Method and system for importing HTML forms

Abstract

Collaboration space object model provides for a place consisting of rooms created by users interacting with a client browser. A skin (i.e., theme) may be used as template for creating places. PlaceBots (i.e., agents) provide for accessing, processing and managing data in a place. HTML may be dragged and dropped into a place, where it is parsed and corresponding place fields created. MS Excel or Word documents may be dragged and dropped into a place, which creates a corresponding form, and users may create new documents using that form. A place type comprising a template of an entire place, or collaboration space, may be used to create new places. Changes made to a place may be reported, subject to security controls, by selecting what's new. Task fields are provided allowing web browser creation of forms for work flow. Place enabled objects are provided for synchronous communications. A quick browse feature provides a simplified format for browser windows based on selection of HTML links. MS Office documents may launched within a place for in place editing and importing the resulting document into the place.

1 . Method for integrating forms including fields defining the database schema of a collaboration space into said collaboration space to enable users of said collaboration space to extend the capabilities of that collaboration space, comprising the steps of: 
 a user having an administrative or manager role in said collaboration space creating a hypertext markup language (html) form containing fields defining said database schema and hyperlinks that point to web pages, said fields adapted to extend said database schema as user members of said collaboration space enter data to fields of said form;    saving said form to local storage at said browser;    dragging and dropping said form from local storage into an upload control panel in a user interface to said collaboration space;    parsing said form to identify said fields and incorporate them into said database schema, with field names indicating items in said database schema;    extending said capabilities by integrating said form into said collaboration space;    rendering said form to a member user; and    receiving said form from said user with new data content for said collaboration space.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , said hyperlinks providing access to files including text, graphics, images, sound, and video files.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , said web pages residing on servers remote from the server for said collaboration space.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the steps of: 
 responsive to user selection of a said hyperlink, downloading linked code; and    rendering said linked code into a display at said browser.    
   
   
       5 - 8 . (canceled)  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 parsing said form, finding linked files and processing uniform resource locators to generate a form object;    saving to a page object said form, said linked files, and said form object; and    displaying at said browser said page with said form object in read mode and said form in edit mode.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 responsive to creation within an html page or skin of a valid hyperlink to an image in said web page, creating a uniform resource locator (url) by: 
 downloading said images into a local directory in the same folder as said html page or skin; and  
   uploading said linked and download images from said local directory automatically when said page or skin is uploaded.    
   
   
       11 . A method for incorporating a hypertext markup language (html) form including fields defining the schema of a collaboration space into a collaboration space place for entry of data content into said collaboration space to enable users of said collaboration space to extend the capabilities of that collaboration space, comprising the steps of: 
 creating a form containing html fields defining said schema in html;    dragging and dropping said form into said place;    extending said capabilities by parsing said form to identify each html field and process uniform resource locators and to incorporate each said html field into said schema;    creating a field for each html tag;    saving on a page said html in read mode and said form in edit mode;    rendering said form in edit mode to a user; and    receiving said form from said user with new data content for said collaboration space;    said collaboration space being implemented within an object model selectively including place, room, folder, page, member, form, field, placetype, roomtype, skin, and placebot objects.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of: 
 downloading said html form and any linked image files for loading to client storage in its original form by 
 importing an original html file which contains an image tag together with copies of related image files into collaboration space;  
 parsing said original html file to find linked images;  
 creating a modified html file by modifying said image tag in said html file to refer to said copies of said related image files within said collaboration space;  
 saving said original html file and said modified html file on a collaboration space page object; and  
 displaying said page object with said original html file in edit mode and said modified html file in read mode.  
   
   
   
       13 . Method for creating and uploading a form into a place in collaboration space, comprising the steps of: 
 using an hypertext markup language (html) editor, prepare a document containing custom code as a manually created html form, with all said custom code within a body tag of said document;    uploading said document to said place by dragging and dropping said document to an upload control in a browser user interface to said place; and    at said place, replacing head and title tags in said document with place tags;    said collaboration space being implemented within an object model selectively including place, room, folder, page, member, form, field, placetype, roomtype, skin, and placebot objects.    
   
   
       14 . System for creating and uploading a form including fields defining the schema of a collaboration space into a place in collaboration space to enable users of said collaboration space to extend the capabilities of that collaboration space, comprising: 
 a hypertext markup language (html) editor for preparing a document containing custom code as a manually created html form including fields defining said schema with all said custom code within a body tag of said document, said fields adapted to extend said database schema as user members of said collaboration space enter data to fields of said form;    a browser;    a window at said browser for providing a user interface to said place, said user interface including an upload control;    said upload control uploading said document to said place upon said document being dragged and dropped into said upload control;    said place extending said capabilities by parsing said form to identify said fields and incorporate them into said schema, with field names indicating items in said database schema; and    said place rendering said form in edit mode to a user and receiving said form from said user with new data content for said collaboration space.    
   
   
       15 . A system for integrating forms including fields defining the schema of a collaboration space into collaboration space to enable users of said collaboration space to extend the capabilities of that collaboration space, comprising: 
 a client browser;    a legacy editor used by a user having an administrative or manager role in said collaboration space for preparing a form containing hyperlinks that point to web pages and fields defining said schema, said fields adapted to extend said database schema as user members of said collaboration space enter data to fields of said form;    a local storage for saving said form at said browser; and    an upload control panel receiving said form from said local storage and uploading said form to said collaboration space;    said collaboration space including a server for extending said capabilities by parsing said form to identify said fields and incorporate them into said schema, with field names indicating items in said database schema; and    said collaboration space rendering said form in edit mode to a user and receiving said form from said user with new data content for said collaboration space, said collaboration space being implemented within an object model selectively including place, room, folder, page, member, form, field, placetype, roomtype, skin, and placebot objects.    
   
   
       16 . A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for integrating forms including fields defining the schema of a collaboration space into collaboration space to enable users of said collaboration space to extend the capabilities of that collaboration space, said method steps comprising: 
 a user having an administrative or manager role in said collaboration space preparing at a browser using a legacy editor a form containing hyperlinks that point to web pages and fields defining said schema, said fields adapted to extend said database schema as user members of said collaboration space enter data to fields of said form;    saving said form to local storage at said browser;    dragging and dropping said form from local storage into an upload control panel in a user interface to said collaboration space;    extending said capabilities by parsing said form to identify said fields and incorporate them into said schema, with field names indicating items in said database schema; and    said collaboration space rendering said form in edit mode to a user; and receiving said form from said user with new data content for said collaboration space.    
   
   
       17 . A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for incorporating a hypertext markup language (html) form including fields defining the schema of a collaboration space into a collaboration space place to enable users of said collaboration space to extend the capabilities of that collaboration space, said method steps comprising: 
 creating a form including fields defining said schema in html;    dragging and dropping said form into said place;    extending said capabilities by parsing said form to identify each html field and process uniform resource locators and to incorporate each said html field into said schema;    creating a field for each html tag;    saving on a page said html in read mode and said form in edit mode; and    rendering said form in edit mode to a user; and    receiving said form from said user with new data content for said collaboration space.    
   
   
       18 . A computer program product for incorporating a hypertext markup language (html) form including fields defining the schema of a collaboration space into a collaboration space place to enable users of said collaboration space to extend the capabilities of that collaboration space, comprising: 
 a computer readable medium;    first program instructions for creating a form in html including fields defining said schema, said fields adapted to extend said database schema as user members of said collaboration space enter data to fields of said form;    second program instructions for dragging and dropping said form into said place;    third program instructions for extending said capabilities by parsing said form to identify each html field and process uniform resource locators and to incorporate each said html field into said schema;    fourth program instructions for creating a field for each html tag; and    fifth program instructions for saving on a page said html in read mode and said form in edit mode;    sixth program instructions for rendering said form in edit mode to a user and receiving said form from said user with new data content for said collaboration space and wherein    said first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth program instructions are recorded on said computer readable medium.    
   
   
       19 . A computer program product for integrating forms including fields defining the schema of a collaboration space into said collaboration space to enable users of said collaboration space to extend the capabilities of that collaboration space, comprising: 
 a computer readable medium;    first program instructions for a user having an administrative or manager role in said collaboration space to prepare at a browser using a legacy editor a form including fields defining said schema and containing hyperlinks that point to web pages, said fields adapted to extend said database schema as user members of said collaboration space enter data to fields of said form;    second program instructions for saving said form to local storage at said browser; and    third program instructions for dragging and dropping said form from local storage into an upload control panel in a user interface to said collaboration space;    fourth program instructions for extending said capabilities by parsing said form to identify said fields and incorporate them into said schema;    fifth program instructions for rendering said form in edit mode to a user and receiving said form from said user with new data content for said collaboration space; and wherein    said first, second, third, fourth, and fifth program instructions are recorded on said computer readable medium.