Author Markup Language for Web Page Consistency
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Solution Overview
Problem
The process of authoring HTML for web pages is cumbersome due to the need for many tags and lack of validation, making it difficult to maintain consistent look and feel across multiple pages, especially when incorporating dynamic content.
Innovation Solution
The use of Author Markup Language (AML) and Component Markup Language (CML) to define output pages, which can be translated into an intermediate format to combine dynamic data, allowing for easier validation and maintenance of web pages with consistent design and dynamic content inclusion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If HTML tags are used to define web pages, then web pages can be displayed in web browsers, but the authoring process becomes cumbersome and error-prone due to the large number of tags required and lack of validation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the web page authoring process by introducing a high-level markup language that divides the complex HTML tag structure into manageable components. Instead of requiring authors to manually write numerous HTML tags, the system breaks down page creation into structured elements that can be authored more simply and then transformed into the required HTML output.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary markup language that acts as a mediator between the author's intent and the final HTML output. This intermediate language provides a simplified syntax that is then translated into HTML, reducing the complexity authors must deal with while maintaining the ability to generate proper HTML pages.
2Ease of manufacture
If HTML is used without validation, then authoring is simpler, but errors in formatting are hard to detect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through validation of the intermediary markup language. The system provides validation rules that check the authored content against expected structures, giving authors immediate feedback about errors in their markup. This allows errors to be detected during the authoring process rather than during rendering or later testing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs validation actions preliminarily, before the markup is transformed into HTML and displayed. By validating the intermediary markup language structure upfront, the system catches formatting errors early in the authoring process, preventing errors from propagating to the final output and eliminating the need for later error detection.
3Stability of the object's composition
If each web page contains code to display consistent graphics, then consistent look and feel is achieved, but maintaining consistency across many pages becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates universal templates and components in the intermediary markup language that can be reused across multiple web pages. Instead of embedding consistent elements like graphics and formatting code in each individual page, the system defines these elements once as reusable components that automatically appear across all pages that use the template, maintaining consistency without requiring edits to each page.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables copying of consistent design elements through template-based authoring. Once a page layout with consistent graphics and formatting is created using the intermediary markup language, it can be copied and reused as a template for multiple pages. Changes to the template automatically propagate to all pages that use it, eliminating the need to manually edit each page to maintain consistency.
4Stability of the object's composition
If many web pages are edited to reflect design changes, then consistency is maintained, but the time and effort required increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates universal templates that serve multiple pages simultaneously. When design changes are needed, authors modify the template once in the intermediary markup language, and the changes automatically apply to all pages that use that template. This eliminates the need to manually edit each individual page, dramatically reducing the time and effort required to maintain consistency across the entire website.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods provide a mechanism to create and maintain web pages and other types of output pages. The system and methods use an author markup language (AML) to define output pages. Additionally, a Component Markup Language (CML) may be used to define components that may be referenced by the AML. The AML and CML may be translated to an intermediate format, which may then be further processed at runtime to combine dynamic data with the intermediate format to produce the output page.