System and method for providing a web-based operating system
View Patent ↗A system and method for providing a web-based operating system is disclosed. A web-based operating system is downloaded from a server to a network-enabled device. The web-based operating system provides a platform from which to run web-based computer applications. Web-based computer applications are downloaded from the server onto the network-enabled device, and executed in conjunction with the web-based operating system. Those portions of the web-based operating system software and web-based computer application software are downloaded to the network-enabled device as needed. A component-based environment for the development and deployment of a web-based operating system and web-based computer applications is also provided. Components are deployed within library files as part of a component-based development model. The web-based operating system downloads those library files needed to execute the web-based computer applications.
1. A method for executing a server-side application using a browser, comprising:
loading a top-level page into an existing context of the browser, said top-level page referencing a component library file;
loading said component library file, said component library file including an application program interface having web-based operating system components that are executed within the existing context of the browser;
transmitting a request for a server-side application from the browser;
loading an application library file corresponding to the server-side application in response to the request, said application library file referencing said application program interface; and
executing said application library file, wherein the web-based operating system components and the application library file provide functions of the server-side application within the browser.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said top-level page provides an execution context for said component library file and for said application library file.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said top-level page includes a library manager for loading additional library files referenced by the application library file.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said loading said component library file further comprises loading said component library file into a new context within said top-level page.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said new context is an iframe.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein said new context is a layer.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said loading said application library file further comprises loading said application library file into a new context within said top-level page.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said new context is a new iframe.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein said new context is a new layer.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising loading a sub-library file in response to a reference to said sub-library file in said component library file.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising loading a sub-library file in response to a reference to said sub-library file in said application library file.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said application library file is loaded in response to user interaction with the browser.
13. A method for implementing a web-based application program interface, comprising:
loading a top-level page into a web-browser, said top-level page adapted to be processed within an existing context of the web-browser;
receiving a request to load a component library file, said component library file including an application program interface having web-based operating system components that are executed within the existing context of the browser;
determining if said component library file has been loaded;
when the component library file has not been loaded, transmitting a request for a server-side application from the browser;
loading said component library file into a new context in said top-level page if said component library file has not been loaded;
determining if said component library file references an application library file;
determining if said application library file has been loaded; and
loading said application library file into a new context in said top-level page if said application library file has not been loaded, wherein the application library file references the application program interface; and
executing the application library file, wherein the web-based operating system components and the application library file provide functions of the server-side application within the browser.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said top-level page includes a library manager for loading library files.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein said request is included in said top-level page.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein said request is generated by user interaction with the web-browser.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein said request is generated by a web-based application executing in the web-browser.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein said new context is an iframe.
19. The method of claim 13 , wherein said new context is a layer.
20. A computer program product for enabling a processor in a computer system to implement a system for executing a server-side application within a browser, said computer program product comprising:
a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said computer usable medium for causing a program to execute on the computer system, said computer readable program code means comprising:
means for loading a top-level page into an existing context of the browser, said top-level page referencing a component library file;
means for loading said component library file, wherein said component library file includes an application program interface having web-based operating system components that are executed within the existing context of the browser;
means for transmitting a request for a server-side application from the browser;
means for loading an application library file, wherein said application library file references said application program interface; and
means for executing said application program interface referenced by said application library file, wherein the web-based operating system components and the application library file provide functions of the server-side application within the browser.
21. A system for enabling the execution of a server-side application within a browser, the system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory in operative communication with the processor, the memory for executing a plurality of processing instructions for directing the processor to:
load a top-level page into an existing context of the browser, said top-level page referencing a component library file;
load said component library file, the component library file including an application program interface having web-based operating system components that are executed within the existing context of the browser;
transmit a request for a server-side application from the browser;
load an application library file corresponding to the server-side application in response to the request, said application library file referencing said application program interface; and
execute said application library file, wherein the web-based operating system components and the application library file provide functions of the server-side application within the browser.