Dynamic generation of cascading style sheets

Abstract

The claimed method and system provides programmers of client-server applications the ability to implement extensions to a standard style sheet language by using a preprocessor at a client to first parse, extract, and transform noncompliant, proprietary code. A new standards compliant style sheet may be created based on the transformed noncompliant code. This style sheet may then be executed on a client browser. The claimed system may be used to conform a client application schema with a client operating system schema.

Description

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a computing system that may operate in accordance with the claims;

FIG. 2 illustrates a general process embodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates a general system embodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates a preprocessing diagram;

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the process for conforming a schema to an operating system schema;

FIG. 6 illustrates possible proprietary functions used in an embodiment; and

FIG. 7 illustrates an applet preprocessor embodiment.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically generating cascading style sheets for a client application, comprising: providing a first style sheet containing a noncompliant function to a standard style sheet language;retrieving the first style sheet at a client from a server;extracting from the first style sheet the noncompliant function;executing the noncompliant function at the client to produce a function output;generating a second style sheet based on the first style sheet and the function output, wherein the second style sheet is compliant with a standard style sheet language; andexecuting the second style sheet on a standard style sheet language compliant browser at the client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a second style sheet comprises replacing the noncompliant function in the first style sheet with the function output.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the noncompliant function provides a parameter of a cascading style sheet (CSS) compliant function.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the noncompliant function transforms a non-compliant color value that is operating system specific into a standard style sheet language compliant color value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the noncompliant function comprises looking up a registry value in a client operating system registry to produce an output.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a change to the registry value dynamically changes the second style sheet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the noncompliant function blends a first and a second color value to produce a third color value compliant with a standard style sheet language function.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the noncompliant function is executed based on a client operating system function.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the noncompliant function comprises executing the noncompliant function via a client executable.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the noncompliant function comprises executing the noncompliant function by one of a browser applet, a browser extension, and a browser plugin.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the standard style sheet language comprises one of CSS, DSSSL, XSL, and JSSS.

12. A computer system comprising: a browser being compliant with a standard style sheet language;a client computer receiving a first style sheet, containing noncompliant code to a standard style sheet language, from the server for display on the browser; anda preprocessor component intercepting the first style sheet before it reaches the browser, extracting the noncompliant code and generating a second style sheet compliant with the standard style sheet language.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the browser forms a portion of an application of the client computer.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the preprocessor is coded as a portion of the browser.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the preprocessor is one of a browser applet, a browser extension, and a browser plugin.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the preprocessor generates the second style sheet by executing the noncompliant code to produce an output compliant with a standard style sheet language and replacing the noncompliant code in the first style sheet with the compliant output.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the noncompliant code comprises an operating system specific value and wherein generating a second style sheet comprises obtaining a generic value for the operating system specific value from a registry and replacing the noncompliant code in the first style sheet with the generic value.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the noncompliant code comprises a function that accepts two color values and produces a third value that is compliant with a standard style sheet language function that is capable of only a single color parameter value.

19. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing operations comprising: storing in a server a first style sheet containing a noncompliant parameter to a standard style sheet language;retrieving the first style sheet at a client of the server;extracting the noncompliant parameter from the first style sheet;looking up a registry value in a client operating system registry based on the noncompliant parameter;replacing the noncompliant parameter in the first style sheet with the registry value, thereby generating a second style sheet, wherein the second style sheet is compliant with a standard style sheet language; andexecuting the second style sheet on a standard style sheet language compliant browser at the client.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the noncompliant parameter is an operating system specific value and the registry value is a generic value.