US 6,589,291 B1Granted

Dynamically determining the most appropriate location for style sheet application

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsScott A. Boag, John R. Hind, Brad B. Topol, Ajamu A. Wesley

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Abstract

A method, system, and computer-readable code for dynamically determining the most appropriate location for applying style sheets. The style sheets may be applied on a server (and/or Web proxy), or on a client, or when multiple style sheets are to be applied, some may be applied at the server while others are applied at the client. Application at the client depends on the capabilities of the client device. If the client device cannot apply style sheets, then they are applied at the server, and the resulting document is sent to the client; otherwise, the document may be sent to the client, where the client will perform the application process. Optionally, the document may be trimmed before it is sent to the client, using a style sheet preprocessing technique. General-purpose style sheets may be leveraged advantageously where a device-specific style sheet is not available, increasing the applicability of such style sheets. The style sheets may be encoded in Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL), Document Style Semantics and Specification Language (DSSSL), or any other style sheet language having equivalent semantics.

Claims15

Dependent claims

In a computing environment capable of having a connection to a network, computer readable code readable by a computer system in said environment, for dynamically determining the most appropriate location for applying style sheets, comprising:

a subprocess for selecting, at a server or proxy, one or more style sheets to transform a particular input document;
a subprocess for determining, at said server or proxy, whether a client device is capable of applying said selected style sheets;
a first subprocess for processing said particular input document when said subprocess for determining has a positive result, further comprising:
a subprocess for caching said selected style sheets at said server or proxy;
a subprocess for modifying said particular input document to refer to said cached style sheets;
a subprocess for trimming said modified input document using a style sheet preprocessor, further comprising:
a subprocess for using said cached style sheets at said server or proxy to search for elements of said particular input document that will be omitted upon application of said cached style sheets;
and
a subprocess for removing said elements that will be omitted from said particular input document, yielding a trimmed input document;
a subprocess for sending said trimmed input document to said client device;
and
a subprocess for applying said cached style sheets to said trimmed input document at said client device;
and
a second subprocess for processing said particular input document when said subprocess for determining has a negative result, further comprising:
a subprocess for applying said selected style sheets to said particular input document at said server or proxy;
and
a subprocess for sending a result of said subprocess for applying to said client device following completion of said subprocess for applying at said server or proxy.

14 more elements

A system for dynamically determining the most appropriate location for applying style sheets in a computing environment capable of having a connection to a network, comprising:

means for selecting, at a server or proxy, one or more style sheets to transform a particular input document;
means for determining, at said server or proxy, whether a client device is capable of applying said selected style sheets;
first means for processing said particular input document when said means for determining has a positive result, further comprising:
means for caching said selected style sheets at said server or proxy;
means for modifying said particular input document to refer to said cached style sheets;
means for trimming said modified input document using a style sheet preprocessor, further comprising:
means for using said cached style sheets at said server or proxy to search for elements of said particular input document that will be omitted upon application of said cached style sheets;
and
means for removing said elements that will be omitted from said particular input document, yielding a trimmed input document;
means for sending said trimmed input document to said client device;
and
means for applying said cached style sheets to said trimmed input document at said client device;
and
second means for processing said particular input document when said means for determining has a negative result, further comprising:
means for applying said selected style sheets to said particular input document at said server or proxy;
and
means for sending a result of said means for applying to said client device following completion of said means for applying at said server or proxy.

14 more elements

A method for dynamically determining the most appropriate location for applying style sheets in a computing environment capable of having a connection to a network, comprising the steps of:

selecting, at a server or proxy, one or more style sheets to transform a particular input document;
determining, at said server or proxy, whether a client device is capable of applying said selected style sheets;
a first step of processing said particular input document when said determining step has a positive result, further comprising the steps of:
caching said selected style sheets at said server or proxy;
modifying said particular input document to refer to said cached style sheets;
trimming said modified input document using a style sheet preprocessor, further comprising steps of:
using said cached style sheets at said server or proxy to search for elements of said particular input document that will be omitted upon application of said cached style sheets;
and
removing said elements that will be omitted from said particular input document, yielding a trimmed input document;
sending said trimmed input document to said client device;
and
applying said cached style sheets to said trimmed input document at said client device;
and
a second step of processing said particular input document when said determining step has a negative result, further comprising the steps of:
applying said selected style sheets to said particular input document at said server or proxy;
and
sending a result of said applying step to said client device following completion of said applying at said server or proxy step.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.