Method and System for Publication and Revision or Hierarchically Organized Sets of Static Intranet and Internet Web Pages

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for revising and publishing electronic documents. Two sets of electronic documents are generated and maintained on first and second computers. One set is stored on a first computer, for example, as static web pages at a company site. Another set is stored on a second computer at a non-local site such as, for example, an Internet server where the electronic documents are accessible to clients. Any modifications in the set of electronic documents at the local or company site are logged in a log file, and the set of electronic documents at the non-local site is modified accordingly so as to produce what appears to the client as a “dynamic” set of web pages. The revision and publication occurs through generation on the first computer of at least one category list document containing an item identifier, an item category, and descriptive data with hyperlinks to underlying detailed description electronic document files. The category list documents group items together which belong in a given category. The category list and the underlying detailed description electronic document files are saved in a format for accessing from a general viewer program such as, for example, a web browser. The detailed description data may also stored as text based records in, for example, a file of text records or a database of text records at the local site.

1 . A method comprising:
 storing, on a first computer, a category list document file for items that belong to a common category, and respective associated electronic document files for individual items that appear in the category list document file, the category list document file and the respective associated electronic document files defining a hierarchical organization associated with a web page; and   in association with a modification to either the category list document file or an associated electronic document file, transferring at least a modified portion of the hierarchical organization to a second computer effective to produce a counterpart synchronized hierarchical organization.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said transferring is automated. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said transferring is performed at regular intervals in accordance with a timer function. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the category list document file includes summary data for individual items and a hyperlink to a corresponding electronic document file for a respective individual item. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transferring is performed, at least in part, by storing a log file on the first computer, the log file being configured to log modifications of the category list document file or the respective associated electronic document files. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing display of a user interface configured to enable modification of at least one of the category list document file or the associated electronic document files; and   receiving a modification of at least one of the category list document file or the associated electronic document files via the user interface, wherein the transferring is performed in response to receiving the modification.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the category list document file includes summary data for individual items and a hyperlink to a corresponding electronic document file for a respective individual item. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the transferring is performed, at least in part, by maintaining a log file on the first computer, the log file being configured to log modifications of the category list document file or the respective associated electronic document files. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the web page comprises a static web page. 
     
     
         10 . A tangible computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, the computer-executable instructions comprising:
 instructions for storing, on a first computer, a category list document file for items that belong to a common category and respective associated electronic document files for individual items that appear in the category list document file, the category list document file and the respective associated electronic document files defining a hierarchical organization associated with a web page; and   instructions for transferring, in association with a modification to either the category list document file or an associated electronic document file, at least a modified portion of the hierarchical organization to a second computer effective to produce a counterpart synchronized hierarchical organization.   
     
     
         11 . The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein said instructions for transferring comprise instructions for transferring at least the modified portion of the hierarchical organization in an automated fashion. 
     
     
         12 . The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein said instructions for transferring comprise instructions for transferring at regular intervals in accordance with a timer function. 
     
     
         13 . The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the category list document file includes summary data for individual items and a hyperlink to a corresponding electronic document file for a respective individual item. 
     
     
         14 . The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , further comprising instructions for storing a log file on the first computer, the log file being configured to log modifications of the category list document file or the respective associated electronic document files effective to enable the instructions for transferring to transfer said at least a modified portion of the hierarchical organization. 
     
     
         15 . The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 instructions for displaying a user interface configured to enable modification of at least one of the category list document file or the associated electronic document files; and   instructions for receiving a modification of the at least one of the category list document file or the associated electronic document file via the user interface.   
     
     
         16 . The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the category list document file includes summary data for individual items and a hyperlink to a corresponding electronic document file for a respective individual item. 
     
     
         17 . The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising instructions for storing a log file on the first computer, the log file being configured to log modifications of the category list document file or the respective associated electronic document files effective to enable the instructions for transferring to transfer said at least a modified portion of the hierarchical organization. 
     
     
         18 . The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the web page comprises a static web page. 
     
     
         19 . A computing device comprising:
 a network interface configured to enable communication with a second computing device;   a tangible computer-readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon, the executable instructions comprising:
 instructions for storing, on the first-mentioned computing device, a category list document file for items that belong to a common category and respective associated electronic document files for individual items that appear in the category list document file, the category list document file and the respective associated electronic document files defining a hierarchical organization associated with a web page; and 
 instructions for transferring, via the network interface and in association with a modification to either the category list document file or an associated electronic document file, at least a modified portion of the hierarchical organization to the second computing device effective to produce a counterpart synchronized hierarchical organization. 
   
     
     
         20 . The computing device of  claim 19 , wherein the category list document file includes summary data for individual items and a hyperlink to a corresponding electronic document file for a respective individual item. 
     
     
         21 . The computing device of  claim 19 , wherein tangible computer-readable medium further comprises executable instructions for storing a log file on the first-mentioned computing device, the log file being configured to log modifications of the category list document file or the respective associated electronic document files effective to enable the instructions for transferring to transfer said at least a modified portion of the hierarchical organization. 
     
     
         22 . The computing device of  claim 19 , wherein the tangible computer-readable medium further comprises executable instructions for:
 displaying a user interface configured to enable modification of at least one of the category list document file or the associated electronic document files; and   transferring at least a modified portion of the hierarchical organization to the second computing device responsive to receiving the modification via the user interface.   
     
     
         23 . The computing device of  claim 22 , wherein the category list document file includes summary data for individual items and a hyperlink to a corresponding electronic document file for a respective individual item. 
     
     
         24 . The computing device of  claim 22 , wherein the tangible computer-readable medium further comprises executable instructions for storing a log file on the first-mentioned computing device, the log file being configured to log modifications of the category list document file or the respective associated electronic document files effective to enable the instructions for transferring to transfer said at least a modified portion of the hierarchical organization. 
     
     
         25 . The computing device of  claim 19 , wherein the web page comprises a static web page. 
     
     
         26 . A system comprising:
 means for storing, on a first computer, a category list document file for items that belong to a common category and respective associated electronic document files for individual items that appear in the category list document file, the category list document file and respective associated electronic document files defining a hierarchical organization associated with a web page; and   in association with a modification to either the category list document file or an associated electronic document file, means for transferring at least a modified portion of the hierarchical organization to a second computer effective to produce a counterpart synchronized hierarchical organization.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the web page comprises a static web page.