System and method for XML data representation of portlets

A system for representing portlet configuration information as an extensible markup language (XML document, comprising:

• a server for rendering portals by performing a hierarchy of interdependent rendering processes;
• a portal rendered by the server, the portal having a portlet for managing a separate graphical user interface within the portal's graphical user interface wherein the portlet includes portlet configuration information;
• an extensible markup language document stored in a computer readable
• storage medium for representing the portlet configuration information, the document including identification information for identifying the portlet and further including rendering information for describing one or more resources that comprise the hierarchy of interdependent rendering processes;
• and
• a client for initiating a request to render the portal by invoking the one or more resources described in the extensible markup language document;
• a portal skin that defines the look and feel of said portal including one or more of:
• button, banner, portlet header, background color and font characteristic of said portal, wherein said portal skin is customized to at least one of:
• individual user and group;
• and
• an extensible markup language schema for validating the data in the XML document by checking data type constraints for each element of data in the XML document;
• wherein the server receives the request to render the portal from the client, compiles the one or more resources to spawn the hierarchy of interdependent rendering processes and generates the portal by executing the interdependent rendering processes wherein generating the portal includes reading the portal skin;
• wherein executing the hierarchy of interdependent rendering processes includes executing at least one interdependent rendering process that renders parts of its graphical user interface by invoking other interdependent rendering processes in said hierarchy such that the portlet's contents are editable by detaching the portlet whereby the portlet occupies a window independent from a browser's main window;
• and
• wherein said document enables nonproprietary tools to manipulate the render the portlet in said portal by representing said portlet configuration information in a standard way.

A computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors cause a system to:

• provide an extensible markup language document that describes portlet configuration information, said portlet configuration information containing metadata for describing how the portlet's graphical user interface is rendered and to what extent a user can interact with said interface, wherein the document includes:
• a name element including a name tag for defining the name of the portlet;
• a description element including a description tag for describing the portlet;
• and
• a content resource element including a content tag, the content resource element describing a resource used to generate the portlet;
• validate the portlet configuration information in the document by using an XML schema definition that checks data type constraints for each element in the document;
• initiate a request to generate a portal by invoking the resource described in the document;
• compile the resource to spawn a hierarchy of interdependent rendering processes;
• and
• generate the portal by executing the hierarchy of interdependent rendering processes wherein generating the portal includes reading a portal skin that defines a look and feel of the portal including one or more of:
• button, banner, portlet header, background color and font characteristic of said portal, said portal skin customized to at least one of:
• individual user and group;
• wherein executing the hierarchy of interdependent rendering processes includes executing at least one interdependent rendering process that renders parts of its graphical user interface by invoking other interdependent rendering processes in said hierarchy such that the portlet's contents are editable by detaching the portlet whereby the portlet occupies a window independent from a browser's main window;
• and
• wherein said document enables nonproprietary tools to manipulate and render the portlet in said portal by representing said portlet configuration information in a standard way.