GB2379999A

GB2379999A - A method of transferring software code between a server and a browser linked to the server

Info

Publication number: GB2379999A
Application number: GB0114488A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tom Gibara
Original assignee: RECIPEXPERIENCE Ltd
Current assignee: RECIPEXPERIENCE Ltd
Priority date: 2001-06-14
Filing date: 2001-06-14
Publication date: 2003-03-26
Also published as: GB0114488D0

Abstract

A method is provided for transferring data or code from a server 102 to an internet browser operating on a user system 101. When data is received from the server 102, the browser will manifest the document and any linked document from the data in a first content manifestation environment. However, in accordance with the method of the invention a second content manifestation environment is also created within the browser which is functionally independent of the first content manifestation environment. The first and second content manifestation environments may be defined in said browser by separate HTML frames. The second content manifestation environment may be formed by an embedded Java õ applet in the HTML document which forms the first manifestation environment.

Description

A METHOD OF TRANSFERRING SOFTWARE CODE BETWEEN A SERVER AND A BROWSER LINKED TO THE SERVER The present invention relates to a method of transferring software code between a server and a browser linked to the server and through which a user interacts with the server.

The World Wide Web provides a document based interface through which users can obtain access to information and services. Each page which is provided on the web provides a limited amount of content and can also provide a number of HTML forms via which a browser can interact with the computer containing the server upon which the page is stored.

The introduction of JavaScripf into the Netscape Navigator"'2 browser enabled internet developers to provide dynamic content within pages which are intended to be accessible over the World Wide Web.

JavaScripf is a lexically scoped embedded scripting language which is specifically designed for execution within pages provided over the World Wide Web. A scripting language of similar scope is also provided in the Microsoft Internet Explorer Internet browser. Both JavaScripf and/or any other scripting language such as VBScript'"which is used with Internet Explorer'can be used to dynamically change the page by adding or removing elements or by changing document styles.

Problems arise with existing communications over the Internet insofar as if the web page supplied by a server contains a great deal of

HTML, the user who has requested this page using the browser must endure a long wait between successive pages and if much of the HTML is identical in successive pages, the user's time and the resources of the server in supplying the information are wasted. Furthermore, it may also be possible that the user may be forced to split requested tasks up into a number of artificially small steps, each of which will need to be formed in a separate document or page, because the options at each step rely on new information which is provided by the server via the browser at the request of the user and which can only be made available as a new document. If more than one document is used, streaming media, interactive media and any animation embedded within the first document with which the user may be interacting will be interrupted and must be reloaded for each successive document linked from the first document.

As mentioned above, the use of embedded scripting language provides developers with the opportunity to provide an almost unlimited number of services within a single web page as a means to overcome the disadvantages mentioned above. However, the use of a single web page gives rise to its own problems insofar as, as the number of services embedded in a single web pages increases, the limiting factor becomes the amount of software code required to provide the services within the page. This code must be loaded into the browser which the user is using before it is executed to provide the service. To overcome this disadvantage it is necessary to be able to request new code from the

server and for the server to be capable of supplying the requested code. With present Internet browsers and servers, this is not possible without interrupting the first document which provides the user via the browser with services and information as mentioned above.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method whereby a browser can be used by a user to request new code from a server without interrupting the document with which the user is interacting.

Thus and in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention therefore there is provided a method of transferring software code between a server and a browser linked to said server containing the following steps: (a) providing a first content manifestation environment in said browser to receive code from said server; and (b) providing a second content manifestation environment in said browser through which the user can interact with said server without interrupting the operation or use of the first content manifestation environment.

Most preferably the first and second content manifestation environments are defined in said browser by separate HTML frames.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a software code transferring system comprising a server and a

browser linked to said server operating in accordance with the method of Claim 1.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of one system upon which the method of the invention could be used; Figure 2 shows in diagrammatic form part of the process steps executed by the system of Figure 1 in carrying out one embodiment of the method of the present invention; and Figure 3 shows in diagrammatic form part of the process steps executed by the system in carrying out the embodiment of the method of Figure 2.

Referring now to the Figures there is shown in Figure 1 a system comprising a server 102 which is capable of transmitting data or code to an Internet browser operating on a user system 101. The data is transmitted between server 102 and browser 101 over a suitable data communications network 103.

The server 102 can comprise a computer system upon which software is hosted or can comprise any suitable software which is capable of communicating data to an internet browser provided on the user system.

The browser can comprise any software which is capable of

manifesting data received from the server 101 for example an HTML document or software code.

The data communication network 103 comprises any suitable network over which the server 102 can communicate with the user system 101 by allowing data transmission therebetween.

The user system 101 comprises a conventional computer system or suitable part thereof.

In use, if the user operating the user system 101 wishes to receive data perhaps it the form of an HTML document from the server 102, the user will request the data using the browser. The steps carried out by the browser in carrying out this request are shown in Figure 2.

Once the data has been received from the server (step 201), the browser will manifest the document and any linked document from the data in a first content manifestation or primary content manifestation environment (step 202). In accordance with the method of the invention, a second or secondary content manifestation environment is also created within the browser which is functionally independent of the first content manifestation environment. By functionally independent it is meant that in a majority of tasks the first and second content manifestation environments operate independently, however in some instances the two content manifestation environment may interact to perform a specific task but in such circumstances any such interaction does not affect any content of the first content manifestation environment with which a user

is interacting via the browser. The browser next verifies whether any more data is required for use in the document manifested in the first content manifestation environment (step 203). If further data is required (step 204), the browser will request the further data from the server from within the second content manifestation environment. Whilst this request is being completed (step 205), the user can still interact with the document manifested in the first content document manifestation environment using the browser since the first and second content manifestation environments are functionally independent as described above. Once the browser receives the requested data in the second content manifestation environment the appropriate data or other information is extracted and is passed into the first content manifestation environment (step 206). The appropriate data can then be executed within the primary content manifestation environment, or cached in the primary content manifestation environment for later execution or manifestation (step 207). Alternatively, the data can be executed, cached or manifested in the second content manifestation environment prior to being utilised in the first manifestation environment. Once the data in the first manifestation environment is complete, or the browser has ceased to interact with the primary content manifestation environment, the second content manifestation environment can be removed from the browser. Of course, in these circumstances, the second content manifestation environment is recreated when the browser makes a further request for data from the server at the users request or otherwise.

Figure 3 of the drawings illustrate the sequence of events at the server when the server receives a request from the browser for data or software code.

When data is requested, the server will transmit the data for example an HTML document or code to the browser (step 302). If a request for additional data is received from the browser (step 303), the server will determine that it is a request for manifestation in the secondary content manifestation environment (step 304). If the request is for additional data, the server will embed the requested data in a document (step 306) and will transmit the document to a second manifestation environment of the browser (step 307). The data is embedded into the document in such a manner that it can be extracted in the browser as indicated in Figure 2. There may even be the dynamic generation of data in response to a request for additional data. This dynamically generated data, if present, will also be embedded in the document. If data requested is not for additional data, the server will generate the data and will transmit this data to the browser (step 305). Once again this process is repeated until no further requests for data are received which indicate the communication between the browser and the server is ceased (step 308).

It will be appreciated that the advantages in the present invention stem from the ability to operate in two functionally independent content manifestation environments as described above whereby a user is able to interact with a document in one manifestation environment of the browser

whilst allowing further documents, possibly containing additional code, to be requested in a second manifestation environment. This means in practice that any number of services can be provided in a web page since each service will be able to request a code necessary to allow its execution via the second content manifestation environment without any delay or adverse interaction with any content in the first content manifestation environment with which the browser is interacting at the users request.

In practice, the method of the invention will create the first and second content manifestation environments as separate HTML frames within the browser. This will enable the content of the browser to be divided into separate functional environments. As an alternative to this, the second content manifestation environment can be formed by an embedded Java apple in the HTML document which forms the first manifestation environment. It will be appreciated that such a Java" applet can function independently in the HTML document and can therefore execute software code or receive data without interfering with the HTML document and any interaction with the content thereof by the browser at a users request.

It will of course be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the detail of the above embodiments which are described by way of example only.

Claims

1. A method of transferring software code between a server and a browser linked to said server containing the following steps: (a) providing a first content manifestation environment in said browser to receive code from said server; and (b) providing a second content manifestation environment in said browser through which the user can interact with said server without interrupting the operation or use of the first content manifestation environment.

2. A method of transferring software code between a server and a browser linked to said server according to Claim 1 wherein the first and second content manifestation environments are defined in said browser by separate HTML frames.

3. A method of transferring software code between a server and a browser linked to said server according to Claim 1 wherein the second content manifestation environment is formed by an embedded Java*" applet in the HTML document which forms the first manifestation environment.

4. A software code transferring system comprising a server and a browser linked to said server operating in accordance with the method of any of the previous claims.