Display of web page with available data

1. A method for executing a web application comprising:

sending at least one query to at least one data source;

receiving data in response to the at least one query;

creating a web page having separate portions, a first portion of said portions for displaying received data, a second portion of said portions for displaying a first placeholder for yet to be received data;

inserting at least a first refresh code in said second portion; and

transmitting said web page to a web browser.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said portions include a third portion for displaying a second placeholder, said inserting involving a second refresh code in said third portion.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising in response to said first refresh code, refreshing said second portion without refreshing said first portion whereby newly received data replaces said first placeholder.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein said first refresh code specifies a first time interval, said refreshing occurring at expiration of said first time interval.

5. A method as recited in claim 3 further comprising determining when data for said second portion has been received and performing said refreshing in response to said determining so as to remove said first refresh code from said second portion.

6. A method as recited in claim 3 further comprising:

sending the at least one query in at least one background thread; and

creating said web page with data that is already available.

7. A method as recited in claim 3 further comprising:

receiving a refresh request from the web browser directed to the web page;

responding to said refresh request by performing said refreshing; and

retransmitting a resulting refreshed web page to said web browser.

8. A method as recited in claim 3 further comprising:

repeatedly refreshing said first portion whereby newly received data replaces said placeholder once a complete set of data is received.

9. A method as recited in claim 3 further comprising tracking time for communication between the web server and the web browser.

10. A method as recited in claim 3 further comprising:

operating in a first mode involving:

sending the at least one query to the at least one data source;

receiving the data in response to the at least one query;

creating the web page including received data and placeholders for yet to be received data; and

transmitting the web page to the web browser regardless of web page completion;

operating in a second mode involving:

sending the at least one query to the at least one data source;

receiving the data in response to the at least one query;

creating the web page including received data when all data from the at least one query is received; and

transmitting the web page including all queried data to the web browser;

tracking time for communication between the web server and the web browser; and

selecting between the first and second modes based on the tracked communication time.

11. A method as recited in claim 10 further comprising:

inserting a refresh code in the web page; and

for a web page with the inserted refresh code:

receiving a refresh request from the web browser directed to the web page;

refreshing the web page whereby newly received data replaces a placeholder; and

retransmitting the refreshed web page to the web browser.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 further comprising selecting the first mode for relatively faster communication and selecting the second mode for relatively slower communication.

13. A method as recited in claim 11 further comprising adjusting refresh rate based on the tracked communication time.

14. A method as recited in claim 3 further comprising executing the web application using a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) protocol or an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) HTTP Request (XMLHttpRequest) protocol.

15. A method for operating a web server comprising:

creating a web page from data accumulated in a plurality of data source queries;

transmitting the web page to a web browser; and

selectively operating in a first mode or a second mode,

said first mode providing for dividing said web page into separate portions, a first portion of said portions for displaying received data, a second portion of said portions for displaying a first placeholder for yet to be received data, and transmitting the web page regardless of availability of data from the data source, and

said second mode involving transmitting the web page after all data from the data source is received.

16. A method as recited in claim 15 further comprising:

tracking time for communication between said web server and said web browser; and

selecting between said first and second modes based on the tracked communication time.

17. A method as recited in claim 15 further comprising:

inserting a refresh code in the web page while operating in the first mode; and

for a web page with the inserted refresh code:

receiving a refresh request from said web browser directed to the web page;

refreshing said web page whereby newly received data replaces a placeholder; and

retransmitting the refreshed web page to the web browser.

18. A method as recited in claim 17 further comprising adjusting refresh rate based on the tracked communication time.

19. A method as recited in claim 15 further comprising selecting the first mode for relatively faster communication and selecting the second mode for relatively slower communication.

20. An apparatus comprising non-transitory controller usable storage media encoded with program code including:

code adapted to cause a controller to create a web page from data accumulated in a plurality of data source query requests;

code adapted to cause the controller to transmit the web page to a web browser; and

code adapted to cause the controller to selectively operate in a first mode or a second mode, the first mode comprising transmitting the web page regardless of availability of data from the data source and the second mode comprising transmitting the web page after all data from a data source is received, said first mode involving, when not all of said data is received from said data source, creating the web page with separate portions, a first portion of said portions for displaying received data, a second portion of said portions for displaying a first placeholder for yet to be received data.

21. An apparatus as recited in claim 20 further comprising:

said controller; and

a communication interface coupled to the controller and adapted to communicate on a network among at least one client and a plurality of data stores, the controller adapted to execute a web application that sends query requests to at least one data source, receives data in response to the query requests, creates a web page comprising received data and placeholders for yet to be received data, and transmits the web page to a web browser executing on the at least one client regardless of web page completion.