System and method for generating web pages
View Patent ↗Systems and methods for creating Web pages are provided. Web page development components, referred to as “pods,” may be used to encapsulate discrete functionality for use and re-use within Web pages. The pods may be contained in a library, from which a developer may select one or more pods that provide the functionality and/or presentation definitions the developer wishes to include in the Web page. A pod may contain all the functional and presentation information required to implement the desired functionality, and may contain only that functional and presentation information.
1. A computer-implemented method of constructing a parcel shipping Web page, the method comprising:
presenting a plurality of Web page development components to a developer, each Web page development component consisting of the scripting and presentation elements necessary to implement a distinct functional component of a production parcel shipping Web page;
receiving a selection of one of the plurality of Web page development components, the selected Web page development component including a distinct functional component configured to provide an initial notification to the production parcel shipping Web page when the distinct functional component causes parcel related data changes, wherein the initial notification indicates to the production parcel shipping Web page that a change of the parcel related data has occurred; and
responsive to the selection, constructing a production parcel shipping Web page that includes the distinct functional component associated with the selected Web page development component, the production parcel shipping Web page configured to provide a subsequent notification to a second distinct functional component upon receiving the initial notification from the distinct functional component associated with the selected Web page development component, wherein the second distinct functional component subscribes to receive notifications related to changes in the parcel related data.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected Web page component consists of the functionality and presentation elements required to implement at least one of: a user login component, a user account creation component, a carrier/service selection component, an address entry component, a system requirement display component, a package dimension input component, or a carrier/product option selection component, in the production parcel shipping Web page.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected Web page development component is usable in a plurality of production Web pages, each of the plurality of production Web pages including the functional component associated with the Web page development component.
4. A method of constructing a production Web page, the method comprising:
presenting a plurality of Web page development components to a developer in a development library, each Web page development component containing Web page scripting elements and functional elements necessary to implement a distinct functional component of a production Web page, wherein the distinct functional component does not have any constituent source code related to the functionality or presentation of other distinct functional components of the production Web page;
receiving a selection of one of the plurality of Web page development components, wherein the selected one of the plurality of Web page development components is configured to provide a notification of a data change within the Web page development component to the production Web page;
responsive to the selection, constructing an intermediate Web page file that includes the distinct functional component associated with the selected Web page development component; and
generating from the intermediate Web page file a production Web page, wherein the production Web page is configured to separate functional components and presentation components of the distinct functional component into separate files.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the selected Web page development component comprises each of one or more scripting elements necessary to implement the distinct functional component.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the selected Web page development component comprises each of one or more presentation elements necessary to implement the distinct functional component.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the selected Web page development component consists of one or more scripting and presentation elements necessary to implement the distinct functional component.
8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the Web page development component is configured to provide a notification of the data change to any other Web page development components in the production Web page that have subscribed to receive notifications of the type of change provided to the production Web page by the selected component.
9. The method of claim 4 , further comprising adding a functional block corresponding to the selected Web page development component to the production Web page.
10. The method of claim 4 , wherein the selected Web page development component is usable in constructing a plurality of production Web pages, each of the plurality of production Web pages including the distinct functional component associated with the selected Web page development component.
11. The method of claim 4 , further comprising: adding a functional block corresponding to the selected Web page development component to an intermediate Web page file; and generating the production Web page from the intermediate Web page file.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of generating the production Web page further comprises: grouping script components defined in the selected Web page development component and a second Web page development component into a single functional block; and adding the single functional block to the production Web page.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of generating the production Web page further comprises: grouping presentation components defined in the selected Web page development component and a second Web page development component into a single functional block; and adding the single functional block to the production Web page.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of generating the production Web page further comprises:
grouping script components defined in the selected Web page development component and a second Web page development component into a single functional block; and
adding the single functional block to the intermediate Web page file.
15. The method of claim 4 , wherein the selected Web page component defines all the functionality and presentation required to implement at least one of: a user login component, a user account creation component, a carrier/service selection component, an address entry component, a system requirement display component, a package dimension input component, or a carrier/product option selection component, in the production Web page.