Method to reduce input parameter interface error and inconsistency for servlets

Abstract

A GUI utility tool running on a web application development environment is presented that acts to eliminate inconsistency between a given HTML user input form description file and a corresponding servlet program file. The tool allows the user to specify an HTML file. The tool may then parse the HTML file to discover input parameters and generate Java servlet program code to receive the input parameters.

1 . A method of generating servlet program code, to reduce input parameter interface error, comprising: 
 receiving a form description file for a form configured to be served by a server;    automatically parsing said form description file to discover input parameters for gathering information in the form; and    automatically generating said servlet program code to receive said input parameters.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving an indication of a name for a servlet program file and writing said servlet program code to said servlet program file.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising, prior to said receiving said indication of said name for said servlet program file, presenting a servlet program file specification page.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising generating a time stamp and writing said time stamp to said servlet program file.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising, prior to said receiving said form description file, presenting a form description file specification page.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said form description file is written in the Hyper-Text Markup Language.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said generating produces said servlet program code in the Java programming language.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said parsing comprises: 
 opening said form description file;    reading a tag;    determining whether said tag identifies an input parameter; and    if said tag identifies an input parameter, extracting said input parameter.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising: 
 determining when there is no further tag which identifies an input parameter;    responsive to said determining, determining whether input parameters were found; and 
 if input parameters were found, assigning servlet variable names based on said input parameters.  
   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising presenting said servlet variable names.  
   
   
       11 . A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that, when performed by a processor in a servlet development environment, cause the processor to: 
 receive a form description file for a form configured to be served by a server;    automatically parse said form description file to discover input parameters for gathering information in the form; and    automatically generate servlet program code to receive said input parameters.    
   
   
       12 . A method of synchronizing files comprising: 
 determining a first value for a time stamp on a form description file for a form configured to be served by a server;    determining a second value for a time stamp on a servlet program file having been generated to receive input parameters for gathering information in the form, the input parameters having been discovered by automatically parsing the form description file;    comparing said first value to said second value; and    if said comparing indicates that said form description file was edited more recently than said servlet program file, generating an alarm.    
   
   
       13 . A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that, when performed by a processor in a servlet development environment, cause the processor to: 
 determine a first value for a time stamp on a form description file for a form configured to be served by a server;    determine a second value for a time stamp on a servlet program file having been generated to receive input parameters for gathering information in the form, the input parameters having been discovered by automatically parsing the form description file;    compare said first value to said second value; and    generate an alarm if said comparing indicates that said form description file was edited more recently than said servlet program file.