 illustrates various components of the graphics document displayed in the graphics box of Fig.4; Fig.6 shows an editable sound file window, in the form of a tape control bar, created and displayed by created by a plug- in according to the invention; and Fig.7 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the relationship between a browser, browser plug-in, and an editable document embedded in an HTML page displayed by the browser.

Fig.1 illustrates the file structure of a computer based distance learning course. The course is structured like a web site, with hundreds of HTML files and ancillary documents linked to each other. In this embodiment, all these files are copied to and accessed from the hard disk of a user terminal. The terminal may be a stand-alone PC, or could be a network terminal via which these files have been downloaded to the hard disk of the terminal. Equally, the files could have been downloaded to the terminal via the internet, if the terminal has internet access. The pqf files are editable from within the browser read course and can be saved to the hard disk of the terminal via one or more of the plug-ins which will now be described.

The embodiments now described are all self-contained browser plug-ins compatible with the Internet Browsers Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4 and above, and Netscape Navigator version 4 and above, and compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Mac OS8 and Mac OS9 operating systems. The plug-in is enabled by copying it in to the specific plug-in- folder of the Browser with which is to be used. Ideally, the same plug-in will work with all browsers in a given operating system.

The plug-in comprises subroutines which are activated when an HTML < EMBED> tag present in an HTML document is read by the

browser. Here is an example of such an HTML tag from an HTML page stored in the user's computer hard disk (in c:/htmldirectory/ ): < embed src="test.pqi" type="application/pqf" media="image" width="400" height="330"> The parameters specify the user data file location src="test.pqi", the parameter identifying the plug-in subroutines that can use this data file, type="application/pqf", the type of document, media="image", and the size of user editable window to open the embedded user data file in, inside the browser window, width="400" height="330".

The pqf extension specifies the type of user data file to be presented in an editable box, for example text, graphic and sound type files are represented by the suffixes pqt, pqi, and pqs respectively. The plug-in contains the necessary subroutines for creating and displaying editable boxes for text, graphics or sound files.

Use of the plug-in for text file editing When the browser reads the < EMBED> tag for a text file (media="text") the appropriate subroutine program code in the

browser plug-in is executed so as to open a simple editable text window (or "box") with the contents of the named text file in it(see Fig.2). The editable text window contains scrollbars and a small save button SB at the lower left corner, all using standard operating systems APIs. Such an editable text window is shown in Fig.2, and Fig.3 shows a portion of a screen dump of a browser opened HTML page, incorporating two such editable text boxes 1,2. The named text file is located by the plug-in from a subdirectory in the user computer's hard disk. Where the HTML page is stored in the user's hard disk, this subdirectory will be the same subdirectory that the HTML page comes from.

In a possible modified embodiment, if the named file does not yet exist, a blank empty file is created with this name, or alternatively an error message is displayed by the browser, and no editable box is displayed by the plug-in.

When the plug-in loses focus or the save button SB is clicked, the test.txt file should be overwritten with the new content of the textbox. The file is limited to a maximum of 10000 characters and written in plain text format like HTML documents. The plug-in has complete error management built- in, the only possible unmanageable error being the impossibility to write the file (for example on a CD ROM) for which an error message is displayed.

Use of the plug-in for graphics file editing When instructed in HTML to EMBED a file of graphics type (such as a pqi graphics file), the Browser executes the relevant plug-in subroutines, which recognise the file as graphic and present its contents inside an editable graphics box (see Fig.4).

In practice, the graphic file is generated from three files; a background, and overlay and a content file. A fourth file is also created which is a composite of the first three. All four files are images, in the present embodiment in the GIF format for compatibility, although other formats are possible. All four files share the same name, save for the last three letters thereof, so that they can be invoked using the same name, for example the image (test.pqi) will also use the background (testbkg.pqi), the overlay (testovl.pqi) and the composite result file (testcom.pqi). These files are illustrated in Fig.5. The background file 3 is used to show the user something to draw on, such as graphing paper, a map, chart, table or other. The overlay file 4 is a black and white picture of the same size as the background. It is not shown but limits the area that the user may draw on, represented as the white area. The user is given a small palette 9 of drawing tools (see Fig.4) to add his input to the shown background. The small palette includes, for example a pencil, an eraser, a

save, a clear and a revert button. The test.pqi file 5 only contains the actual user input and the testcom.pqi file 6 contains this input on top of the background. In a teaching environment, it is the testcom.pqi file which will be sent to a tutor for correction.

Again, when the plug-in loses focus or the save button SB in the tool palette is clicked, the input file (test.pqi) and the composite file (testcom.pqi) will be overwritten.

Size of the graphics files are limited by the plug-in size parameter which is limited to a practical value, for example, a maximum of 800 horizontal by 600 vertical pixels. Colours are limited to 256 as part of the CIF standard.

Use of the plug-in for sound file editing Where the /pqf suffix is of pqs type, the relevant plug-in subroutines display a standard recording bar or "tape recording interface", (see Fig.6) allowing the sound file from the hard disk to be played if it conatins any prerecorded sound and allowing the user to record his own sound, using the hardware recognised by the computer's operating system as valid for sound input, for example a microphone. All interaction is taken care of by the API but includes play, record, pause, stop, fast forward and backward buttons, a slider button, and a save button SB. When the save button SB

is clicked after recording, the stored sound file is overwritten with the new data. All functionality is left to the API and operating system, but works with the minimum necessary hardware: microphone for the Macintosh, sound card and microphone for Windows. File size is limited to a practical value (e.g. around 5 or 10 minutes of recording) and quality settings are automatically set for the minimum necessary for good voice recording (8Bits PCM, Mono).

It will be appreciated the further modifications and variations to the above-described embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention. For example, another possible feature of the plug-in will be to manage editable tables with some automated, spreadsheet-style calculation functions.

Moreover, while the above examples make reference to the situation where the HTML page is present in the user's hard disk, the HTML page may in fact be accessed from a non-local location. For example, the HTML page could be accessed from-a network server, over a network connecting the server and the user's terminal, such as an intranet, or the internet (especially the World Wide Web). Alternatively, the HTML page could be accessed locally from a location other then the hard disk of the terminal, e.g. from a CD-ROM in a CD-ROM drive connected to the terminal. In all cases, though, the plug-in

saves the user data files containing the user entered data locally, namely in the hard disk of the user's terminal, or if preferred they could be stored in a floppy disk or writable CD inserted in a floppy drive or CD-ROM of the terminal respectively. Thus, the user has a record of text, graphics or other data input during use of the HTML document and browser. A summary of the relationship between the plug-in, browser, HTML document and the user data file ("Editable Document") embedded therein is illustrated in Fig.7. As shown, the browser 10 is usually installed on the user's computer (in the hard disk thereof) and the plug-in 15 is located in the browser plug-in folder. The plug-in subroutines are executed by the browser 10 to display and edit the Editable Document 25 which is embedded in the HTML page 20 read and displayed by the browser 10. The HTML page 20 is accessed by the user computer from its hard disk memory or other local memory (CD- ROM or other), or from a networked source (e.g. Internet).

One significant advantage of the invention is that it is particularly suitable for interactive educational courses or training programs written in HTML standard. The student/trainee can edit the stored user data files (stored in the hard disk) so as to enter responses, create essays, draw graphs, record/control sound files, by interacting with HTML course documents, via the browser installed on the user's

Claims

form of a CD-ROM having said computer readable code recorded thereon. 4. A computer program product according to anyone of claims 1 to 3, further including a library of browser readable documents for accessing by the user terminal via the browser, these documents being stored in said computer usable medium of the computer program product. 5. A computer program product according to claim 4, wherein said browser readable documents are HTML documents. 6. A computer program product according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein one or more of said browser readable documents includes at least one browser readable link to one or more object files for containing user entered data. 7. A computer program product according to any preceding claim, wherein the plug-in includes program code for implementing a "Save" button which, when the user clicks on the button, causes a currently stored version of at least one said object file in the local non-volatile memory of the user terminal to be overwritten by the latest version of said user edited object file (s) . 8. A computer program product according to any preceding claim, wherein the plug-in includes program code for causing a currently stored version of at least one said object file in the local non-volatile memory of the user terminal to be automatically overwritten by the

<Desc/Clms Page number 20>

latest version of said user edited object file(s) when at least one of the plug-in and the browser senses that the user has not edited the contents of said object files(s) presented in the user editable window, for a predetermined period of time. 9. A computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the plug-in includes program code for determining the maximum amount of data which can be stored in the or each said object file in the local non-volatile memory of the terminal. 10. A computer program product according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said user editable window created and displayed by the plug-in is a selected one of the following: editable text window, editable graphics window, editable sound file window, editable table window, editable spreadsheet window. 11. A computer program product according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the plug-in includes program code for creating the named object file(s) as respective blank document(s) where the named object file(s) do not yet exist in the local non-volatile memory. 12. A computer program embodied on a carrier signal, for distribution in a network system from a network server to a user terminal in communication therewith, the computer program comprising: a plug-in for a browser installed on the user terminal, the plug-in comprising executable program code for execution by the browser upon the browser reading a

<Desc/Clms Page number 21>

browser readable link to at least one object file, said link being embedded in a browser readable document accessed by the user terminal via the browser, wherein said executable program code creates and displays a user editable window in said accessed browser readable document via which editable window said user may edit the contents of said object file(s), and stores said user edited object file(s) in the local non-volatile memory of the user terminal, and presents the contents of said stored user edited object file(s) in said user editable window, for further editing by a user, upon a subsequent read of said browser readable link by the browser. 13. A method of saving user entered data locally in an interactive browser operated computer environment, the method comprising: providing a user terminal having a local non-volatile memory, and at least one browser readable document accessible to said user terminal; storing a plug-in in a plug-in folder of a browser installed on the user terminal, wherein the plug-in comprises executable program code for creating and displaying a user editable window in a browser readable document via which editable window the contents of at least one object file presented therein are editable by said user; executing the browser so as to display a said browser readable document accessed by the user terminal, wherein said browser readable document includes at least

<Desc/Clms Page number 22>

one browser readable link to at least one object file which link, when read by the browser, causes the browser to execute said executable program code of the plug-in so as to present said object file(s) in said user editable window, for editing by a user, said plug-in further including program code for storing said user edited object file(s) in the local non-volatile memory of the user terminal, and for presenting the contents of said stored user edited object file(s) in said editable window, for editing by said user, upon a subsequent read of said browser readable link by the browser. 14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said link to said at least one object file provided in the browser readable document is in the form of a browser readable embed tag containing the name(s) of the object file(s) to be presented in the user editable window. 15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the browser readable document is an HTML document, the browser readable embed tag comprises < EMBED> tag, and the browser is an Internet browser. 16. A method according to claim 13, wherein the plug-in includes executable program code for creating and displaying different types of user editable window for presenting respective different types of object file, and the browser readable link contains an indicator of the type of editable window to be displayed. 17. A method according to claim 13, wherein the local non-volatile memory of the user terminal comprises at

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least one hard disk. 18. A method according to claim 13, wherein the or each said browser readable document is available locally to the user terminal. 19. A method according to claim 13, wherein the or each said browser readable document is accessible to the user terminal over a network.