COMBINING SERVER-SIDE AND CLIENT-SIDE USER INTERFACE ELEMENTS
A method and apparatus are disclosed for combining server-supplied user interface elements with client-supplied user interface elements. The server-supplied user interface elements can be received by a client device and inserted into a client-supplied object model, such as a Document Object Model (DOM). The object model can then be used to render a page, such as a webpage. By injecting server-supplied user interface elements into a client object model, the client can intelligently combine UI elements from a server with UI elements from a client. In the situation where there are conflicting or overlapping UI elements, the client device can modify the object model to eliminate such conflicts or overlaps.
1 - 20 . (canceled)
21 . A user device capable of combining server-supplied user interface elements with client-supplied user-interface elements, comprising:
a processor;
a display;
an input device; and
memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the user device to:
receive server-supplied user interface elements and style information from a server computer;
insert the server-supplied user interface elements into a client-supplied object model, wherein the object model also includes client-supplied user interface elements; and
render, for viewing by a user of the device on the display, a page using the object model so that both one or more of the client-supplied user interface elements and one or more of the server-supplied user interface elements appear together on the rendered page, wherein the rendering further comprises:
comparing at least one client-supplied user interface element with at least one server-supplied user interface element and, if there is a match, suppressing at least one client-supplied user interface element or at least one user interface element received from the server computer;
applying the style information to both the one or more of the client-supplied user interface elements and the one or more of the server-supplied user interface elements.
22 . The user device of claim 21 , wherein the server-supplied user interface elements and style information are in HTML.
23 . The user device of claim 21 , wherein the inserting includes searching on a division tag in the client-supplied object model and inserting the user interface elements and style information from the server computer into the division tag.
24 . The user device of claim 21 , wherein the object model is a Document Object Model used for HTML and further including the server computer for transmitting the user interface elements.
25 . The user device of claim 21 , wherein the user interface elements received from the server computer are cached and stored locally on the client device.
26 . The user device of claim 21 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the user device to receive server-supplied content from the server computer and insert the server-supplied content in the client-supplied object model.
27 . The user device of claim 26 , wherein the server-supplied content is XML data.
28 . The user device of claim 1 , wherein the user device is a mobile device and the input device is a touch screen.
29 . A method for allowing a server computer to control aspects of the look and feel of a user interface on a mobile user device comprising:
receiving server-supplied user interface elements and style information from a server computer;
searching on a division tag in a client-supplied object model used to render a page on a display on the mobile user device, wherein the client-supplied object model contains client-supplied user interface elements;
inserting the server-supplied user interface elements into a client-supplied object model used to render a page on the display, wherein the inserting comprises inserting at least one of the server-supplied user interface elements into the division tag, based on the results of the searching; and
rendering, for viewing by a user of the mobile user device, the page using the object model so that both one or more of the client-supplied user interface elements and one or more of the server-supplied user interface elements appear on the rendered page, wherein the rendering further comprises applying the style information to both the one or more of the client-supplied user interface elements and the one or more of the server-supplied user interface elements.
30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the rendering further comprises comparing at least one client-supplied user interface element with at least one server-supplied user interface element and, if there is a match, suppressing at least one client-supplied user interface element or at least one user interface element received from the server computer.
31 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the server-supplied user interface elements and style information are in HTML.
32 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the object model is a Document Object Model used for HTML and further including the server computer for transmitting the user interface elements.
33 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the user interface elements received from the server computer are cached and stored locally on the mobile user device.
34 . The method of claim 29 , further comprising receiving server-supplied content from the server computer and inserting the server-supplied content in the client-supplied object model.
35 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the server-supplied content is XML data.
36 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the rendering further comprises rendering the server-supplied content.
37 . A method for applying server-supplied style information to a combination of server-supplied user interface elements and client-supplied user-interface elements, comprising:
in response to user interaction with an input device on a client device, receiving the server-supplied user interface elements and style information from a server computer;
adding the server-supplied user interface elements to a client-supplied object model that contains client-supplied user interface elements, wherein the object model is used to render a page on a display of the client device;
for viewing by the user, rendering the page using the client-supplied object model, wherein the rendering comprises:
comparing at least one client-supplied user interface element with at least one server-supplied user interface element and, if there is a match, suppressing at least one client-supplied user interface element or at least one user interface element received from the server computer;
applying the style information to both one or more of the client-supplied user interface elements and one or more of the server-supplied user interface elements; and
displaying together on the rendered page the one or more of the client-supplied user interface elements and the one or more of the server-supplied user interface elements.
38 . The method of claim 37 , wherein the rendering further comprises expanding the area on the display for the client-supplied user interface elements.
39 . The method of claim 37 , wherein adding includes searching on a division tag in the client-supplied object model and adding the user interface elements and style information from the server computer into the division tag.
40 . The method of claim 37 , further comprising caching the server-supplied user interface elements at the client device.