Web browser row control6205454Abstract The present invention is a process for visually organizing multiple information and headings on a computer screen of a Web browser. A single file containing data and integrated headings is translated by a Web browser. Hypertext markup language is used to control the integrated headings determining which headings are scrollable or non-scrollable. Top and bottom headings are non-scrollable. Scrollable middle headings scroll with the data and replace top headings when they reach the top of the screen. Claims Thus, having described the invention, what is claimed is: Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
HTML Hypertext Markup Language
HTML tag HTML markup tags
HTML source file File with the HTML tags to be converted
by a Web browser and displayed on a
monitor.
HTML file File that has been formatted by the Web
browser and will be displayed on a
monitor.
Screen Portion of the HTML file which a viewer
sees when a Web browser displays the
HTML file on the monitor.
Reserved Table A table which contains the line
numbers, the absolute row lines and the
corresponding lines form the HTML file,
the non-scrollable rows that are
displayed on the screen. The table
also contains the row positions of the
non-scrollable rows on the screen.
Scroll tags Set of HTML tags which define rows of
data of an HTML source file which
appear to be non-scrollable when
displayed on a screen.
Top scroll One or more rows from the HTML file
which are locked in position at the top
of the screen.
Bottom Scroll One or more rows from the HTML file
which are locked in position at the
bottom of the screen.
Middle Scroll One or more rows from the HTML file
which are indicated to be locked in
position when the top row of the Middle
Scroll reaches the last row of the
previously locked top Scroll on the
screen.
Line Numbers The numbers of each row of the screen.
The line numbers begin at one and
proceed in sequence to the last line
that is to be written to the screen.
Absolute Row Lines The numbers of each row of the HTML
file. They start at one and proceed in
sequence to the end of the HTML file.
Locked One or more rows that do not move on
the monitor when the screen presented
by a Web browser is scrolled.
Scroll HTML tags HTML tags which control top, middle and
bottom groups of rows that become non-
scrollable. FIG. 7 illustrates non-
scrollable top headings.
The present invention changes the way Web browsers interact with Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) to allow for headings to be defined as non-scrollable so that the headings will always be visible as the data is scrolled. This can be accomplished by introducing a new set of HTML tags called scroll tags that identify the next "n" lines in a file as non-scrollable. The three types of scroll HTML tags are top, bottom and middle and each has corresponding end tags. If a top scroll HTML tag is present, the Web browser automatically "locks" the rows indicated by the top scroll HTML tag at the top of the screen, regardless of the number of lines of data which are scrolled. The Web browser keeps track of the position of the line with the "scroll" HTML tag; when the line reached the top of the browser screen, the browser then locks the non-scrollable headings and scrolls data rows to the last non-scrollable heading. On the next move, the data rows disappear. The user sees rows of data scrolling on the screen, those rows look as though they are disappearing under the heading. If a bottom scroll HTML tag is present, the Web browser automatically "locks" the rows indicated by the bottom scroll HTML tag at the bottom of the screen, regardless of the number of lines of data which are scrolled. If a middle scroll HTML tag is present, the Web browser keeps track of the position with the middle scroll HTML tag. There are two conditions affecting the middle scroll HTML tag: 1) when there are no locked rows at the top of the screen; and 2) when there are locked rows at the top of the screen. When the no locked rows at the top of the screen condition is present, the top row of the group of rows marked by the middle scroll HTML tag is locked when the rows indicated by the middle scroll HTML tag reach the top of the screen. When the locked rows at the top of the physical screen condition is present, the top row of the group of rows marked by the middle scroll HTML tag is locked at the top of the screen. FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate this action whereby the top row 30 of the group of rows marked by the middle scroll HTML tag reaches the bottom row 32 of the group of previously locked rows at the top of the screen. FIG. 5 illustrates a screen 34 with three top rows locked. Rows 10, 11 and 12 have middle scroll tags. FIG. 6 illustrates the rows marked with middle scroll tags directly under the rows marked with the top scroll tag. When the next row is scrolled, the three rows marked with middle scroll tags move to the top of the screen and are locked. FIG. 7 illustrates the result of locking the three rows marked with the middle scroll tags. If a bottom scroll HTML tag is present, the Web browser "locks" the rows indicated by the bottom of the screen when the Web browser first displays the Web file. The condition of multiple sets of headings can be controlled by the browser which keeps track of these headings as they are scrolled. When the second set of headings with the "scroll" tag reaches the point where it is just under the first set of non-scrollable headings, the browser will position the second set of headings at the top of the browser and continue scrolling the file under the second set of headings. This process also works in reverse as the file is scrolled in the opposite direction. In another aspect, the present invention is a system for operating a programmable computer comprising a storage medium and a set of operating instructions recorded on the storage medium to be executed by a computer capable of reading the storage medium. The instructions enabling the computer to read a data file with integrated scrollable and non-scrollable headings and write integrated headings and data to a computer screen. The headings are controlled using scroll tags in HTML. The following is a description of the steps of the example flow chart of FIG. 8:
STEP NO. DESCRIPTION
100 Start
101 Format all scroll tags
102 Is there is a top scroll HTML tag present in the
HTML source file? FIG. 9 illustrates a sample
HTML source files and FIG. 12 illustrates an
HTML file with absolute row numbers. The top
scroll lines are 1, 2 and 3.
103 If the answer to step 102 is yes, write the rows
of data that will appear on the screen to the
reserved table. Include the corresponding line
numbers and the absolute row lines. For
example, if there are three rows are to be
viewed at the top of the screen, non-scrollable
headings that are to be placed at the reserved,
then, line numbers 1, 2 and are non-scrollable.
FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a sample
reserved table 36.
104 If the answer to step 102 is no, determine if
there is a bottom scroll HTML tag present in the
HTML source file? FIG. 9 illustrates a sample
HTML source file 38 and FIG. 12 illustrates a
sample HTML file 40. The bottom scroll lines
are 52 and 53.
105 Write the bottom rows of data to the reserved
table. Also, write the line numbers and
corresponding absolute row lines for these rows
into the reserved table. For example, if the
two rows non-scrollable headings that are to be
at the bottom of the screen then, the last two
numbers of the maximum number of rows that can
be contained in the screen are written to the
reserved table. If the screen can contain 20
rows of data, then, the numbers 19 and 20 are
written to the reserved table together with the
absolute row lines of 52 and 53. FIG. 12
illustrates an HTML source file 40 and FIG. 13
illustrates the reserved table 36.
106 Read the reserved table. FIG. 13 illustrates the
lines of non-scrollable rows together with their
line numbers which are read to the reserved
table 36.
107 Compute the screen. The reserved lines, their
reserved line numbers and the lines of the HTML
file that are to be written to the screen are
computed. For example, if there are three non-
scrollable rows to be placed at the top of the
screen forming a top heading and two non-
scrollable rows to be placed at the bottom of
the screen forming a bottom heading and the
screen can contain a maximum of twenty rows,
then, there will be 15 absolute row lines that
will be placed between the bottom and top
heading. In this example, absolute row lines 1,
2 and 3 are for the top non-scrollable rows,
absolute row lines 4 to 18 from the HTML file
are in the middle and two non-scrollable rows
will be placed at the bottom of the screen
forming a bottom heading. The two non-
scrollable rows will be found at the bottom of
the HTML file. The absolute row lines will be
written to the reserved table together with the
line numbers and row data lines. FIG. 14
illustrates the computed screen 32 and FIG. 10
illustrates the reserved table 36 of the above
described example.
200 Write data to the screen. The top and bottom
non-scrollable lines will be written from the
reserved table and the previous computed
absolute line numbers 4 to 18 will point to the
rows from the HTML file that are written to the
screen. FIG. 14 illustrates a view of screen 42.
201 If exit request?
202 End if the answer to step 201 or step 304 is
yes.
203 Scroll forward or backward if the answer to step
201 or step 304 is no.
204 Get the new position. Get the number of rows
that have been scrolled and compute the absolute
line number that is expected at the top of the
screen. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 12,
if 6 lines have been scrolled, then, new
absolute line number will be placed at the top
of the screen is line 24.
205 If middle scrolls are present?
206 If the answer to step 205 is yes, determine if
tpos = bpos? This query asks: has the top row
of the group of rows indicated by the middle
scroll tag reached the bottom of the rows locked
at the top of the screen? Since line 24 is the
top row of a middle scroll tag and the top of
the screen is just below the last line of a top
scroll tag, then, tpos = bpos. FIG. 15
illustrates the screen view 42 and FIG. 16
illustrates the reserved table 36 view.
300 If the answer to step 206 is yes, write to the
reserve table. Erase the previous top non-
scrollable rows and their reserved line number
from the reserve table. Write the non-
scrollable rows indicate by the middle scroll
tags and their reserved line numbers to the
reserved table. In this case the middle non-
scrollable rows will be placed at the top of the
screen as illustrated in the reserved table 36
of FIG. 17.
301 If the answer to step 205 or 206 is no, read the
reserved table.
302 Compute the screen. The reserved lines, their
reserved line numbers and the lines of the HTML
file that are to be written to the screen are
computed. For example, if there are three non-
scrollable rows to be placed at the top of the
screen forming a top heading and two non-
scrollable rows to be placed at the bottom of
the screen forming a bottom heading and the
screen can contain a maximum of twenty rows,
then, there will be fifteen absolute row lines
that will be placed between the two sets of non-
scrollable rows. In this case, absolute row
lines 1, 2 and 3 are for the top non-scrollable
rows, absolute row lines x and y from the HTML
file. Lines x and y are determined as a result
of the previously recorded number of lines that
were scrolled. These are followed by the two
non-scrollable rows to be placed at the bottom
of the screen. The two non-scrollable rows will
be found at the bottom of the HTML file.
303 Write data to the screen. The top and bottom
non-scrollable lines will be written from the
reserved table and the previous computed
absolute line numbers of x and y will point to
the rows from the HTML file. FIG. 18 illustrates
data written to the screen.
304 If exit requested?
The present invention provides a system and method of visually organizing multiple information and headings on a computer screen of a Web browser which requires only one file for the HTML source code and does not require special coding in the HTML source file to tie the headings and data together. The heading displaying options are always accessible and the non-scrollable headings are always visible as the data is scrolled. While the present invention has been particularly described, in conjunction with a specific preferred embodiment, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will embrace any such alternatives, modifications and variations as falling within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.
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