System and method for serving multiple data objects and formatting functions in a single request

A method of serving web content to a subscribing client for display by the subscribing client, comprising the steps of:

• storing in a catalog data store entries referencing a plurality of data object components used to generate data objects, a plurality of formatting function components to generate formatting functions, and a plurality of prerequisite code components, each of said data object components and formatting function components having a component identifier;
• receiving, on a server computer including an engine, requests from subscribing clients for web content, wherein each request includes a data object component identifier, a formatting function component identifier, and a subscriber identifier;
• and
• in response to receiving one of the requests from one of the clients, said engine of the server computer (i) references the catalog data store to determine a location of the data object component identified by the data object component identifier in the request, and to determine a location of the formatting function component identified by the formatting function identifier in the request, (ii) assigns a value to each parameter named in the catalog data store for the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component, (iii) executing the identified data object component and executing the identified formatting function component to generate a data object and a formatting function output by the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component, (iv) captures the data object and the formatting function output by the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component, and aggregating the output data object and formatting function into a single response of undifferentiated web content, and (v) returning said web content to said one of the clients for display by said one of the clients;
• and
• using the subscriber identifier in the response to identify the data object and the formatting function in the response;
• and wherein:
• the catalog data store includes entries indicating that one or more of the data object components and the formatting function components require one or more of the prerequisite code components;
• the catalog data store includes identifiers identifying the one or more prerequisite code components required by each of the data object components and the formatting functions that require one or more of the prerequisite code components;
• in response to receiving each request, the engine references the catalog data store to determine the location of the prerequisite code components required for any of the identified data object component;
• for each of the data object components and formatting functions that require one or more of the prerequisite code components, the engine obtains the required one or more prerequisite code components from the locations identified by the catalog data store and generates supporting script for the output data object or formatting function;
• the engine obtains the value assigned to each parameter from the catalog data store;
• the output of the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component create a main function, one or more other functions, and a plurality of variables;
• and
• the engine assigns said main function to a reference variable named after the subscription identifier in the request, and the engine wraps said output in a protective code block so that the functions and the variables created by said output are not visible outside of said code block, therein protecting a namespace of said functions and variables, while allowing the client to execute the main function via the reference variable named after the subscription identifier.

A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for serving web content to a subscribing client for display by the subscribing client, said method steps comprising:

• storing in a catalog data store entries referencing a plurality of data object components used to generate data objects, a plurality of formatting function components to generate formatting functions, and a plurality of prerequisite code components, each of said data object components and formatting function components having a component identifier;
• receiving, on a server computer including an engine, requests from subscribing clients for web content, wherein each request includes a data object component identifier;
• a formatting function component identifier, and a subscriber identifier;
• and
• in response to receiving one of the requests from one of the clients, operating said engine for (i) references the catalog data store to determine a location of the data object component identified by the data object component identifier in the request, and to determine a location of the formatting function component identified by the formatting function identifier in the request, (ii) assigns a value to each parameter named in the catalog data store for the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component, (iii) executing the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component to generate a data object and a formatting function output by the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component, (iv) captures the data object and the formatting function output by the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component, and aggregating the output data object and formatting function into a single response of undifferentiated web content, and returning said script library to said one of the clients for display by said one of the clients;
• and using the subscriber identifier in the response to identify the data object and the formatting function in the response;
• and wherein:
• the catalog data store includes entries indicating that one or more of the data object components and the formatting function components require one or more of the prerequisite code components;
• the catalog data store includes identifiers identifying the one or more prerequisite code components required by each of the data object components and the formatting functions that require one or more of the prerequisite code components;
• in response to receiving each request, the engine references the catalog data store to determine the location of the prerequisite code components required for any of the identified data object component;
• for each of the data object components and formatting functions that require one or more of the prerequisite code components, the engine obtains the required one or more prerequisite code components from the locations identified by the catalog data store and generates supporting script for the output data object or formatting function;
• the engine obtains the value assigned to each parameter from the catalog data store;
• the output of the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component create a main function, one or more other functions, and a plurality of variables;
• and
• the engine assigns said main function to a reference variable named after the subscription identifier in the request, and the engine wraps said output in a protective code block so that the functions and the variables created by said output are not visible outside of said code block, therein protecting a namespace of said functions and variables, while allowing the client to execute the main function via the reference variable named after the subscription identifier.

A method of deploying a computer program product for serving web content to a subscribing client for display by the subscribing client, wherein, when executed, the computer program performs the steps of:

• storing in a catalog data store entries referencing a plurality of data object components used to generate data objects, a plurality of formatting function components to generate formatting functions, and a plurality of prerequisite code components, each of said data object components and formatting function components having a component identifier;
• receiving, on a server computer including an engine, requests from subscribing clients for web content, wherein each request includes a data object component identifier, a formatting function component identifier, and a subscriber identifier;
• and
• in response to receiving one of the requests from one of the clients, said engine of the server computer (i) references the catalog data store to determine a location of the data object component identified by the data object component identifier in the request, and to determine a location of the formatting function component identified by the formatting function identifier in the request, (ii) assigns a value to each parameter named in the catalog data store for the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component, (iii) executing the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component to generate a data object and a formatting function output by the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component, (iv) captures the data object and the formatting function output by the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component, and aggregating the output data object and formatting function into a single response of undifferentiated web content, and (v) returning said to said one of the clients for display by said one of the clients;
• and
• using the subscriber identifier in the response to identify the data object and the formatting function in the response;
• and wherein:
• the catalog data store includes entries indicating that one or more of the data object components and the formatting function components require one or more of the prerequisite code components;
• the catalog data store includes identifiers identifying the one or more prerequisite code components required by each of the data object components and the formatting functions that require one or more of the prerequisite code components;
• in response to receiving each request, the engine references the catalog data store to determine the location of the prerequisite code components required for any of the identified data object component;
• for each of the data object components and formatting functions that require one or more of the prerequisite code components, the engine obtains the required one or more prerequisite code components from the locations identified by the catalog data store and generates supporting script for the output data object or formatting function;
• the engine obtains the value assigned to each parameter from the catalog data store;
• the output of the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component create a main function, one or more other functions, and a plurality of variables;
• and
• the engine assigns said main function to a reference variable named after the subscription identifier in the request, and the engine wraps said output in a protective code block so that the functions and the variables created by said output are not visible outside of said code block, therein protecting a namespace of said functions and variables, while allowing the client to execute the main function via the reference variable named after the subscription identifier.

A method of embedding work embedded learning data to a Web page for display by a subscribing client, comprising the steps of:

• storing in a catalog data store entries referencing a plurality of data object components used to generate data objects, a plurality of formatting function components to generate formatting functions, and a plurality of prerequisite code components, each of said data object components and formatting function components having a component identifier;
• sending to a server computer including an engine a request from subscribing clients for web content to provide work embedded learning data for said web page, said request including a data object component identifier, a formatting function component identifier, and a subscriber identifier;
• and
• in response to receiving said request, said engine of the server computer (i) references the catalog data store to determine a location of the data object component identified by the data object component identifier in the request, and to determine a location of the formatting function component identified by the formatting function identifier in the request, (ii) assigns a value to each parameter named in the catalog data store for the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component, (iii) executing the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component to generate a data object and a formatting function output by the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component;
• (iv) captures the data object and the formatting function output by the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component, and aggregating the output data object and formatting function into a single response of undifferentiated web content, and (v) returning said web content to said subscribing client for display by the subscribing client;
• and
• using the subscriber identifier in the response to identify the data object and the formatting function in the response;
• and wherein:
• the catalog data store includes entries indicating that one or more of the data object components and the formatting function components require one or more of the prerequisite code components;
• the catalog data store includes identifiers identifying the one or more prerequisite code components required by each of the data object components and the formatting functions that require one or more of the prerequisite code components;
• in response to receiving each request, the engine references the catalog data store to determine the location of the prerequisite code components required for any of the identified data object component;
• for each of the data object components and formatting functions that require one or more of the prerequisite code components, the engine obtains the required one or more prerequisite code components from the locations identified by the catalog data store and generates supporting script for the output data object or formatting function;
• the engine obtains the value assigned to each parameter from the catalog data store;
• the output of the identified data object component and the identified formatting function component create a main function, one or more other functions, and a plurality of variables;
• and
• the engine assigns said main function to a reference variable named after the subscription identifier in the request, and the engine wraps said output in a protective code block so that the functions and the variables created by said output are not visible outside of said code block, therein protecting a namespace of said functions and variables, while allowing the client to execute the main function via the reference variable named after the subscription identifier.