Method and apparatus for handling requests for content in a network data processing system

1. A method in a data processing system for handling a request for content, the method comprising:

receiving the request for content, which contains a universal resource locator;

identifying a content source from a plurality of content sources using the universal resource locator as an index into a table to form an identified content source;

retrieving the content from the identified content source; and

applying a template to the content to generate a Web page, wherein the template is a template associated with the identified content source from the plurality of content sources.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending the Web page to a requester originating the request.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Web page is a Java server page.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein template is a particular template associated with the identified content source and associated with a user originating the request.

5. A method in a data processing system for handling a request, the method comprising:

receiving the request, wherein the request contains a universal resource identifier;

obtaining navigation information using the universal resource identifier and a navigation database, said navigation information identifying pages to which a user can travel from a page identified by said universal resource identifier;

retrieving content from a particular content source from a plurality of content sources using the universal resource identifier;

selecting a template from a plurality of templates using the universal resource identifier, wherein the template is a template associated with the particular content source from the plurality of content sources; and

generating a Web page using the template, the navigation information, and content.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

generating session information using information within the request.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein selecting step includes selecting the template using the session information in addition to the universal resource identifier.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the obtaining step comprises:

obtaining navigation information using the universal resource identifier; and

creating a navigation object.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the retrieving step comprises:

retrieving content from a particular content source from a plurality of content sources using the universal resource identifier; and

creating a content object.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the generating step comprises:

generating the Web page using the template, the navigation object, and content object.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the Web page is a Java server page.

12. A content server system for providing content to a user, the content server system comprising:

an identification process, wherein the identification process obtains content source information using a universal resource locator as an index to a table;

a get content process, wherein the get content process obtains content from a plurality of content sources using the content source information;

a build page process, wherein a page is created using the content and a template, wherein the template is a template associated with the content source information; and

a request process, wherein the request process initiates the identification process, the get content process, and the build page process in response to receiving a request.

13. The content server system of claim 12 , wherein the build page process is initiated after the navigation information and the content are retrieved.

14. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes as set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to:

receive the request for content, the request containing a universal resource locator,

identify a content source from a plurality of content sources using the universal resource locator as an index to a table to form an identified content source,

retrieve the content from the identified content source, and

apply a template to the content to generate a Web page, wherein the template is a template associated with the identified content source from the plurality of content sources.

15. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications unit connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes as set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to

receive the request, wherein the request contains a universal resource identifier,

obtain navigation information using the universal resource identifier and a navigation database, the navigation information indicating pages to which a user can travel from a page identified by the universal resource indicator,

retrieve content from a particular content source from a plurality of content sources using the content source information,

select a template from a plurality of templates using the universal resource identifier, wherein the template is a template associated with the particular content source from the plurality of content sources, and

generate a Web page using the template, the content source information, and content.

16. A data processing system for handling a request for content, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving the request for content, the request containing a universal resource locator;

identifying means for identifying a content source from a plurality of content sources using the universal resource locator to form an identified content source;

retrieving means for retrieving the content from the identified content source; and

applying means for applying a template to the content to generate a Web page, wherein the template is a template associated with the identified content source from the plurality of content sources.

17. The data processing system of claim 16 further comprising:

sending means for sending the Web page to a requester originating the request.

18. The data processing system of claim 16 , wherein the Web page is a Java server page.

19. The data processing system of claim 16 , wherein template is a particular template associated with the identified content source and associated with a user originating the request.

20. A data processing system for handling a request, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving the request, wherein the request contains a universal resource identifier;

obtaining means for obtaining navigation information using the universal resource identifier and a navigation database, the navigation information indicating pages to which a user can travel from a page pointed to by the universal resource identifier;

retrieving means for retrieving content from a particular content source from a plurality of content sources using the universal resource identifier;

selecting means for selecting a template from a plurality of templates using the universal resource identifier, wherein the template is a template associated with the particular content source from the plurality of content sources; and

generating means for generating a Web page using the template, the navigation information, and content.

21. The data processing system of claim 20 , wherein the generating means is a first generating means and further comprising:

second generating means for generating session information using information within the request.

22. The data processing system of claim 20 , wherein selecting means includes means for selecting the template using the session information in addition to the universal resource identifier.

23. The data processing system of claim 20 , wherein the obtaining means comprises:

first means for obtaining navigation information using the universal resource identifier; and

second means for creating a navigation object.

24. The data processing system of claim 23 , wherein the retrieving means comprises:

first means for retrieving content from a particular content source from a plurality of content sources using the universal resource identifier; and

second means for creating a content object.

25. The data processing system of claim 24 , wherein the generating means comprises:

first means for generating the Web page using the template, the navigation object, and content object.

26. The data processing system of claim 20 , wherein the Web page is a Java server page.

27. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for handling a request for content, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving the request for content, the request containing a universal resource locator;

second instructions for identifying a content source from a plurality of content sources using the universal resource locator to form an identified content source;

third instructions for retrieving the content from the identified content source; and

fourth instructions for applying a template to the content to generate a Web page, wherein the template is a template associated with the identified content source from the plurality of content sources.

28. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for handling a request, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving the request, wherein the request contains a universal resource identifier;

second instructions for obtaining navigation information using the universal resource identifier and a navigation database, the navigation information identifying pages to which a user can travel from the page identified by the universal resource locator;

third instructions for retrieving content from a particular content source from a plurality of content sources using the universal resource identifier;

fourth instructions for selecting a template from a plurality of templates using the universal resource identifier, wherein the template is a template associated with the particular content source from the plurality of content sources; and

fifth instructions for generating a Web page using the template, the navigation information, and content.