International Business Machines Corporation

William H Krebs, Jr

David B Styles

Elizabeth A Schreiber

Radhika Aggarwal

Brian John Cragun

Clifton Malcolm Nock

Robert P Welch

Mark W Lumsden

Thomas Jay Allen

Kathy A Brink

Susan C Brewer

A method for providing context-sensitive help across variable environments. In each of the variable environments, the method can include tokenizing a received network request for help, the tokenization producing a contextually pertinent help file name and a base address of a corresponding help file. Subsequently, the corresponding help file can be located in a fixed storage location referenced by associating the help file name with the base address. Finally, the located help file can be encoded with the base address, and transmitting to a requesting client.

Cross-environment context-sensitive help files

A method of rendering a button in a hypermedia content browser. The method can include decoding a network address received from the content browser to determine encoded characteristics for a button. Once the encoded characteristics for the button have been determined, a button can be dynamically formed based upon the determined characteristics. Once formed, the button can be forwarded to the content browser and the content browser can render the dynamically formed button. The decoding step can include the step of parsing an HTTP request to identify a plurality of parameters which specify display characteristics for the button.

Dynamically rendering a button in a hypermedia content browser

A network distributable emulated menu. The menu can include one or more composite images, each image including menu text and a graphical icon, the icon denoting a selectable menu; one or more selectable form-based input elements, each element encapsulating one of the composite images; and a graphical image of a menu structure, the graphical image including at least one form-based input element encapsulating a reference to a composite image of menu text and a graphical icon, the icon denoting at least one of a menu action and a selectable menu. Additionally, the emulated menu can include one or more table cells, each cell containing one of the selectable form-based input elements. Finally, the menu structure can include at least one of a textual menu action, a graphically selectable menu action, and a nested menu structure.

Menu emulation for content browser clients

A variable content rendering system. The system can include one or more programmatic beans configured to render content in particular ones of the presentation environments; a mapping of selected attributes of a markup language to corresponding ones of the configured beans; and, a servlet configured to receive requests for content from individual content browsers in associated presentation environments. Importantly, the servlet can be further configured to retrieve the requested content, to identify individual markup language attributes in the retrieved content, and, based on the mapping, to select individual ones of the programmatic beans to format the retrieved content for presentation in the associated presentation environments.

Portable bean-based content rendering

A software debugging tool for assisting a programmer in locating errors in content or coding, etc. generated at the client, e.g., using scripts and/or dynamic HTML. Whereas current debugging tools, such as the &ldquo;View Source&rdquo; option of popular Web browsing software, permits the programmer to view only the hard-coded HTML coding as it is received from a Web server, the present invention permits the programmer to view the HTML coding and/or content generated at the client. This assists the programmer to locate errors in, or &ldquo;debug&rdquo;, software, since it is frequently easier to detect errors in the results of an executed script than it is to detect errors in the script itself.

Software debugging tool for displaying dynamically written software code

A computer system user interface that includes a method of accessing electronic data. The method includes displaying on a computer display screen a control window that includes a perspective view of a work area. The work area includes at least one animated icon that is movable from a closed position to a substantial continuum of open positions. Moving the icon to an open position automatically opens a window on the display screen that contains the data to be accessed. Closing the icon automatically closes the window.

Growing community of inventors

Cary, NC, United States of America

William H Krebs, Jr