Server evaluation of client-side script

Abstract

A facility is described for server-side evaluation of client-side script, such as to crawl and index dynamically generated links. In various embodiments, the facility provides an object that emulates a browser object. The provided object exposes a function for performing steps comprising receiving a first link and storing the received first link in a list of links to be processed. The facility receives a second link to be processed, loads a second document identified by the received second link, and assigns the provided object to a global variable so that a script associated with the loaded second document invokes the function exposed by the provided object instead of a function with a similar name that is exposed by the emulated browser object. The function with the similar name exposed by the emulated browser object handles the received first link without storing it in the list of links to be processed.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method performed by a server computing device for evaluating a client-side script, comprising:
 providing an object that emulates a browser object;   assigning the provided object to a global variable having a similar name as the emulated browser object, wherein the function of the object has functionality equivalent to the emulated browser object;   detecting a dynamically generated link by the object;   adding the dynamically generated link to a link queue;   downloading a document associated with the dynamically generated link; and   processing contents of the downloaded document.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising:
 building a document object model based on the downloaded document; 
 employing the built document object model to locate a script element in the downloaded document; and 
 executing, at the server computing device, a client-side script defined within the script element. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising downloading a second client-side script referenced by an attribute of the script element. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the second client-side script referenced by the attribute of the script element is executed before the client-side script. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising:
 employing a markup language sweeper component to determine if the document is well-formed; and 
 modifying document tags in the case the document is not well-formed. 
 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising triggering events. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein, for each node in the document object model, the triggering comprises:
 determining whether the node indicates an event handler attribute; and 
 invoking an event handling routine indicated by the event handler attribute. 
 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the processing includes crawling and indexing text stored in the downloaded document. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising:
 detecting an attempt to change the built document object model; 
 receiving information relating to the attempted change to the built document object model; 
 determining whether the attempted change identifies a link; and 
 adding the identified link to the link queue for processing when the attempted change identifies a link. 
 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the link is retrieved from the link queue. 
     
     
         31 . A system for evaluating client-side script at a server computing device, comprising:
 a link queue to process, each link identifying a document; and   a script engine component operating at the server computing device that,
 provides an object that emulates a browser object; 
 assigns the provided object to a global variable having a similar name as the emulated browser object, wherein the function of the object has functionality equivalent to the emulated browser object; 
 detects a dynamically generated link by the object; 
 adds the dynamically generated link to a link queue; 
 downloads a document associated with the dynamically generated link; and 
 processes contents of the downloaded document. 
   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31  further comprising a document object model component that builds a document object model based on the downloaded document. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32  wherein the document object model component further:
 detects an attempt to change the built document object model; 
 receives information relating to the attempted change to the built document object model; 
 determines whether the attempted change identifies a link; and 
 adds the identified link to the link queue for processing when the attempted change identifies a link. 
 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 31  further comprising a markup language sweeper component that transforms the identified document into a well-formed document. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the script engine processes a client-side script that is written using a language that is similar to a JavaScript language. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the received link is dynamically generated by the script. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the emulating object emulates a window, location, navigator, cookie, or document browser object. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the script employs the global variable as a substitute for the browser object without a change in the script. 
     
     
         39 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a server computing system to perform a method of evaluating a client-side script, the method comprising:
 providing an object that emulates a browser object;   assigning the provided object to a global variable having a similar name as the emulated browser object, wherein the function of the object has functionality equivalent to the emulated browser object;   detecting a dynamically generated link by the object;   adding the dynamically generated link to a link queue;   downloading a document associated with the dynamically generated link; and   processing contents of the downloaded document.   
     
     
         40 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 39  wherein handling a link includes loading a document referenced by the link. 
     
     
         41 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 39  wherein the method further comprises:
 building a document object model based on the downloaded document; 
 employing the built document object model to locate a script element in the downloaded document; and 
 executing, at the server computing device, a client-side script defined within the script element. 
 
     
     
         42 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 41  wherein the method further comprises:
 detecting an attempt to change the built document object model; 
 receiving information relating to the attempted change to the built document object model; 
 determining whether the attempted change identifies a link; and 
 adding the identified link to the link queue for processing when the attempted change identifies a link.