Electronic document with selectively editable fields and methods for same
An electronic file such as an HTML web page accessible via a browser by a user. The electronic file may include one or more textual field descriptors for display within the browser; one or more editable data fields associated with the textual field descriptors, the editable data fields for receiving data for the user of the browser; and a module having a view mode and an edit mode, the view mode for displaying the textual field descriptors, the edit mode for permitting the user to enter data in the editable data fields. In one example, the view mode may be invoked when the electronic file is open in the browser. The edit mode may be invoked only if the browser contains a control for activating the edit mode. In this way, the user is able to edit the data in the document and retransmit the document to other users who can only view the data as read-only data.
1. An electronic file stored on a computer-readable medium and accessible via a browser by a user, comprising:
one or more textual field descriptors for display within said browser;
one or more editable data fields associated with said textual field descriptors, said editable data fields for receiving data for the user of said browser; and
a module having a view mode and an edit mode, said view mode for displaying said textual field descriptors, said edit mode invoked when said browser contains a control for activating said edit mode and for permitting the user to enter data in the editable data fields;
wherein when the electronic file is displayed by said browser, said view mode is invoked and the textual field descriptors and the data are displayed as read-only data when said browser does not contain the control for activating said edit mode.
2. The electronic file of claim 1 , wherein when the electronic file is displayed by said browser, said edit mode is invoked only if said browser contains the control for activating said edit mode and the control for activating said edit mode is launched by said browser.
3. The electronic file of claim 2 , wherein the module accesses a write function when said edit mode is invoked, said write function accessible by the electronic file over a network.
4. The electronic file of claim 1 , wherein when the edit mode is invoked, the module accepts data input from the user into said one or more editable data fields.
5. The electronic file of claim 4 , wherein after the edit mode is invoked, the data input from the user is stored into the electronic file.
6. The electronic file of claim 5 , wherein after data input from the user is stored into the electronic file and the user transmits the electronic file to another user, the view mode displays the textual field descriptors and the data as read-only data in the editable text fields.
7. A method, comprising:
storing in a memory an electronic file accessible via a browser by a user;
configuring in said electronic file one or more editable data fields, each associated with one or more textual field descriptors;
configuring, in said electronic file, a module that is invoked by said browser, said module having a view mode and an edit mode, said view mode for displaying said textual field descriptors, said edit mode for permitting the user to enter data in the editable data fields;
executing said view mode by said browser to display the data and textual field descriptors of the editable data fields of said electronic file as read-only data; and
executing said edit mode when a write function is called by said browser and said browser contains a control for activating said edit mode.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
accepting data input from the user in said executing said edit mode step into said one or more editable data fields when the edit mode is activated.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
storing the data input from the user into the electronic file after the edit mode is activated.
10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
transmitting the electronic file to another user; and
displaying the textual field descriptors and the data as read-only data in the editable text fields when a browser of the other user does not contain a control for activating said edit mode.