Extensible ordered information within a markup language document

Abstract

A markup language document includes a data structure includes a plurality of parameter tag statements. Each parameter tag statement includes a first field containing data representing a variable name and a second field containing data representing a command associated with the variable name. Each variable name indicates an order of execution of its associated command relative to the other commands.

1 . A computer-readable medium having stored therein a data structure for access by a computer program, the data structure representing a markup language document including statements defining a plurality of property variables, each of said statements comprising: 
 a first field containing data representing a name of a property variable; and    a second data field containing data representing a value of the property variable and specifying a command associated with the property variable, the names of the plurality of property variables provided in accordance with an order-defining naming convention to indicate an execution sequence of the commands specified in the respective values of the property variables.    
   
   
       2 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the markup language is the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).  
   
   
       3 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 2 , wherein the statements defining the property variables represent PARAM elements of the HTML markup language document.  
   
   
       4 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the commands specified in the values of the property variables include commands for generating graphical images.  
   
   
       5 . A computer-readable medium having stored therein a markup language document defining a data structure for access by a computer program, the data structure comprising: 
 a plurality of parameter tag statements, each parameter tag statement having a first field containing data representing a variable name and a second field containing data representing a command associated with the variable name, wherein each variable names indicates an order of execution of its associated command.    
   
   
       6 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 5 , wherein the markup language document comprises a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) document.  
   
   
       7 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 5 , wherein the parameter tag statements are arranged in an order conforming to the order of command execution indicated by the variable names.  
   
   
       8 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 5 , wherein each variable name comprises an alphanumeric prefix and a numeric suffix.  
   
   
       9 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 5 , wherein each variable name includes a numeric portion that indicates an order of execution of its associated command relative to other commands.  
   
   
       10 . A method comprising: 
 retrieving a plurality of parameter tag statements from a markup language document, each parameter tag statement having a first field containing data representing a variable name and a second field containing data representing a command associated with the variable name; and    executing the commands in an execution sequence indicated by the variable names.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each command comprises a graphics method.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the markup language document comprises a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) document.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the parameter tag statements are arranged in the markup language document in an order conforming to the order of command execution indicated by the variable names.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each variable name comprises an alphanumeric prefix and a numeric suffix.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each variable name includes a numeric portion that indicates an order of execution of its associated command relative to other commands.