Method and system for identifying and displaying information that is new or has been updated in a place6791582Abstract Collaboration space object model provides for a place consisting of rooms created by users interacting with a client browser. A skin (i.e., theme) may be used as template for creating places. PlaceBots (i.e., agents) provide for accessing, processing and managing data in a place. HTML may be dragged and dropped into a place, where it is parsed and corresponding place fields created. MS Excel or Word documents may be dragged and dropped into a place, which creates a corresponding form, and users may create new documents using that form. A place type comprising a template of an entire place, or collaboration space, may be used to create new places. Changes made to a place may be reported, subject to security controls, by selecting what's new. Task fields are provided allowing web browser creation of forms for work flow. Place enabled objects are provided for synchronous communications. Claims We claim: Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
TABLE 1
QUICKPLACE OBJECTS AND DOMINO EQUIVALENT
OuickPlace Object Domino Equivalent
QuickPlace Server File Directory
Place File Directory
Page Data Note, Form & Subform
PlaceBot Domino Agent
Theme Data Note
Member Data Note in Contacts1.nsf
Subroom * NSF Database
SubroomTheme Data Note
SubroomMember Data Note in Contacts1.nsf
Room NSF Database
Folder/TOC Folder or View
Form Data Note
Field Data Note
* Subrooms contain their own set of Folder, Page, Form, Field, PlaceBot &
Subroom Objects
QuickPlace Server 170 is a file directory containing all Places and Resources. The Domino equivalent is a file directory 202 named "quickplace". This identifies the main folder 176 for a QuickPlace server 170. If the QPServer 170 is running as a stand alone, this folder will be in the QuickPlace data folder. For example D:.backslash.QuickPlace.backslash.Data.backslash.quickplace. If the QPServer 170 is running on top of a Domino server the folder will be the Domino Data folder. For example D:.backslash.Lotus.backslash.Domino.backslash.Data.backslash.quickplace. To locate QuickPlace Server 170 in PlaceBots and get access to all of its databases, a LotusScript method GetDbServer is executed together with a test that the Path to databases starts with "QuickPlace". Place Object Place object 172 is a directory in the "QuickPlace" directory grouping resources for a Place. The Domino equivalent is a file directory bearing the name of the QuickPlace. Place object 172 is a directory that brings together a Place for organizational purposes. It also identifies the NSFs 114 as belonging to the place 172 by bearing the name of the QuickPlace. As distinguished from a place object 172, the main room 174 in a QuickPlace is a database called Main.nsf. Place object 172 groups and identifies the Main.nsf resources for the Place and any subrooms 194 in the Place. Place object 172 contains several files. There is a Main.nsf, Contacts1.nsf and a Search.nsf file. If the QuickPlace has a Subroom 194 there will also be an NSF file with its name starting with "PageLibrary". Each of these page library files is a Room 174. The place object in PlaceBots 184: place object (directory) 172, contains the databases which form a place. When writing PlaceBots, one can search for this directory by using the name of the QuickPlace. In this directory will be found all the databases will belong to that place 172. This file directory's name is the name of the QuickPlace. For example, if the QuickPlace is called "Millennia", this directory has the following path within the QuickPlace server 170: .backslash.millennia To find the place object 172 for the Millennia Place in LotusScript the script procedure of Table 2 may be used:
TABLE 2
SCRIPT PROCEDURE FOR FINDING A PLACE
Dim ndbPlace As NotesDatabase
Set dirPlace = New NotesDbDirectory( g_sServerName)
Set ndbPlace = dirPlace.GetFirstDatabase( DATABASE )
sNdbPlaceFilepath = ndbPlace.FilePath
If Instr(1, Lcase( sNdbPlaceFilepath ),
.vertline. quickplace.backslash.millennia .vertline. ) Then
'//the Place is found
Room Object Room object 174 is the main container for a Place, containing a collection of pages and tools. The Domino Equivalent an NSF Database. The room 174 is the main container for a QuickPlace's content. For example, when using the Millennia Place, most of what is seen is contained in the Room object. The Room object is always called Main.nsf, and holds folders 176 and pages 182 for the QuickPlace, as well as managing links to any subrooms 194 in the place object 172. Room object 174 uses elements held in other databases. For example many of the standard images QuickPlace displays are in a resources object (not shown). Each room 174 has its own security and authentication, and the information required to do this is contained in databases such as Contacts1.nsf. A room 174 breaks down a place 172 into smaller areas to help define structure. Each room 174 has its own security and authentication. This allows separate user groups. It also means that subrooms 194 can be created for separate projects, forming a separate shared space. The room object 174 then forms a common entry point where shared resources can be stored. The room object in PlaceBots: to locate a room 174, one looks in the main QuickPlace Server 170 directory, then looks into the room object (a directory bearing the name of the QuickPlace), then looks for a database called "Main.nsf". Returning to previous LotusScript example of locating a Place 172 (Table 2), the match string can be extended from "quickplace.backslash.millennia" to "quickplace.backslash.millennia.backslash.main.nsf" to find the room object 174, as set forth in Table 3.
TABLE 3
SCRIPT PROCEDURE TO FIND A ROOM OBJECT
Set dirPlace = New NotesDbDirectory( g_sServerName )
Set ndbPlace = dirPlace.GetFirstDatabase( DATABASE )
sNdbPlaceFilepath = ndbPlace.FilePath
If Instr (1, Lcase( sNdbPlaceFilepath ),
.vertline. quickplace.backslash.millennia.backslash.main.nsf
.vertline. ) Then
'//the Room id found.
To access elements contained in a room 174, the views and folders 176 in the room are accessed. For example to find the elements visible in the Table Of Contents (TOC), the "h_TOC" view is used. The Room object 174 in HTML is visible in URLs as the "main.nsf". To access room object 174 most easily, a relative path is used from the current object if it is in the same Place 172. For example, when creating a URL link from a subroom 194 to a room 174, the URL begins as follows: <a href="././Main.nsf/ where the "dot dot slash dot dot slash" syntax is a part of the URL, not an abbreviation for this example. Using this relative URL makes the URL more robust. In other words, this URL can be used to find the (Main.nsf) room 174 for any place 172. Room fields 180 used to define rooms 174 are set forth in Table 4.
TABLE 4
FIELDS DEFINING ROOMS
Field Name Description
h_HaikuName The name of this Place
h_AreaType The name of the template used to create
this room.
h_AreaParent The name of the parent database
h_ShowSecurity If h_SetSecurity = 1, the QuickPlace
server sets h_ShowSecurity to 1.
h_SetCalendar Determines if the Calendar will be
visible in a Room. If the field has the
value of "1" a link to the Calendar will
be displayed in the sidebar
h_SetSecurity This field works in conjunction with the
h_ShowSecurity field. It is only valid
for Readers and Authors, because
Managers must always be able to edit
security of a Room. If the field is set
to "1" a link to the Security page will
be displayed in the sidebar for Readers
and Authors (if they select Security in
this case they will see only their own
information)
h_MailDb The name of the database that receives
email addressed to this Place.
Folder Object A folder object 176 is an object for indexing content, grouping related pages 182, and dividing a room 174 into sections without imposing new security. The Domino equivalent is Notes folder or view 206, and Notes folders 206 have three functions. For the user, they provide a logical grouping of related documents. This makes it easier for the user to find documents, and allows people with a shared interest to work an area of a QuickPlace. The other way of using folders is in the user interface, or "User" folders. Within user folders there are seven different types: 1. Standard List 2. Headline 3. Slide Show 4. Response List 5. Ordered List 6. Table Of Contents 7. Index Folder types 1 to 5 are all available as styles for new, custom folders. From the a site manager's perspective, a Folder allows a QuickPlace to be divided into areas for separate groups of people, without having to be concerned about access control which would be necessary if a Subroom 194 were used. Fields Include the Following: "h_LastAttachmentDirectory": used when getting attachments. This field enables users to quickly upload attachments. For example, each time a Layout file is uploaded, QuickPlace knows where to go looking for the file. This path information is sourced from this field. "h_DirtyAesthetics Number": indicates which items should be checked (once a part of the aesthetics has been tweaked, a check mark indicates that the part has been changed). h_AreaHasAesthetics: indicates if a Room has its own aesthetic settings enabled. If the field value is "1" the Room has had the aesthetics tweaked. The third way that folders 176 are used is to allow developers to locate elements in a QuickPlace. To a developer, folders are indexes that allow look ups, therefore giving programmatic access to elements. When any page renders in a Browser, the time it takes to render is directly dependant on the amount of information to be downloaded. The amount of information required to render a Folder is less than for a Page. When Pages appear in Edit mode, there is yet more information required to render it. Therefore, the quickest load time for a QuickPlace by first using a folder 176 as the first page the user sees when upon selecting a place. Once users have visited a folder 176, a subset of the resources used to render a page 182 will already have been downloaded. The folders used by developers are slightly different to than the folders users would use. The h_Index lists the published pages in the Place and appears as the standard index of a Place, and the h_TOC is the table of contents list. Some of the folders in look ups by developers are set forth in Table 5.
TABLE 5
VIEWS USED TO REFERENCE OBJECTS
View Name Description
h_Index Provides a list of all published Pages
in a Room, listed by h_UNID, the unique
identifier for a Page. Lists all
published items in a Room, this not only
includes Pages but all of the Objects in
a Place. For example, Pages, PlaceBots,
Fields, Skins and Forms.
h_QDK Every Design Note in a Place. The h_QDK
view contains a form formula to open
different documents using different
forms. For example: If the field
"h_Type" is "0" then use the form named
"h_Page". The result of this form
formula is that the QDK view allows
developers to inspect the properties of
some Design Notes. The supported types
are: "h_Page", "h_Folder", "h_Room",
"h_SubRoom", "h_Error" and "h_RoomType".
h_TOC List of all items displayed in the Table
Of Contents. Items must have the
"h_IsInTOC"field with a value of "1"
and be published with no
replication-save conflict.
(All) Every item in the Room. Sorted by the
h_Name field: the readable name of the
item. For example "Welcome",
representing the default Welcome page.
The Place Object in PlaceBots: Internally, default QuickPlace Folders have readable titles. For example the response folder discussion" has the internal name of "h_Discussion" in the "h_SysName" field. A new response list style folder is called "SchwatzRaum" ("chat room" in German). The internal name of the SchwatzRaum Folder is: "h_F49791727035ACD1C12569510063087C" (which means ("h_F49791727035ACD1C12569510063087C" in German). This unique identifier can be used in PlaceBots to locate the Folder. A lookup can be done in the "h_Folders" view of a QuickPlace to find the readable name of the folder. Another solution is to retrieve the name of the field by accessing the value in the h_SysName field. The Table of contents and the Index are special user Folders 176. Only one TOC and one h_Index exists per Room 174 or Subroom 194. They exist from the moment the Place or Room is instantiate, and change them. Folder Fields The following Fields are used to define data notes that render as Folders. Folders exist in a visible form within a QuickPlace. In other words they can be viewed by opening the NSF file in the Notes Client or Domino Designer. In conjunction with this view, a data note exists, providing information about that Domino View or Folder. Table 6 lists the fields are contained in the data note and provide information about the Domino View or Folder.
TABLE 6
FIELDS USED TO DEFINE FOLDERS
Field Name Description
h_FolderStyle When creating a new folder, one is given
the choice to create a new folder based
on a number of templates. This field
denotes which type of folder has been
created.
"1" = Standard List
"3" = Headline
"4" = Slide Show
"5" = Response List
"7" = Ordered List
h_ FolderStorage The "internal" name of the folder, in
other words, the name by which it is
known to the system. The value of this
field is used in documents to tell
QuickPlace in which folder it should be
used.
h_ CanAddPages When creating a new folder, the manger
is presented with the options, to the
question "Who can add pages to this
folder?". If only managers is chosen
the value of "0" is written to this
field. The default is "" which means all
authors can add pages to this folder.
Form Object A form object 178 is a document used to create new QuickPlace content. The Domino equivalent is a data note of type "h_Form". Form object 178 is a resource used to create, manage and display content, therefore defining the schema of the application. Forms contain fields to hold data, therefore creating and displaying content. Forms can also contain scripts within them to provide logic within the Page. For example, a form can contain form validation to make sure that a field contains only numbers. Forms can also initiate processes outside the page. This is done by creating a PlaceBot 184 and associating the PlaceBot with a Form 178. PlaceBots 184 are not contained by the Form but there is a association between them. Forms are created with the Domino Form "h_PageUI" with the field h_Type set to "h_Form". New forms 178 with custom structure and logic can be created by room managers. Form Fields Table 7 sets forth the fields 180 used to define the structure of a form 178.
TABLE 7
FIELDS USED TO DEFINE FORMS
Field Name Description
h_FormDescription The content of this field appears
as the description of the form
appearing in the "New" page.
h_WorkflowType Allows 1-4 approvers and some other
h_ApprovalCycle options. This is normally set to
"h_Standard".
h_EditorInChief Allows 1 approver and fewer
options.
h_MultipleEditors By setting this field, all members
of QP to edit pages created with
this form.
h_Standard None of the above.
h_SetPageComponent sView Should = h_FieldDefinitions
Field Object Field object 180 is used to construct (HTML formatted) input fields in forms 178. The Domino equivalent is a Data note of type "h_Field". Fields are constructed from the Domino Form "h_PageUI" with a the field h_Type set to "h_Field". QuickPlace field object 180 defines the structure of the container, not the content. The values contained in a page 182 are contained by the page, not the fields 180. The h_FieldType attribute to a field 180 determines what sort of field it is. This determines what the field will do when it is rendered in a browser. For example, a field 180 of type h_DateControl will provide the user with a date picker widget. Domino fields are used to define the attributes of QuickPlace fields 180 are set forth in Table 8. QuickPlace fields 180 are drawn to the screen as HTML, they are not created by a Domino Field in a Domino Form.
TABLE 8
FIELDS USED TO DEFINE FIELDS
Field Name Description
h_IsUser Defined h_True means this is a custom
form
h_PublishInFolder UNID of the folder + ".vertline." +
h_FolderStorage name of the folder
h_Name "Import" and is related to the
h_SystemName field which often has a
similar value such as "h_Import".
h_FieldLabel Instructional information that might be
useful for someone editing this field.
Similar to the Static h_FieldType.
Containing information to help the user,
but only displayed in edit mode." For
example: <script>
(h_CurrentSkinType = = `h_Edit`)?"":
C(self, `Note: Clicking on the title of this
page in its folder or in the sidebar will
open the page that it points to. To edit the
page again later, click its title in the
Index.`); </script>"
h_ContainerUNID The UNID of the Form which contains
this field. QuickPlace uses a Design Note
to create forms, each of these having an
internal name. The h_ContainerUNID
contains the internal name of one of
these QuickPlace Forms.
h_FieldType There are many different types of
Fields. The following types are listed
as examples to help understand how
Fields work in general.
"h_Attachments"= Enables the attaching of files.
"h_CalendarControl"= Includes date and time controls and
a duration field
"h_DateControl"= Date field with date picker widget
"h_DateTime"= Contains Date and Time information.
"h_DocAuthor"= Contains a Domino Heirachical name of
the original Author of the Document.
"h_DocCreated"= Creation date of the page.
"h_DocModified"= Modified date of the page.
"h_DocSize"= Size of the page.
"h_NamePopup"= Select listing members of the QuickPlace
"h_RichText"= Rich text field. Allowing editing via
the rich text editor applet.
"h_Serial"= A unique number to identify the
document.
"h_Static"= Static text, used to provide information
about the accompanying field. May also
include link to an image.
"h_Subject"= The Documents subject.
"h_TaskControl"= Used in the Task form to insert the task
control tool.
"h_TextInput"= Simple text equating to the "<input>"
field in HTML.
"h_TextPopup"= Text select list, equating to the
"<select><option>" in HTML.
"h_TimeControl"= Select lists for hours, minutes, AM/PM.
"h_CalendarControl"= Field containing control tool used
in the calendar field.
"h_CreateMSExcel"= Field enabling the upload of Excel
documents.
"h_CreateMSPowerPoint"= Field enabling the upload of
PowerPoint documents.
"h_CreateMSWord"= Field enabling the upload of Word
documents.
"h_Import"= Field enabling the upload of imported
documents such as HTML.
"h_MultipleImport"= Field enabling the upload of multiple
documents, such as a series of HTML
documents.
"h_NotifyIndicator"= Field indicating if members should
be notified of the creation of
content or their inclusion in the
Contacts1.nsf.
Page Object Page object 182 is a basic building block for content. The Domino equivalent is a data note, form and subform. Pages form the basic units of content, relying on the structure of QuickPlace to create, manage and render them in a Web browser. It differentiates structure and content cleanly. Notes structural elements such as Forms Views and so on provide structure, whereas Notes Documents provide pure data content. In the Domino environment the division between structure and content becomes blurred. This is because when the data in a document is being represented in a Web browser, it is possible to use the data to format itself using HTML. The data is able to start defining structure by creating HTML links, tables, references to images and so on. In the QuickPlace OM, the same is true. Pages can be created in a number of ways. Table 9 sets forth the fields used for defining page objects.
TABLE 9
FIELDS DEFINING PAGE OBJECTS
h_NotInSearch Having the value of "1" will exclude the
field from being included in a full text
search. This allows functional content
in fields such as JavaScript or static
text to evade returning a hit during
searching.
h_Position Indicates the fields position of
appearance in a form. Typically numbers
such as 100 are used.
h_FieldFormat "h_FieldFormat" indicates formatting
options, "h_All" "h_BannerOptional"
"h_BannerRequired"
h_BannerRequired Always display subject as a banner at
top of page
h_BannerOptional Allow user to choose banner or not
h_NoBanner Do not display the subject on the page
h_FieldIsRequired 1 = The field is required and the user
will be prompted if they do not fill it
out.
Page Fields Page Object in LotusScript and JavaScript: developers wanting to customize pages 182 will generally want to manipulate the page's field 180 values. Fields existing in a Page are generally rendered to the HTML document in the background as JavaScript variables. They are then visibly rendered via document.write( ) functions. If a field exists, it can be accessed in the browser via a variable with the same name as the field. The PageBody Field holds the main content or "body" of the page. Table 10 sets forth the fields 180 used to define page 182 documents in QuickPlaces.
TABLE 10
FIELDS USED TO DEFINE QUICKPLACE PAGES
Field Name Description
h_Form The QuickPlace form used to create this
page. This is not the Domino "Form"
field which denotes which form Domino
links the file to. The Domino "Form"
field will contain "h_PageUI" for
virtually all objects in a QuickPlace.
h_PageType This field is set to null when the
document is a visible document. Only
when the object is in design mode do the
other values appear:
"h_Response" the document is a response
to a topic document. This value is only
valid in response folders.
"h_Revision" this means that the
document is being revised, and is not
available for public access.
"h_Mail" means that the document is a
mail document, being either sent or
received by QuickPlace.
h_Originator The creator of this page. This field
contains a full hierarchical name, for
example: "CN=David Wyss/OU=
QuickPlaceName/OU=QP/O= ServerName".
All users have the second OU part of the
name set to QP. This is done so that
when QuickPlace is used on an Overlay
server (QuickPlace and Domino together)
QuickPlace can avoid conflicts between
Domino registered users and QuickPlace
users.
h_NameIsBanner Denotes if the page's name should be
displayed as a banner. If it is to be
displayed as a banner, this field
contains the value "1". Setting this
field is done when the user clicks on
the "Show the title, author and date on
page?" checkbox.
The JavaScript "document.write" method is used when using the PageBody to write out HTML content in a QuickPlace page. This field can be printed onto the screen via a document.write(PageBody) method called in a QuickPlace document. The following is an example of using this technique. In a Placebot, write the contents of the document into the PageBody field. If the PlaceBot has not run, or not run correctly, the PageBody field will be empty. If the document is displayed in a form where the PageBody JavaScript variable is not declared, an error will be reported. To avoid an error through an undefined variable, use the "typeof" operator. This test assigns a message string to the sPageBodyMessage variable and prints that instead of the PageBody. To customize this message, the text in quoted on the PageBodyMessage line is changed. Then the following is included in the HTML document:
<script language=Javascript>
if ( typeof( PageBody ) = = "undefined" ) {
var sPageBodyMessage = `Run the Mapperizer PlaceBot
to see a site map here . . . `;
document.write( sPageBodyMessage )
} else{
document.write( PageBody )
}
</script>
Page Object in HTML: some of the most commonly referenced JavaScript variables in Pages are set forth in Table 11.
TABLE 11
COMMONLY USED JAVASCRIPT VARIABLES IN PAGES
Field Name Data Type, Description
h_Name String, readable name of the Page
PageBody String, content of the page.
h_SystemName String, the internal name of a page. For
example, `h_Welcome`
h_Originator String, full Notes format name of the
document creator For example: `CN=Anna
Rath/OU=Millennia/OU=QP/O=Server`;
h_IsPublished String, number representing "1" for
published or "0" for not published.
h_LastTimePutAway String, representing the date and time
the Page was last saved `09/03/2000
07:54:08 PM`
Form String, Domino Form name used to create
the Page. Most documents in a
QuickPlace are created with the
`h _PageUI` Form. The value that
differentiates fields is the h_Type
field.
HTTP_COOKIE String, all cookies available to that
Page.
HTTP_HOST String, name of the server. For example
`millennia.com`
HTTP_REFERER Page used to send the user to this page.
HTTP_USER_AGENT String, browser used to access the
current Page. For example: `Mozilla/4.0
(compatible; MSIE 5.0; Windows NT;
DigExt)`
REMOTE_USER String, full name of the person reading
the Page, for example: `CN=Doug
Mudge/OU=Millennia/OU=QP/O=Server`;
Server_Name String, the server name, for example:
`dwyss.lotus.com`
h_DocSize Integer, size of the page, for example:
4705
h_ ModifiedDate String, date and time the page was last
saved, for example: `09/03/2000 07:54:05
PM`;
Using Notes name format in pages can be done with the following JavaScript Function:
function fnGetSimpleName(sTxt) {
iTxtStart = sTxt.indexOf(`=`);
iTxtStart++;
iTxtEnd = sTxt.indexOf(`/`);
if(iTxtEnd = = -1) iTxtEnd = sTxt.length;
sTxt = sTxt.substr(iTxtStart, iTxtEnd - iTxtStart);
return sTxt;
};
return fnGetSimpleName(`CN=Doug Mudge/OU= Millennia/OU=
QP/O=Server`)
This JavaScript will return the string "Doug Mudge" PlaceBot Object A PlaceBot object 184 is a Java or LotusScript Domino Agent, used to create or manipulate QuickPlace objects automatically. Domino Equivalent: Domino Agent. For Java and LotusScript programmers, the PlaceBot is the main way of implementing sophisticated functionality to a QuickPlace. Within the bounds of an HTML document, industry standard authoring tools such as HTML are used. To make links between Objects and manipulate QuickPlace Objects, PlaceBots are used. Theme Object A theme object 186 is a group of files which defines the look and feel of a QuickPlace. The Domino equivalent is a group of data notes. Themes are a mechanism for determining the layout and appearance of a QuickPlace. They also help introduce functionality, and although not their primary function, some content. There are two types of themes 186 in QuickPlace. User defined or custom themes" and default Themes. Subroom Theme Object The subroom theme object 188 is a subset of themes 186 in a QuickPlace. The Domino equivalent is a data note. By default, subrooms 194 inherit the theme 186 being used by the (main) room 174. Only when the theme being used in the subroom 194 has been modified, does it act independently of the room 174. Member Object A member object 190 is a data note listing a user in the Contacts1.nsf. The Domino equivalent is a note in contacts1.nsf. Members 190 are records specifying user-access to a room 174. A member note contains information about a team member of a QuickPlace. In addition to this data, the member must be listed in the access control list (ACL) of main.nsf and in a group in names.nsf to pass authentication. Table 12 sets forth the fields 180 used to define members 190.
TABLE 12
FIELDS USED TO DEFINE MEMBERS
Field Name Description
h_Password This member's password. Encrypted with
@Password
h_FirstName This member's first name
h_LastName This member's last name
h_PhoneNumber This member's phone number
h_EmailAddress This member's email address
Table 13 sets forth the fields 180 used to define Groups.
TABLE 13
FIELDS USED TO DEFINE GROUPS
Field Name Description
h_Members The list of members who belong to this
group, listed in full heirachical
format.
Subroom Member Object A subroom member object 192 is a subset of entries in the main room 174 of a QuickPlace. The Domino equivalent is a Data note in contacts1.nsf. Subroom member 192 has a similar structure to a room member 174, but specifies user-access to the SubRoom. These SubRoom members 192 are a subset of the (main) room 174 members list. This means that to grant access to new users, they must first be added as readers (or greater) in the main room 174. SubRoom Object A subroom object 194 is a container within a QuickPlace with separate security to main Room. The Domino equivalent is an NSF Database. Subrooms 194 are similar in structure to Rooms and are used to create discreet meeting places for subset of the Members in a Place. The subroom object in PlaceBots: To locate a room, look in the main QuickPlace Server directory, then look into the Place Object (a directory bearing the name of the QuickPlace). The Subroom will be named "PageLibrary" followed by a 16 digit hexadecimal time stamp number, such as "0123456789ABCDEF" then the ".nsf" suffix. By way of example, the following script looks for a Subroom to the Millennia place:
Set dirPlace = New NotesDbDirectory( g_sServerName )
Set ndbPlace = dirPlace.GetFirstDatabase( DATABASE )
sNdbPlaceFilepath = ndbPlace.FilePath
If Instr (1, Lcase ( sNdbPlaceFilepath ),
.vertline.QuickPlace.backslash.millennia.backslash.pagelibrary.vertline. )
Then
The Instr method has been used to look for this database, down to the PageLibrary part of the string, because it is difficult to know what the 16 digit number will be. Page Object in HTML: To create URLs to reference Subrooms, the URL is built in the Main Room using either the "h_Area" view or the "h_TOC" view to create the path. This View contains the "h_LocDbName" field as the first sorted column. Resources Object A resources object (not shown) is database of shared resources, having as its Domino equivalent NSF Database. It serves as a centralized container for resources required in all QuickPlaces on a server. Images, layout files and fonts are stored in this database. For example resources such as the button that appears beside the simple search image "Go.gif" is stored in this database. The easiest way to find items in this database is by scrolling through the h_SystemNameView. A dummy form may be used to view such elements. Common QuickPlace Object Fields In Tables 14 through 18, fields and JavaScript variables in the h_PageUI form are set forth. These include general fields which can be customized for each layout, fields to define publishing status, fields for defining locations, fields for defining security, fields for defining workflow status, fields for defining calendars, respectively.
TABLE 14
GENERAL FIELDS IN THE h_PageUI FORM
Field Name Description
h_Authors Names of Authors who can edit the
document. This is a particularly
important field when creating
PlaceBots which modify the access
control to documents.
h_CurrentSkinName Name of the Theme to be used in the
page
h_CurrentSkinType Name of the Skin to be used, such
as Edit: "h_Edit",or for a custom
Theme the ID:
"c_E4257D50EE2DD800C12569440019C164
"
h_FolderUNID The system name of the folder the
page belongs to. For example:
"4695CA1530263B3AC1256946005E965C"
-the internal code for a Folder, or
"" when the page only appears in
the TOC.
h_Form The id of the QuickPlace-Form used
to create the page, for example:
"30DF3123AEFAF358052567080016723D".
Note, that the form referred to
here is actually a data note and
not a Notes Form.
h_IsInToc If the page should appear in the
TOC, it is set to "1". If it does
not appear there, it is set as "".
h_IsPublished Set to "1" if the page should be
visible to readers.
h_IsSystem 1 = This is a system object.
h_Name The user visible name of this
object.
h_Position Number used to sort the pages
within the TOC. These typically
have values such as 10000. This
value should be handled as a Long
when referenced in LotusScript.
h_SystemName The name of this object as known to
the system.
h_Type Describes what sort of note
defines. This field is used in all
Quickplace Design Notes to tell
what sort of document is being
referred to. It is what
differentiates between the Objects
in QuickPlace.
"0" = Page
"1" = Folder
"2" = Room
"3" = Subroom
"4" = Error Page
"5" = RoomType
"h_Agent" = PlaceBot
"h_Member" = Member
"h_HaikuType" =
"h_Group" = Group
"h_Form" = Form
"h_Field" = Field
"h_Skin" = Layout file
"h_SkinGroup" = Skin Group.
h_Name Name of the page.
h_Originator User name of the creator, such as
"CN=User Name/OU=
QuickPlaceName/OU=QP/O=ServerName"
h_TextAbstract The abstract automatically created
to summarize the page. This is
useful in JavaScript for displaying
a summary of the text content in a
document.
PageBody The content or "body" of the page.
If using the JavaScript
"document.write" method to write
out HTML content in a QuickPlace
element, such as an imported page,
skin and so on, it is normal to do
this via the PageBody field. This
field can be printed onto the
screen via a document.write
(PageBody) method called in a
QuickPlace document. To do this in
a page, the document.write method
is used to print the contents of
this field to the page.
System objects have special meaning depending on the type of object. The following tables describe fields in various QuickPlace Object types.
TABLE 15
FIELDS USED TO DEFINE PUBLISHING
Field Name Description
h_IsPublished 1 = This object is currently
published
h_IsHidden 1 = This object is not shown to the
user
h_SetReadScene The name of the default scene
(subform) to use when viewing this
object
h_SetEditScene The name of the default scene
(subform) to use when editing this
object
h_PublishedVersionUNID If this object is being edited and
the current object is the draft
version, the UNID of the published
version of this object.
h_DraftVersionUNID If this object is being edited and
the current object is the published
version, the UNID of the draft
version of this object.
h_LastTimePutAway The last time that this object was
changed: Published or Saved under
construction.
QuickPlace Object Model and HTML: Building URLs Building URLs in a QuickPlace is an important issue, due to the fact that QuickPlace is a browser based application. Understanding QuickPlace URLs is also a good way of understanding the object hierarchy in QuickPlace. The relationship between URLs and the QuickPlace Object model flows in both directions. Understanding the structure of URLs helps understanding the QuickPlace Object model. Conversely, once the QuickPlace object model is understood, how to use URLs to manipulate a QuickPlace becomes apparent. URLs in QuickPlace use the same structure as in Domino. Domino URLs allow locating documents by using the key value of the first sorted column of a view, then generate a URL to link to a document using this key. Once the documents are located, they are not always opened in the browser. Sometimes they are read and their contents exposed and used by other objects. An example of locating a file without opening it is when a QuickPlace skin accesses a JavaScript LSS file. The user never sees the LSS page, but its contents are used by the visible page to render objects and perform functions. To locate a document in Domino, the initial part of the URL is pointed to the host server, then the database containing the required document. The next part of the URL must point to a view with the first column specified as being sorted. This first, sorted column becomes the key column. Then a URL is used to open the document, as in the following example: http://Host/Database/View/Key?DominoURLCommand Where: View: is the name of the view. To access a document regardless of the view, substitute a zero (0) for the view name and specify the document by its universal ID. Key: is the string, or key, that appears in the first sorted or categorized column of the view. If the key has spaces in it, substitute these for plus signs when creating a URL. This syntax is used to open, edit, or delete documents and to open attached files. Domino returns the first document in the view whose column key exactly matches the Key. There may be more than one matching document; Domino always returns the first match. The key must match completely for Domino to return the document. However, the match is not case-sensitive or accent-sensitive. DominoURLCommand: Is the instruction to Domino of what to do with the file when found. For example, ?OpenDocument, ?EditDocument and ?DeleteDocument. If this DominoURLCommand is omitted a default will be substituted. For example, in the previous URL if the OpenDocument argument is omitted in a URL command the document will still open because the command is automatically interpreted as OpenDocument. The structure of URLs in a QuickPlace is the same as in any Domino database. QuickPlace objects are quite often referred to via relative URLs. For example, to reference a page that has been created, the following syntax is used: ././h_View/PageName?OpenDocument Where: "././" section at the front of the URL creates a relative URL, is interpreted by the Domino server as referring to the parent objects of the current object (h_View and PageName). EXAMPLES http://www.mercury.com/register.nsf/Registered+Users/Ja y+Street?OpenDocument http://www.mercury.com/register.nsf/0/ 466c5172561elc5c852566c2005f6bbb?OpenDocument Many QuickPlace objects in QuickPlace have internal names beginning with "h_". This is refers to the internal name of QuickPlace which is "Haiku". To reference images, JavaScript library files or files other than pages, the following syntax can be used . . . ././h_Index/Document+Name/$File/Imagename.gif? OpenElement Or . . . ././h_Index/Document+Name/$File/ScriptLibName.js?Open Element Many objects in QuickPlace can be located via the h_Index View. It contains links to many of the published objects in a QuickPlace. When referencing a JavaScript file the ?OpenElement argument is used. This is to tell Domino that the file being accessed is not a page to open, which is the default action. Overview: Whatsnew In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, a user can at any given time inquire of QuickPlace what has been changed, such as membership, pages, and so forth, and receive a report with respect to those aspects the user is authorized to access. Overview: Same Time, or Chat In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, integrated with QuickPlace are synchronous based communications allowing users to identify and communicate directly with other users visiting the same place. Overview: Quick Browse In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, selection of quick browse opens a new window and creates a set a links to control the main window without losing the context. Context appears in a separate window in a simpler HTML format. Selection of an item in that separate window, causes the page or room (if link is to a room) to be displayed in the main window. QuickBrowse is a window that can be popped up by clicking a remote control icon in search results and in whatsnew. It enables users to browse links generated by these functions in a random-access order. When the user clicks a link in the quickbrowse window, the main window is reloaded with the target page. This is distinguished from Quick search, which is the search field and green button that is embedded in QuickPlaces like in most web sites, so that users can enter a search term and perform a search in a single click--i.e., without first having to go to a special search page. Anatomy of a QuickPlace Theme Each theme is composed of a group of layouts that define the appearance of specific QuickPlace components. For example, the layout for a page differs from the layout of a folder, but they will probably share some style elements as part of a common theme. Table 19 sets forth the layouts and style sheet of a QuickPlace theme.
TABLE 19
SKIN GROUP COMPONENTS
Layout File type Purpose
Page .htm Defines the appearance of a
page being read
Page editing .htm Defines the appearance of a
page being edited
List folder .htm Defines the appearance of a
List or Response folder
Headlines folder .htm Defines the appearance of a
Headlines folder
Slideshow folder .htm Defines the appearance of a
Slideshow folder
Stylesheet .css Defines styles such as fonts
and colors for all layouts
In most cases, a single theme can be used to customize the look of page, list folder, and slideshow folder. Additonally, JPEG or GIF graphic files can be imported to represent a theme in the Custom Theme Gallery. Table 20 shows the components that can be customized for each layout.
TABLE 20
CUSTOMIZABLE LAYOUT COMPONENTS
List Slideshow Headlines
Component Name Page folder folder folder Edit
Logo x x x x x
Page content x x x x x
Actions x x x x x
Help x x x x x
Table of Contents x x x x
Path x x x x
QuickSearch x x x x
WhatsNew x x x x
AdvancedSearch x x x x
SignIn x x x x
Offline x x x x
Chat x x x x
Notify x x x x
Print x x x x
Tutorial x x x x
PageTitle x x Note 1 x
Navigation x x x Note 2
Jump Note 3 x x Note 2
AuthorandModified x Note 3 x x
Revision x Note 3 x x
HeadlinesFolder x
Notes:
1. Although the PageTitle component can optionally be included in a
Headlines folder, this component would normally be omitted and the page
title displayed prominently instead.
2. The Headlines Folder is designed to provide a headlines style of
navigation in place of the previous/next navigation used in other folder
types. Therefore, the Navigation and Jump components are not normally used
in the Headlines Folder layout.
3. The Jump component can be included in the Page layout and the
AuthorAndModified and Revision components in the ListFolder layout. These
components will all display as "empty", using the HTML parameter
emptyFormat.
Modifying an Existing Theme In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a QuickPlace theme is customized by beginning with the theme closest to what is desired, extracting the HTML source files for the theme, customizing them, and uploading the modified files as a custom theme. Style Sheet Selectors in QuickPlace Referring to FIG. 12, a typical QuickPlace user interface 370 includes a sidebar (TOC) 372, page title 374, author and modified field 376, actions bar 378, logo 380, path 382, page content 400, and actions buttons, such as quick search 384, advanced search 386, whatsnew 388, chat 390, notify 392, print 394, tutorial 396 and help 398. Each of these is customized by using tags or selectors which deal with borders, background, text, and so forth, in accordance with a style sheet. A standard default stylesheet is always output with any theme, so that one need only to specify the selectors that are to be changed. Undefined properties will fall back to those defined in the default stylesheet. Tables 22 through 32 describe Style Sheet (CSS) Selectors.
TABLE 22
Tag Styles
CSS Selector Description and Notes
body, td Default text style. Note: specify both tags
to set the default text style.
a Anchor style. Note: see also several other
more specific anchor styles, below.
a:hover Default style of anchors when mouse is over
the anchor. Note: IE only.
form Default style of forms. Note: The
margin-bottom property is set to 0px by
default to remove unwanted whitespace from
the bottom of all forms.
(Note: Other tags, such as h1, h2, etc., can also be styled as needed.)
File System Directory Architecture In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, every new QuickPlace created gets its own directory under the QuickPlace master directory. The name of that directory is same as the name of the QuickPlace. Each additional room in the QuickPlace is another file (.nsf) in the QuickPlace directory. During the QuickPlace server installation, the default QuickPlace (also called the "Welcome" QuickPlace) with the name of QuickPlace is automatically created. This is the entry point to the QuickPlace server including the server administration. FIG. 8 shows the directory structure, along with the files in "Welcome" QuickPlace, in a stand-alone QuickPlace server. For example if Millennia is the a current QuickPlace, then the basic infrastructure of the Millennia QuickPlace resides under .backslash.lotus.backslash.domino.backslash.data.backslash.quickplace.backs lash.millennia (on Domino server--given that .backslash.lotus.backslash.domino.backslash.data is the data directory) or .backslash.lotus.backslash.quickplace.backslash.data.backslash.quickplace.b ackslash.millennia (on stand-alone--given that .backslash.lotus.backslash.quickplace is the QuickPlace installation directory). When QuickPlace server is installed, the "Welcome" region or the "Administrator's Place" is pre-configured to allow an entry point to the QuickPlace server. An administrator can then administer the newly installed QuickPlace server from this entry point. This so called administrative QuickPlace resides under the QuickPlace directory which in turn is under the data directory. For an example it is c: .backslash.lotus.backslash.domino.backslash.data.backslash.QuickPlace.back slash.QuickPlace when installed under Domino, and c:.backslash.lotus.backslash.QuickPlace.backslash.data.backslash.QuickPlace when in stand-alone mode. It contains the following files: Main.nsf, Contacts1.nsf, CreateHaiku.nsf, Admin.nsf. The templates for these Domino databases reside in the directory named AreaTypes. The "Welcome" page may be configured to suit the needs of an organization. Security The security can be controlled at two levels: (1) from the server's administration perspective--Managing the QuickPlace server; and (2) from each QuickPlace's perspective--Managing a QuickPlace. A server administrator can restrict who can create a new QuickPlace on the server and also who can administer the QuickPlace server. The SSL encryption can also be controlled by the server administrator. The SSL encryption is effective server wide and cannot be controlled at a QuickPlace level. All this can be accomplished via security screen. At the QuickPlace level, the administrator can control who can read the information, which users can create the information, and who can administer the particular QuickPlace. Anonymous allows everyone access without authentication. What's New In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a user may receive a report of what is new, either scheduled or on request, such as by clicking on a place or an E-mail component. What ever is selected, the displayed result is personalized to the individual user, including security. The scope of the what's new page may be, for example, user specified as daily or weekly. A what's new display, in accordance with this embodiment of the invention, extends to all elements, such as pages, tasks, events, folders, rooms, members, groups, today's events & tasks due, and email received. A what's new time line may include, for example a period including today plus the preceding seven days and the succeeding seven days, so as to anticipate further events and tasks due. Referring to FIG. 11, each room in collaboration space is implemented as a database 310-312. A Notes view 314-316 and folder 318-320 is associated with each such database. Using notes security, each person looking at view sees what is authorized to see. Folder 318-320 is updated every night, for example, by taking a snap shot of view 314-316. This update can also be done upon request, which will cause view 314-316 to be immediately copied to folder 318-320. When each user request for what's new, filtering on user authorization and scope occurs. A manager can configure a newsletter, deciding whether to send e-mail, each part of its contents, and its frequency, such as daily or weekly. The manager can customize what people can get via E-mail, and each member can accept or disabled the E-mail. Nightly, for example, QuickPlace updates what's new, sends newletter (which may be implemented, for example, as IIS, Microsoft stack) and cleans up returned email. Referring to FIG. 11, a place comprises a plurality of rooms, each room represented, respectively, by a room database 310-312. Each has a view 314-316, respectively, which views are maintained up to date per formula. These views, when updated, such as every night and whenever someone updates, are copied into respective folders 318-320. When a user asks what's new in step 328, in step 322 QP server 100 opens the contents of folders 318-320, in step 324 processes the data, using access control list and other Notes security, and in step 326 generates HTML from that data to reorganize it for display 330. Step 326 html is created with all links and, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, quick browse feature 304 in window 330 which, upon user selection, generates display 332 presented at browser 112. This is just the on-line part. Off line, step 326 is create and send mail (not html), which it does on behalf of each member of the room. User selection of quick browse 304 opens a new window 332, creates a set a links to control the main window 112 without losing the context. Context appears in a separate window 332 in a simpler html format. Selection of an item in that separate window 332, causes the page or room (if link is to a room) to be displayed in the main window 112. In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, a team version of a what's new newsletter can also be collected in the QuickPlace, enabling users to browse a set of changes efficiently, and to review past newsletters. Users can also click quick-search links to answer common queries such as "what's changed in this QuickPlace today?". News Email provides an overview simple enough that it's useful to receive and quick to scan through. It may be composed and delivered nightly, weekly, or monthly. The wording of summary may be adapted to period of each "issue", personalized to include only changes that user has access to, exclude pages that have specialized read/edit permissions, displays several sections, and sent in dual mime-typed format--plain text and HTML (no images). Examples of these E-mail formats are set forth in FIG. 11, and may include plain text with links (having a link for every "news item" reported, plain text no links (having global links to the QuickPlace, but no links for reported news items), plain text with shortened URLs (requiring shortened URLs for links into QuickPlaces), and HTML for viewing what a client selects. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a news folder offers a good overview. Such a folder may be saved at a manager's option in a specialized list folder that QuickPlace creates for the purpose. If the folder is later hidden, old issues of news may be retained, or the manager given the option to keep or delete them. The folder only captures news while it is visible and opens to latest issue of News. A user can thus use a folder icon to view the list. A Quick Browse button in action bar of News folder opens same links as shown in current folder state, simply laid out, into separate window for browsing. Such a news folder, similar to email HTML format, is enhanced to includea set of quick-browse search links, and folder instructions. In accordance with further embodiments of the invention, what's new is access-controlled on the fly, so it matches the E-mail version for each user--i.e., each item in each news "issue" is a page, and each issue is a filter onto a view. The page is a document that provides a link to the original page, wherever it is, with the same ACL. Otherwise, the stored version will be in the form of one page per issue, each page in the format shown in the prototype. In a further embodiment of the invention, what's new reports 530 are accompanied by a generic site map 534, a TOC tree without the leaves, access-controlled for the current user. Quick Browse In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a system and method is provided for enhancing browsing in collaboration space of collections of links. These link collections exist in a variety of formats which users need to be able to quickly visit in any order. For example, a random access UI is needed to What's New and Search Results links. These items can reside in more than room, producing potentially brutal context switches from one link to the next. Also, newcomers or casual users of the collaboration space have trouble knowing how to get started and where they can go in a QuickPlace, and would be greatly assisted by the presence of quick-browse windows, such as (1) live "go there" links from the Tutorial (in a window) to specific locations, (2) live "go there" links from Help to specific locations, and (3) a generated Sitemap (a simple rendering of the access-controlled TOC hierarchy). Further, it is desired to support random-access browsing of the links in any folder as a set. Therefore, it is an objective of the invention to provide an improved user interface which is quick to load, takes up minimal screen space (at least while the user browses target pages), and which, while browsing a target page from the Quick-Browse setting, allows users to see and access the page's local setting so that they understand the page's context--e.g., its TOC location, folder, parent (responses), and/or ancestors (revisions). One approach known to the art is to rely on the browser Back button, like regular websites. This meets all three requirements (assuming no actual reload on browser "Back" in the frameless architecture). However, using the Back button this can be a frustrating experience, and QuickPlace is different from average websites in that much heavier use is expected from authors and managers than would be typical of the average web user. Heavier use requires more efficient ways of getting around. Referring to FIG. 14, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, quick-browse is implemented as a "remote control" UI mechanism 304. A Remote Control link/icon is displayed in any context 296 that supports it, such as Search Results and What's New. When the user clicks the remote control link 302, such as button 536 (FIG. 10), or 532 (FIG. 9), a window 296, 330 opens with a compact set of links 304 to browse. When the user clicks a link in the remote control 304, the main QuickPlace window 330 is redirected to the linked page 332. Other contexts such as the Tutorial and Help may themselves act as specialized versions of the remote control by opening into a separate window. For example, the tutorial is implemented as a set of pure HTML files which can be customized/switched by third parties. Some links from the tutorial may use the same mechanism to open links in main window. Clicking the remote control icon opens a quickbrowse window, containing one or more links. Upon being clicked, these links open in the main QuickPlace window; therefore the QuickBrowse window acts like a remote control onto the main window. This allows the set of hits to remain available as the user browses around, in any order. What's New and Search Results generate links that can be anywhere in a QuickPlace--i.e., in any of possibly many different rooms. The QuickBrowse window is an attempt to bring some coherence to the experience of jumping around all over the QuickPlace. Referring to FIG. 9, renderings of the contents of the remote control window for What's New 530, Search Results 532, and a site map 534, are illustrated. Communicating With Others: Chat In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a manager of a QuickPlace may enabled the chat feature, allowing members to "chat" electronically with other QuickPlace members. Referring to FIG. 12, in a chat session, two or more members exchange messages by typing them in a chat window 538. As soon as the sender finishes typing a message, it appears on the receiver's screen 540. When the receiver replies to the message, the reply appears below the original message on both screens, so all parties have a temporary transcript of the chat session. A user may start a chat session, respond to an invitation to join a chat session, reply to a chat message, and leave a chat session. Starting a Chat Session A member can chat with any other QuickPlace member who currently has the chat window open (or open and minimized). One can chat with one person at a time, two or more people, or everyone who currently has the chat window open. To start a chat session with one other QuickPlace member, a member clicks "chat" 390 (FIG. 12) under "Tools" in the sidebar. Referring to FIG. 13, in the "Who is here?" section of the QuickPlace Team Chat window that now appears on the screen, the member double-clicks the name of the person with whom to chat. In the box 538 labeled "Type your text" in the new window that appears on the screen, the member types the text of the message to be sent. Pressing Enter or clicking send sends the message. The message is sent and displayed in the chat transcript area 540. When the member receives a reply to the message, the reply appears in the same area 540. The chat session may be terminated by clicking close or selecting close from a message menu. To remain available for future chat sessions with other QuickPlace members, the QuickPlace Team Chat window 540 is left open or minimized. To dismiss the QuickPlace Team Chat window, the close box for the window is clicked. To initiate another chat session or receive invitations to join chat sessions, it is necessary to reopen the QuickPlace Team Chat window (by clicking "chat"). To start a chat session with two or more QuickPlace members, a member first invites those other members to participate in the session. To create an invitation for two or more members and then start the chat session, the member clicks "chat" 390 in the "Tools" sidebar. In the "Who is here?" section 542 of the QuickPlace Team Chat window that appears on the screen, the member presses and holds theshift or Ctrl key while clicking the names of the members with to chat. Then, a single-option menu may be selected in which to create an invitation for the chat session entering the subject of the chat in the Topic box, entering the text of invitation in the Message text box, optionally selecting "Secure messages" to prevent anyone outside the QuickPlace from intercepting and reading the messages. The member enters and sends messages and receives replies as above. To start a chat session with all the QuickPlace members who currently have the QuickPlace Team Chat window open enter and send the message, and it will be sent to all the members listed under "Who is here?" and displayed in the Transcript area. When a member of a QuickPlace invites a second member to join a chat session, an invitation dialog box appears on your screen of the second member. Using the buttons in the dialog box, the second member can respond privately, join the chat, or decline the invitation. To respond privately--that is, to reply to the sender of the invitation only--click Respond. To accept the invitation, click Join. To decline the invitation and close the invitation dialog box, click Close. One of two or several participants in a chat session can leave the chat session at any time by clicking Leave or selecting Leave from the Message menu. Upon signing in, the user can quickly get an overview of who is currently signed in to the QuickPlace. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, this is accomplished by displaying a list of names in a separate floating window 542. A user is enabled to control (a) whether or not the chat features actually load on sign-in, so that on low-bandwidth connections in the sametime components don't have to be loaded; and (b) her personal availability state--i.e., whether or not other people can see and chat with her. One UI option is to provide a "Do Not Disturb" button (e.g., in the pathbar)--which logs the user out of the sametime server, turns off all chat features, and toggles itself to display a button labeled "Who Is Here?". To prevent "lurking", the awareness display may be reciprocal--i.e., if user A can see user B, then user B can see user A. The activation state of the sametime features may be kept persistent across sessions: if the user closes the browser with the chat session turned off, then opens another browser window later, the chat session is reopened in its "off" state. In QuickPlace usage it may be desirable provide awareness of who is in the user's current room, versus the entire QuickPlace. A user is able to leverage the current availability of other members to start a chat or other form of communication with them (e.g., phone call). Chats begin by clicking the user's name or via a menu item in that control. The most important type of chat is N-way private chat by invitation--i.e., the user invites one or more people to join in a private chat which other members cannot see and cannot find out is taking place. Users may be allowed to copy the transcripts of a chat into a QuickPlace page, or to save the chat as a whole as a page. An alternative type of chat is a place chat, which in QuickPlace by default is the whole QuickPlace, and may be made to support persistence--i.e., if may be rendered capable of loading the prior transcript when the user opens the chat window. Advantages over the Prior Art It is an advantage of the invention that there is provided a collaboration space application model for creating web applications that are aesthetically pleasing and present the user with a simple interface. It is a further advantage of the invention that there is provided a system and method for creating web applications that are instantly created, instantly archived, team and project oriented, easy to use, created, accessed and administered via the Web, reusable, and extensible. It is a further advantage the invention that there is provided a system and method for presenting users of collaboration space knowledge of events and happenings throughout a place that are of current interest, including scheduled events or tasks that are current, and what has been recently changed. Alternative Embodiments It will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In particular, it is within the scope of the invention to provide a computer program product or program element, or a program storage or memory device such as a solid or fluid transmission medium, magnetic or optical wire, tape or disc, or the like, for storing signals readable by a machine, for controlling the operation of a computer according to the method of the invention and/or to structure its components in accordance with the system of the invention. Further, each step of the method may be executed on any general computer, such as an IBM System 390, AS/400, PC or the like and pursuant to one or more, or a part of one or more, program elements, modules or objects generated from any programming language, such as C++, Java, Pl/1, Fortran or the like. And still further, each said step, or a file or object or the like implementing each said step, may be executed by special purpose hardware or a circuit module designed for that purpose. Accordingly, the scope of protection of this invention is limited only by the following claims and their equivalents.
|
Same subclass Same class | ||||||||||