Method and system for enabling localization support on web applications

[0002] The subject matter of this application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,871 titled “System And Method For Manging Multiple Cultural Profiles In An Information Handling System,” filed on Mar. 10, 1997 and issued on May 4, 1999 to Atkin et al., and to U.S. Pat. No. 5,907,326 titled “System And Method For Utilizing Context Sensitive Profiles In An Information Handling System” filed on Mar. 10, 1997 and issued on May 25, 1999 to Atkin et al. The foregoing applications are assigned to a common assignee with this application.

[0003] 1. Technical Field

[0004] The present invention is directed to an improved method and system for providing localization information in web based applications. Still, more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and system for dynamically updating Web browser's localization parameters based on a locale object created by a client.

[0005] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0006] Software products have obtained a global marketplace. To obtain an international presence, software programs must be modified to fit the foreign market. Internationalization is the process of removing language and cultural dependencies from a software application. How well a developer internationalizes its application may become the single biggest factor in determining the success or failure of an organization's products overseas.

[0007] Web content providers currently face several problems related to internationalization. Most of these issues revolve around providing sufficient and accurate localization to their web content. End users expect web content to be presented in a manner appropriate for their language and cultural norms. These include the presentation of monetary quantities, numeric quantities, dates, time, and the like. These issues are only compounded by the lack of localization support in Web browsers. Web browsers' currently only address the display of text. They do not provide support for providing dynamic localization. This is a huge problem affecting content providers that wish to support the multinational marketplace. To work around these problems, content providers must create specific solutions for each country and language.

[0008] Therefore, a need exists for dynamically updating a Web browser's localization parameters based on a locale object created by a client. The subject invention herein, solves this problem in a unique and novel manner not previously known in the art.

[0009] The method and system of the present invention updates a Web browser's localization parameters in response to dragging and dropping a locale object containing client localization information content onto the Web browser. Additionally, the Java virtual machine within the Web browser updates its locale information and reformats all its applets based on the localization information content. The Web browser then sends a locale event message and the localization information content to a server. The server updates its locale information and associated server side Java virtual machine and further uses the localization information for all the Java servlets within the server side Java virtual machine. The server then formats and delivers an HTML for display to the client based on the localization information content.

[0010] The above as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.

[0011] The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0012] FIG. 1A depicts a network for data processing systems in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention may be implemented;

[0013] FIG. 1B depicts a dialog box illustrating a graphical user interface for a locale object for use with the present invention;

[0014] FIG. 2 is a high-level block diagram showing the method of allowing Web browsers to dynamically change there localization information;

[0015] FIG. 3 depicts an overall flowchart for the method in accordance with the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 4 is a detailed block diagram for updating localization information of the Web browser as depicted in FIG. 3; and

[0017] FIG. 5 is a detailed block diagram for updating localization information of the server as depicted in FIG. 3.

[0018] With references now to the figures, and in particular with reference to FIG. 1, a network for data processing systems in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention may be implemented is depicted. The exemplary embodiment depicted includes a client 20 connected via communications link 22 to the Internet 24. Communications link 22 may, for example, be in the form of access provided by an Internet service provider (ISP). Client 20 includes a Java-enabled browser application, allowing client 20 to retrieve and display information formatted in accordance with the HyperText Markup language (HTML) and to run Java applets.

[0019] Also connected to Internet 24, via communications link 26, is server 28. Server 28 is a World Wide Web (WWW, often simply referred to and referred hereinafter as “the Web”) server capable of receiving and serving HyperText Transmission Protocol (HTTP) requests. Client 20 may retrieve HTML-formatted data from server 28 and display such information, executing Java applets in connection with such retrieval and/or display. Java applets thus executed are provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Object oriented programming has established itself as an important methodology in developing high quality, readable code. The present invention utilizes a dynamic object oriented locale object that expands the currently defined notion of a locale by encapsulating localization information onto a Web browser, thereby enabling the Web browser to be internationalized. The locale object extends the Web Browser to allow for different cultural attributes, such as, for example, language, date, time, currency, etc. The language used to implement the present invention may be for example C++ for OS/2 and the concepts of software programming, especially in object oriented programming, as detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,350, entitled “Object Oriented Method Management System and Software for Managing Class Method Names in a Computer System”, commonly assigned to the Assignee of the present invention and herein incorporated by reference for all purposes. Also, other programming languages may be used in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

[0021] Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a high 1513-level block diagram showing the method of allowing Web browsers to dynamically change there localization information. The present invention uses a locale object to update the localization parameters of a Web browser. By way of example, but not of limitation, the present invention takes advantage of the features found in the OS/2 Graphical Locale Builder, owned by the Assignee of the present invention and herein incorporated by reference for all purposes. The Graphical Locale Builder allows end users to create locale objects dynamically on a client, as shown in block 30 and by way of example, but not of limitation, the locale object 30 shown in FIG. 2 is for providing French localization information. FIG. 1B depicts a dialog box illustrating a graphical user interface for locale object 30. The locale object 30 may then be used, shown by arrow 32, by simply dragging and dropping the locale object 30 on top of a Web browser 34, as taught in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/519,331, entitled “Dynamic Object Oriented Extended Locale Object,” as previously incorporated by reference.

[0022] The local object 30 when dragged and dropped on Web browser 34 causes the Web browser 34 to change its localization information dynamically, in this case to French. This allows the Web browser 34 to automatically set the Java VM with the correct localization parameters. The locale object information can also be stored within the Web browser 34 to be sent as hidden parameters to servers that request localization information. The availability of client localization information to Web servers resolves the current localization deficiencies in Web based applications. By dragging and dropping locale objects, content provides can avoid asking several questions to customers when ordering products “which language do you want to interact in ?”, “which language version do you wish to download?”, “which currency would you like to see the price?”, etc. Also by enabling this technology dynamic HTML engines can generate HTML pages with correct localization information from the client on the fly.

[0023] The locale object 30, upon client request may provide the following localization information. “Day,” which is a string containing the name of a day given a particular day of the week. “Month,” which is a string containing the name of a month given a particular month of the year. “Date,” which is a formatted string containing a date given a particular day, month, and year. “Time,” which is a formatted string, containing a time given hours, minutes, and seconds. “Currency symbol,” which is string containing the international currency identifier for the current locale. “Decimal,” which is a string containing the symbol used to separate fractional quantities from whole quantities from the current locale. “Thousands,” which is a string containing the symbol used to separate multiples of 1,000. “Sign,” which is a string containing the symbol used to represent positive and negative quantities for the current locale. “Fractional quantities,” which is a number representing the number of digits to display after the decimal point in monetary quantities. “Menu,” when a given request for a standard menu bar occurs, the operating system returns a translated common user access (CUA) menu bar. “String,” where given a specific request for a pre-defined operating system string, the operating system returns a translated string based upon the current locale.

[0024] Locale changes are performed through the use of a customization change daemon, also called a locale change daemon in the internationalization/localization procedure, which is a thread that intermittently awakens to perform some tasks and then goes back to being blocked. The locale change daemon takes the form of the drag and drop graphical user interface 30 shown in FIG. 1B. The locale change daemon 30 stays suspended until a user clicks on it with a mouse operation. When the daemon 30 is awaken, a locale change may take place by simply dragging one of the locale change flags and dropping it on top of a graphical user interface for the Web browser 34.

[0025] Referring now to FIG. 3, there is depicted an overall flowchart for updating localization information in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in step 44, a locale object is created by a client using the aforementioned Graphical locale builder, and as described before, in step 46 is dragged and dropped onto a graphical user interface for Web browser 34. The Web browser 34 receives a locale event message in step 48 from the dropped locale object 30. Next, in step 50 and 52, the Web browser 34 reads the contents of the dropped locale object 30 and updates its localization information. Referring to FIG. 4, there is illustrated a detailed block diagram for updating the localization information of the Web browser 34. As shown in FIG. 4, blocks 60 and 62, the Web browser 34 reads the localization information content and reformats its HTML in response to and based on this localization information content. Turning back to FIG. 3, the Web browser 34 then updates the locale information for a Java virtual machine 42 (depicted in FIG. 2), within the Web browser 34, as shown in step 56. Additionally, all applets based on the localization information within the Java virtual machine 42 are reformatted, as shown in block 64 of FIG. 4. This process is further depicted in FIG. 2 showing a locale message 40 sent from the Web browser 34 to the Java virtual machine 42.

[0026] Turning once again to FIG. 3, the process proceeds and finishes in step 58, by the Web browser 34 sending a locale event message 36 and the localization information content to a server 38, as shown in FIG. 2. The server 38 then updates its locale information including its server side Java virtual machine (not shown). FIG. 5 depicts a detailed block diagram for updating the localization information at server 38. As shown in block 66, when the server 38 receives the localization information content it uses the locale information for all Java servlets within its server side Java virtual machine, as shown in block 68. Lastly, the server 38 may then format and deliver an HTML for display to the client based on the locale information, as shown in blocks 70 and 72.

[0027] It should be appreciated that the present invention updates a Web browser's localization parameters in response to a locale object containing client localization information wherein the Java virtual machine within the Web browser updates its locale information and reformats all its applets based on the localization information content. The Web browser sends a locale event message and the localization information content to a server. The server updates its locale information and associated server side Java virtual machine and further uses this localization information for all the Java servlets within the server side Java virtual machine. The server then formats and delivers an HTML for display to the client based on the localization information content.

[0028] It is also important to note that although the present invention has been described in the context of fully providing functional localization support in Web applications, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mechanisms of the present invention are capable of being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms to any type of information handling system, and that the present invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of signal bearing media utilized to actually carry out the distribution. Examples of signal bearing media include, without limitation, recordable type media such as floppy disk or CD ROMs and transmission type media such as analog or digital communications links.

[0029] While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.