System and method for generating high-function browser widgets with full addressability

1. A method of providing browser widgets in a data processing system, comprising:

receiving a request, from a client device, for a web page having a custom tag for a browser widget;

generating a browser widget object for the browser widget based on the custom tag;

generating code for representing a view of the web page; and

transmitting the browser widget object and the code for representing the view of the web page to the client device, wherein the browser widget object provides a client-side model for providing browser widget functionality, wherein the method further comprises:

determining if a browser widget handler is associated with the browser window object; and

generating a code representation of a client-side handler and transmitting the code representation of the client-side handler to the client device if a browser widget handler is associated with the browser window.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the browser widget object includes:

generating a script block that links a class definition file for the browser widget and a construction script block that constructs the browser widget object using the class definition; and

setting a variable name of the construction script block in the browser widget object.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating the browser widget object further includes:

determining whether there is a JavaBean from a server-side model referenced in attributes of the custom tag; and

converting the JavaBean to a JavaScript representation of the JavaBean and encapsulating the JavaScript representation in the browser widget object, if the attributes reference a JavaBean from a server-side model.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining if a browser widget handler is associated with the browser window object comprises:

determining if there is a browser widget handler identified in the web page; and wherein generating a code representation of a client-side handler and transmitting the code representation of the client-side handler to the client device if a browser widget handler is associated with the browser window comprises:

constructing a handler tag object which outputs a script block linking a handler class definition file and a constructor script block that constructs the browser widget handler object using the class definition and registers the handler with the browser widget object, if there is a browser widget handler identified in the web page.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

setting an event type in the browser widget object, wherein the event type indicates a type of event that causes the browser widget handler object to be invoked.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the code for representing a view of the web page is HyperText Markup Language (HTML) code.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the browser widget object is generated based on one or more of an object and a JavaBean in a server-side model.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

converting the custom tag to a tag object, wherein the tag object performs the step of generating the browser widget object for the browser widget.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the browser widget is one of drop-down menu, a dialog window, and a virtual push button.

10. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for providing browser widgets in a data processing system, comprising:

first instructions for receiving a request, from a client device, for a web page having a custom tag for a browser widget;

second instructions for generating a browser widget object for the browser widget based on the custom tag;

third instructions for generating code for representing a view of the web page; and

fourth instructions for transmitting the browser widget object and the code for representing the view of the web page to the client device, wherein the browser widget object provides a client-side model for providing browser widget functionality, wherein the computer program product further comprises:

fifth instructions for determining if a browser widget handler is associated with the browser window object; and

sixth instructions for generating a code representation of a client-side handler and transmitting the code representation of the client-side handler to the client device if a browser widget handler is associated with the browser window.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the second instructions for generating the browser widget object include:

instructions for generating a script block that links a class definition file for the browser widget and a construction script block that constructs the browser widget object using the class definition; and

instructions for setting a variable name of the construction script block in the browser widget object.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the second instructions for generating the browser widget object further include:

instructions for determining whether there is a JavaBean from a server-side model referenced in attributes of the custom tag; and

instructions for converting the JavaBean to a JavaScript representation of the JavaBean and encapsulating the JavaScript representation in the browser widget object, if the attributes reference a JavaBean from a server-side model.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the fifth instructions for determining if a browser widget handler is associated with the browser window object comprises:

instructions for determining if there is a browser widget handler identified in the web page; and wherein the sixth instructions for generating a code representation of a client-side handler and transniitting the code representation of the client-side handler to the client device if a browser widget handler is associated with the browser window, comprises:

instructions for constructing a handler tag object which outputs a script block linking a handler class definition file and a constructor script block that constructs the browser widget handler object using the class definition and registers the handler with the browser widget object, if there is a browser widget handler identified in the web page.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , further comprising:

seventh instructions for setting an event type in the browser widget object, wherein the event type indicates a type of event that causes the browser widget handler object to be invoked.

15. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the code for representing a view of the web page is HyperText Markup Language (HTML) code.

16. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the browser widget object is generated based on one or more of an object and a JavaBean in a server-side model.

17. The computer program product of claim 10 , further comprising:

seventh instructions for converting the custom tag to a tag object, wherein the tag object performs the step of generating the browser widget object for the browser widget.

18. An apparatus for providing browser widgets in a data processing system, comprising:

means for receiving a request, from a client device, for a web page having a custom tag for a browser widget;

means for generating a browser widget object for the browser widget based on the custom tag;

means for generating code for representing a view of the web page; and

means for transmitting the browser widget object and the code for representing the view of the web page to the client device, wherein the browser widget object provides a client-side model for providing browser widget functionality, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

means for determining if a browser widget handler is associated with the browser window object; and

means for generating a code representation of a client-side handler and transmitting the code representation of the client-side handler to the client device if a browser widget handler is associated with the browser window.