Web Portal Style Editor with Hierarchical CSS Node Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tools for designing and editing web portal content, particularly Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), are limited in accessibility and editing capabilities, requiring direct text editing and involving complex searches to determine hierarchical file impacts on presentation.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for editing the look and feel of web portal content that includes a graphical user interface allowing users to select nodes in HTML documents, view and edit style properties hierarchically, and visualize the impact of style sheets on presentation, with features for organizing, adding, and removing style properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If designers edit CSS files directly, then they can modify style properties, but the complexity of determining which hierarchical files affect document presentation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a graphical user interface as an intermediary between designers and CSS hierarchical files. This GUI mediator automatically tracks and displays which style sheets affect selected document elements, eliminating the need for designers to manually search through hierarchical configurations while maintaining full editing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback by displaying the hierarchical impact of style sheet changes on document presentation. When designers modify CSS properties, the system automatically updates to show which documents and sections are affected, enabling informed editing decisions without manual searching.
2Measurement precision
If designers search through multiple configurations to determine file impacts, then they can identify affected documents, but the time required for this search process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-establishing and maintaining a database of hierarchical file relationships and their impacts on documents. This pre-computed information is readily available when designers need to identify affected documents, eliminating the need for time-consuming real-time searches through configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The GUI provides immediate feedback by automatically displaying which documents and sections are affected by selected style sheets. This real-time information delivery eliminates the need for designers to manually search through multiple configurations, significantly reducing time while maintaining accurate identification of impacts.
3Adaptability or versatility
If portal sections are developed independently, then customization flexibility increases, but maintaining uniformity in style and presentation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by organizing style properties into a hierarchical structure where different levels can be independently edited. Each portal section can be developed independently at its level while automatically inheriting and maintaining uniformity through the hierarchical style sheet relationships, allowing both customization and consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The hierarchical style sheet system provides universality by enabling a single style definition at one level to automatically apply across multiple portal sections. This multi-functional approach allows independent development of individual sections while maintaining overall style uniformity through shared hierarchical style properties.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to systems, methods, and computer readable media for editing the look and feel of web portal content. An editor enables a user to select a node in an HTML document and to view a list of style properties for the HTML document. The editor then presents a list of relevant style properties and an ability to edit the style properties. Additionally, style properties can be organized hierarchically, added, and removed.