Electronic document delivery system employing distributed document object model (dom) based transcoding and providing interactive javascript support

Abstract

Several different embodiments of an electronic document delivery system are described including a client machine (e.g., a palmtop/handheld computer or wireless communication device) coupled to a transcoder proxy. One embodiment of the system allows a client machine with limited resources to support JAVASCRIPT. The transcoder proxy receives an electronic document in a first digital format (e.g., HTML or XML). A JAVASCRIPT event may be associated with an element of the document including JAVASCRIPT code executed in response to the JAVASCRIPT event. The transcoder proxy assigns a unique identifier to the element, and forms a model of a logical structure of the document (e.g., a document object model or DOM). The transcoder proxy uses the model to produce an 'original' script including a portion of the document expressed in a second digital format (e.g., a scripting language), and provides the original script to the client machine. The client machine uses the original script to display/present the document portion. The client machine associates the JAVASCRIPT event with the element identifier, generates the JAVASCRIPT event in response to user input, and provides JAVASCRIPT event information and the associated identifier to the transcoder proxy. The transcoder proxy accesses the element within the model using the identifier, executes the JAVASCRIPT code producing a result, uses the model and the result to produce a 'modification' script, and provides the modification script to the client machine. The client machine uses the modification script to modify the displayed/presented portion of the document.