Method and apparatus for dynamically delivering a gadget
View Patent ↗A portal server requests a gadget from a gadget server. The gadget server makes a copy of the gadget. The gadget server accesses a value to be assigned to a variable for the portal server. The value can be received as part of the request for the gadget, or can be stored on the gadget server, associated with the portal server. Assuming that a policy permits the variable to be assigned the value, any previous value assigned to the variable is overridden. The copy of the gadget is then delivered to the portal server.
1. A computer-implemented method for dynamically delivering a gadget to a requestor, the method comprising:
receiving a request for a gadget from a requestor, the gadget including at least one layout strings file and at least one layout information file, the gadget operative to display in a user designed web page;
accessing the gadget on a gadget server;
copying the gadget;
assigning a value to a variable in the copy of the gadget, the value dependent on the requestor, including:
determining that the variable is assigned an existing value in the copy of the gadget; and
substituting the value for the existing value for the variable in the copy of the gadget; and
delivering the copy of the gadget to the requestor.
2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising receiving the value from the requestor with the request for the gadget.
3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving the value from the requestor separately from the request for the gadget; and
storing the value on the gadget server.
4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 3 , wherein assigning a value to a variable includes accessing the value stored on the gadget server.
5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein delivering the copy of the gadget includes rendering the copy of the gadget before delivery.
6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising rendering the copy of the gadget into HyperText Markup Language (HTML) code by the requestor.
7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising selecting a servlet resource manager on the gadget server to assign the value to the variable.
8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 7 , wherein selecting a servlet resource manager includes selecting the servlet resource manager identified by the requestor.
9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein:
receiving a request for a gadget from a requestor includes receiving the request for the gadget from a portal server;
assigning a value to a variable in the copy of the gadget, the value dependent on the requestor includes assigning the value to the variable in the copy of the gadget, the value dependent on the portal server; and
delivering the copy of the gadget to the requestor includes delivering the copy of the gadget to the portal server.
10. An article comprising a machine-accessible storage medium having associated data that, when accessed, results in a machine:
receiving a request for a gadget identified in the code of a user designed web page from a portal server, the gadget including at least one layout strings file and at least one layout information file;
accessing the gadget on a gadget server;
copying the gadget;
assigning a value to a variable in the copy of the gadget, the value dependent on the portal server, including:
determining that the variable is assigned an existing value in the copy of the gadget; and
substituting the value for the existing value for the variable in the copy of the gadget; and
delivering the copy of the gadget to the portal server.
11. The article according to claim 10 , the machine-accessible medium having further associated data that, when accessed, results in the machine selecting a servlet resource manager on the gadget server to assign the value to the variable.
12. The article according to claim 11 , wherein selecting a servlet resource manager includes selecting the servlet resource manager identified by the portal server.
13. The article according to claim 10 , the machine-accessible medium having further associated data that, when accessed, results in the machine receiving the value from the portal server with the request for the gadget.
14. The article according to claim 10 , the machine-accessible medium having further associated data that, when accessed, results in the machine:
receiving the value from the portal server separately from the request for the gadget; and
storing the value on the gadget server.
15. The article according to claim 14 , wherein assigning a value to a variable includes accessing the value stored on the gadget server.
16. The article according to claim 10 , wherein delivering the copy of the gadget includes rendering the copy of the gadget before delivery.
17. The article according to claim 10 , the machine-accessible medium having further associated data that, when accessed, results in the machine rendering the copy of the gadget into HyperText Markup Language (HTML) code by the portal server.