System and method for platform and language-independent development and delivery of page-based content

Abstract

A system and method for platform and language-independent delivery of page-based content. Content defined in a relatively abstract format is rendered into multiple platform formats in client-side applications' user interfaces in multiple human languages. The relatively abstract format is a subset of XML and is used to define user interface elements to be displayed on a page. A Model-View-Controller architecture is implemented comprising a plurality of servlet filters, a servlet pipeline and a plurality of rendering processors for client detection, client tracking, relatively abstract format preprocessing, relatively abstract format processing and validating, and transforming and rendering of the relatively abstract format into multiple platform formats in client-side applications' user interfaces in multiple human languages. A creation, modification and management tool is also disclosed for creating, modifying and managing platform and language-independent page-based content.

1 .- 81 . (canceled) 
     
     
         82 . A user interface for use with a content creation, modification and management system, comprising
 a user interface (UI) elements list interface including means for displaying user interface (UI) elements representing content stored in at least one data source in a relatively abstract format.   
     
     
         83 . The user interface recited in  claim 82 , further comprising:
 means for searching the user interface (UI) elements according to designated search criteria;   means for sorting the user interface (UI) elements by categories;   means for linking the user interface (UI) elements to editing interfaces; and   means for adding selected user interface (UI) elements to a publishing list.   
     
     
         84 . The user interface recited in  claim 82 , further comprising:
 means for creating new user interface (UI) elements; and   means for deleting selected user interface (UI) elements.   
     
     
         85 . The user interface recited in  claim 82 , further comprising:
 a “View/Edit” user interface (UI) elements interface comprising:   means for viewing and editing user interface (UI) elements; and   means for saving new and edited user interface (UI) elements to the at least one data source as content in a relatively abstract format.   
     
     
         86 . The user interface recited in  claim 85 , further comprising
 means for entering metadata to be associated with selected user interface (UI) elements including at least one of a name, a description, content, filepath, filename and text,   wherein the user interface (UI) elements are saved along with the associated metadata.   
     
     
         87 . The user interface recited in  claim 82 , wherein the user interface (UI) elements include at least one of user interface (UI) components, actions, copy, and rendering elements. 
     
     
         88 . The user interface recited in  claim 82 , wherein the user interface (UI) elements are user interface (UI) components and further comprising
 means for determining whether the user interface (UI) components are referenced by other user interface (UI) components.   
     
     
         89 . The user interface recited in  claim 88 , further comprising
 a “Verify” user-selectable operator selectable for updating the status field.   
     
     
         90 . The user interface recited in  claim 85 , wherein the user interface (UI) elements include at least one of user interface (UI) components and actions and further comprising a relatively abstract format editing window for editing relatively abstract format code. 
     
     
         91 . The user interface recited in  claim 82 , wherein the categories include at least one of name, description, status, text, identification (ID), language, renderer, file type, size, item ID, and UI element type. 
     
     
         92 . The user interface recited in  claim 87 , wherein the actions include embedded data for defining links to user interface (UI) elements including at least one of sub-actions, copy, assets, and rendering elements. 
     
     
         93 . The user interface recited in  claim 85 , wherein the user interface (UI) elements include copy elements and further comprising a copy text editing window for editing copy text. 
     
     
         94 . The user interface recited in  claim 93 , wherein at least two items of copy text are associated with a named copy element. 
     
     
         95 . The user interface recited in  claim 93 , further comprising
 means for selecting one or more languages for which the copy text will be used during rendering.   
     
     
         96 . The user interface recited in  claim 93 , further comprising
 means for selecting one or more renderers for rendering the copy text.   
     
     
         97 . The user interface recited in  claim 94 , wherein the rendering elements contain contextual information for displaying content within a page defined in the relatively abstract format. 
     
     
         98 . The user interface recited in  claim 92 , wherein the rendering elements include subsets of rendering elements including at least one of rendering resources and rendering primitives. 
     
     
         99 . The user interface recited in  claim 92 , wherein the rendering elements include at least one sub-item grouped by at least one of file, language and renderer. 
     
     
         100 . The user interface recited in  claim 85 , wherein the user interface (UI) elements include rendering elements and further comprising
 means for selecting one or more languages for which the rendering element will be used during rendering.   
     
     
         101 . The user interface recited in  claim 85 , wherein the user interface (UI) elements include rendering elements and further comprising
 means for selecting one or more renderers for rendering the rendering element.   
     
     
         102 . The user interface recited in  claim 82 , further comprising
 a files list interface including means for displaying files list in the at least one data source.   
     
     
         103 . The user interface recited in  claim 102 , further comprising:
 means for searching the files according to designated search criteria;   means for sorting the files by categories;   means for linking the files to editing interfaces; and   means for adding selected files to a publishing list.   
     
     
         104 . The user interface recited in  claim 102 , further comprising:
 means for creating new files; and   means for deleting selected files.   
     
     
         105 . The user interface recited in  claim 102 , further comprising:
 a “View/Edit” files interface comprising: means for viewing and editing files; and   means for saving new and edited files to the at least one data source.   
     
     
         106 . The user interface recited in  claim 105 , further comprising
 means for entering metadata to be associated with selected files including at least one of a name, a description, content, filepath, and a filename, wherein the files are saved along with the associated metadata.   
     
     
         107 . The user interface recited in  claim 82 , further comprising
 a publishing list interface including means for displaying publishing list items.   
     
     
         108 . The user interface recited in  claim 107 , further comprising
 means for moving publishing list items from the at least one data source to at least one other data source.   
     
     
         109 . The user interface recited in  claim 108 , further comprising
 means for selecting the at least one other data source.   
     
     
         110 . The user interface recited in  claim 107 , further comprising:
 means for sorting the publishing list items by categories; and   means for linking the publishing list items to editing interfaces.   
     
     
         111 . The user interface recited in  claim 107 , further comprising
 means for determining a publication status of the publishing list items.   
     
     
         112 . The user interface recited in  claim 107 , further comprising
 means for removing selected publishing list items from the publishing list interface.   
     
     
         113 . The user interface recited in  claim 107 , further comprising
 means for removing all publishing list items from the publishing list interface.   
     
     
         114 . The user interface recited in  claim 82 , further comprising
 a “View/Edit” configuration interface for setting global configuration data for the content creation, modification and management system.   
     
     
         115 . The user interface recited in  claim 114 , wherein the global configuration data includes at least one of IP addresses for various environments in a publishing pipeline and root file system paths used to create and manage relative file path data for file objects within the at least one data source. 
     
     
         116 . The user interface recited in  claim 114 , further comprising
 means for setting an error checking level that is applied whenever at least one of a user interface (UI) component and action is saved to the at least one data source.   
     
     
         117 . The user interface recited in  claim 116 , wherein the error checking level includes at least one of ignoring errors, warning about errors and trapping errors. 
     
     
         118 . The user interface recited in  claim 114 , further comprising
 means for selecting for direct editing at least one of an active environment and a data source environment.   
     
     
         119 . The user interface recited in  claim 115 , further comprising
 means for entering an IP address,   wherein the IP address defined a location of instances of services of the content creation, modification and management system for each stage in the publishing pipeline.   
     
     
         120 . The user interface recited in  claim 119 , wherein the system services are a set of Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)-based APIs enabling at least one of the content creation, modification and management system and network enabled devices to communicate with the at least one data source in a controlled and well defined manner. 
     
     
         121 . The user interface recited in  claim 115 , wherein the publishing pipeline includes multiple stages and wherein for each stage in the publishing pipeline, a disk-based file system is used to store physical files that are used by the content creation, modification and management system. 
     
     
         122 . The user interface recited in  claim 121 , wherein relative file paths are stored in file objects in the at least one data source and wherein the user interface further comprises means for entering root file paths of at least one of an active environment and a source environment for searching and selecting files in the at least one of an active environment and a source environment. 
     
     
         123 . The user interface recited in  claim 122 , wherein when files are selected, the root file paths are stripped from full file paths of the file to provide the relative file paths, the relative file paths being saved to the at least one data source. 
     
     
         124 . The user interface recited in  claim 82 , further comprising
 means for applying changes made in the user interface.