Web Browser Dynamic URL Replacement for Broken Links
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users often encounter 'Broken Links' or 'Dead Links' when clicking on hyperlinks in web pages, as the linked content may have been updated or removed, leading to 'Page Not Found' errors, and there is a need for dynamically changing URLs to point to more optimal or existing content.
Innovation Solution
A web browser system that allows users to locally or remotely replace original URL references with replacement URLs, storing associations for persistent changes, and optionally sending requests to web servers to update the original URLs, enabling dynamic URL modification within web documents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If web site administrators change or update web content, then the content becomes more current and relevant, but hyperlinks in other documents may point to content that no longer exists (broken links)
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of broken links when a web page is loaded, before the user attempts to click them. The browser proactively identifies hyperlinks that point to non-existent content and replaces them with working URLs, preventing the loss of information before it occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the browser sends requests to a server to verify hyperlink validity. The server responds with information about whether links are broken and provides replacement URLs, creating a continuous feedback loop that maintains link integrity throughout the user's browsing session.
2Ease of operation
If users manually update broken links, then the links become functional, but the process is time-consuming and requires user intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by automatically detecting and fixing broken links without requiring user intervention. When the browser loads a web page, it autonomously identifies broken hyperlinks, requests replacement URLs from the server, and updates the links automatically, saving the user time and effort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary server that mediates between the web browser and web content. This server receives requests from the browser about potentially broken links, provides replacement URLs, and enables automatic link fixing without direct user involvement in the complex process of URL verification and replacement.
3Ease of operation
If the web browser automatically detects and replaces broken links, then user experience improves, but additional network requests and processing are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by not checking every single hyperlink on a page immediately. Instead, it selectively identifies and checks hyperlinks that are most likely to be broken or that pose the greatest risk to user experience, reducing the overall number of network requests while still providing effective broken link detection and replacement.
Data Source
AI summary
A web browser is implemented to receive a document from a server. The document may include one or more embedded Uniform Resource Locator (URL) references. The web browser may display the document on a user interface. A user associated with the web browser may determine one or more of the original embedded URL references should be replaced. In response to user input, the web browser may change at least one of the original embedded URL references to a corresponding replacement embedded URL reference and display the document with the replacement embedded URL reference. The web browser may save an association of the original embedded URL reference with the replacement embedded URL reference and subsequently, when receiving the document with the original embedded URL reference, automatically replace the original embedded URL reference with the corresponding replacement embedded URL reference before displaying the document.