Patent Publication Number: US-2005132285-A1

Title: System and method for generating webpages

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to website development, and in particular to a system and method for generating webpages thereof.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      A conventional system for developing webpages is labor intensive and requires experts from different fields. Content for a webpage are first provided. The layout design thereof is then determined, and source code thereof is written. The development of content, layout design, and source code requires different specialties and is generally accomplished by different personnel. If the three described steps of webpage development are accomplished separately by different personnel, difficulties may arise resulting in prolonged lead time and reduced quality.  
      Furthermore, webpages must be developed individually even if they have a similar layout. Hence, work must be duplicated repeatedly to fit new content into a preset layout. Additionally, a particular webpage may be designed to be presented on certain platform with an appearance defined by a preset layout. If the platform or layout changes, the webpage must be redeveloped.  
      Hence, there is a need for a webpage development system which ameliorates the disadvantages of the existing technology.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Accordingly, the present invention provides a system and method for generating webpages by combining a format template and a content template.  
      The present invention provides a system for generating webpages comprising a web data generating module, a format template editing module, a content template editing module, and an integration module.  
      The web data generating module generates a format template and a content template according to a preset model, wherein the model comprises at least one page element corresponding to the page element.  
      The format template editing module adjusts the format template, wherein the format template comprises at least one format element corresponding to the page element.  
      The content template editing module adjusts the content template, wherein the content template comprises at least one content element.  
      The integration module, connected to the format template adjusting module and the content template adjusting module, retrieves the content element from the adjusted content template, combines it into the corresponding format element of the adjusted format template, and generates the webpages as defined by the model accordingly.  
      The present invention also provides a method for generating webpages. First, a model is provided, wherein the model comprises at least one page element. Then, a format template and a content template are generated according to the model. Next, the format template is adjusted, wherein the format template comprises at least one format element corresponding to the page element. Then, the content template is adjusted, wherein the content template comprises at least one content element corresponding to the page element. After the format template and content template are adjusted, the content element is retrieved from the adjusted content template, and combined into the corresponding format element of the adjusted format template to generate an webpages accordingly.  
      The above-mentioned method may take the form of program code embodied in a tangible media. When the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention.  
      A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a system for generating webpages according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a method for generating a webpage of the system of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  illustrates a layout of a webpage according to the embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 4  illustrates a model for a webpage according to the embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 5  illustrates a format template for the model of  FIG. 4 ;  
       FIG. 6  illustrates a content template for the model of  FIG. 4 ;  
       FIG. 7  illustrates an adjusted format template for a webpage according to the embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 8  illustrates an adjusted content template for a webpage according to the embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 9  shows a webpage according to the embodiment of the present invention; and  
       FIG. 10  is a diagram of a storage medium storing a computer program providing the webpage development method according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a system for generating webpages according to the present invention.  
      A system  10  for generating a webpage includes a web data generating module  11 , a format template editing module  13 , a content template editing module  15 , an integration module  17 , and a storage device  19 .  
      The web data generating module  11  generates a format template and a content template according to a preset model, wherein the model comprises at least one page element. The preset model is stored in the storage device  19 . The aforementioned format template comprises at least one format element corresponding to the page element. The aforementioned content template comprises at least one content element corresponding to the page element.  
      The format template editing module  13  adjusts the format template to meet requirements. Similarly, the adjusted format template comprises at least one format element corresponding to the page element.  
      The content template editing module  15  adjusts the content template. Similarly, the adjusted content template comprises at least one content element.  
      The integration module  17  retrieves the content element from the adjusted content template, combines it with a corresponding format element of the adjusted format template, and generates the webpage as defined by the model.  
      Using  FIG. 2  as an example, which is a flowchart of a method for generating webpages of the system of  FIG. 1 .  
      First, a preset model defining a webpage is provided (step S 21 ). The model comprises at least one page element. The content template comprises at least one content element corresponding to the page element.  
      Second, a format template and a content template are generated according to the model (step S 22 ). The format template comprises at least one format element corresponding to the page element.  
      Then, the format template is adjusted to meet requirements (step S 23 ). Similarly, the adjusted format template comprises at least one format element corresponding to the page element. The content template is also adjusted to meet requirements (step S 24 ). Similarly, the content template comprises at least one content element corresponding to the page element.  
      Next, the content element is retrieved from the adjusted content template and combined into a corresponding format element of the adjusted format template, and thus the webpage as defined by the model is generated (step S 25 ).  
      Referring to FIGS.  3 ˜ 10 , details of the aforementioned webpage development are described in the following.  FIG. 3  illustrates a layout of a webpage. According to the preset layout design, the webpage  100  contains page elements  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140 ,  150 , and  160 . The page elements can be any kind of object, such as a text object, an image object, a multimedia object, or a combination thereof. According to the embodiment, page elements  110 ,  130 ,  140 , and  150  are text objects, and page element  120  is a multimedia object. Page element  160  represents an icon for ending display of webpage.  
       FIG. 4  illustrates a model for the layout design of  FIG. 3 . Model 20 is an extensible Markup Language (XML) document. In the XML document, each page element is represented using a markup tag with user-defined name ‘object’ and corresponding attributes. A pair of object markup tags enclose object information for the page element and corresponding layout information. For example, part  21  in the model  20  corresponds to page element  110 , comprising object name  211 , object class  212 , object index  213 , and corresponding layout information  214 . The layout information  214  specifies position and appearance for the object. According to the model  20 , the object class and object index for page element  110  are ‘text’ and ‘0’, respectively. The object class and object index are considered as page element identification. For example, the integration module uses the page element identification ‘text 0’ to identify the format element and content element corresponding to page element  110 . The text object for page element  110  comprises a text field specified in part  215  of model  20 .  
       FIG. 5  illustrates a format template for the model of  FIG. 4 . A format template  300  uses Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) to specify format as defined by the model. The format template  300  comprises format elements  310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340 ,  350  and  360  corresponding to the page elements  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140 ,  150  and  160 , respectively. The format template can be further adjusted using the format template editing module to meet requirements. The adjusted format template is shown in  FIG. 7 . The adjusted format template  500  has a structure similar to the format template  300 . The adjusted format template comprises 6 adjusted format elements corresponding to the format elements  310 ˜ 350 , while the arrangement and appearance of the adjusted format elements slightly differ from the original format.  
       FIG. 6  illustrates a content template for the model of  FIG. 4 . The content template  400  is a program readable data file, such as a Microsoft Word document. The content template  400  comprises content elements  410 ,  420 ,  430 ,  440 , and  450 , corresponding to the page elements  110 ,  120 ,  130 ,  140 , and  150 . Each content element has 2 fields, one for an object name and the other for content presented in the corresponding page element. For example, content element  410  comprises fields  410   a  and  410   b . Field  410   a  specifies object name for page element  110 , and field  410   b  specifies content presented in page element  110 . The content template can be further adjusted to meet requirements. The adjusted content template is shown in  FIG. 8 . The adjusted content template  800  has a structure similar to the original content template  400 . The adjusted content template comprises 6 adjusted content elements corresponding to the original content elements  410 ˜ 450 , while the presented content thereof is different form the original content. For example, field  420   a  of content element  420  contains a file name for video information, PPT_NewDoc.wmv.  
       FIG. 10  shows a webpage according to the embodiment of the present invention.  
      The method of the present invention, or certain aspects or portions thereof, may take the form of program code (i.e. instructions) embodied in a tangible media, such as floppy diskettes, CD-ROMS, hard drives, or any other machine-readable storage medium, wherein, when the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention. The methods and apparatus of the present invention may also be embodied in the form of program code transmitted over some transmission medium, such as electrical wiring or cabling, through fiber optics, or via any other form of transmission, wherein, when the program code is received and loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention. When implemented on a general-purpose processor, the program code combines with the processor to provide a unique apparatus that operates analogously to specific logic circuits.  
       FIG. 10  is a diagram of a storage medium storing a computer program providing the webpage development method according to the present invention. The computer program product comprises a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code comprising computer readable program code  91  receiving a model, computer readable program code  92  generating a format template and a content template according to the model, computer readable program code  93  adjusting the format template, computer readable program code  94  adjusting the content template, computer readable program code  95  generating the webpages.  
      While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.