Constructing And Maintaining Web Sites

Abstract

Creation and maintenance of a web page can be facilitated using an interactive web application that runs in a browser at a client machine. The interactive web application can be provided to the client machine over a network by a development application at a server. Using the interactive web application, a user can configure various aspects of a web page, including but not limited to layout, colors, fonts, tools, live dynamic content, and the like, directly on the sever without knowledge of mark-up language coding or other techniques such as cascading style sheets.

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, from a browser executing an interactive web application on a client machine, at a development application executing on a server, a series of instructions pertaining to creation or modification of a web page, the instructions being entered by a user of the client machine via interaction with a plurality of user interface elements displayed by the interactive web application in the browser, the instructions in the series of instructions relating to one or more of a layout including one or more divisions of the web page, one or more CSS properties for displaying one of the one or more divisions of the web page, one or more content feeds providing content to be displayed in one of the one or more divisions of the web page, a content tool to handle the one or more content feeds in the one of the one or more divisions of the web page, and a configuration of the content tool defining how the content tool handles the one or more content feeds;   generating, by the development application upon receipt by the server of each instruction, a mark-up language coding that modifies the layout and one or more functions of the web page based on the received series of instructions;   transmitting, upon receipt of a request entered by the user at the interactive web application, the mark-up language coding from the development application to the interactive web application for display in the browser as a real time preview of the web page; and   storing, in a database accessible to the server, a final mark-up language coding for the web page upon receiving, from the interactive web application at the server, a request from the user to save changes to the web page.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 assigning one or more content items to a specific content feed and associating, at the server, an identifier with the specific content feed, the one or more content items originating from a content provider external to the server, the series of instructions comprising the identifier, a designated division of the web page within which to display the specific content feed in the web page, and a selection and configuration of a specific content tool to handle the specific content feed;   and providing, by the server, the final mark-up language coding to a second browser that navigates to a web page address identifying the web page, the final mark-up language coding causing the second browser to display the web page with the specific content feed provided dynamically and with the properties of the designated division and in accordance with the configuration of the specific content tool.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more content items comprise one or more of text, image files, video files, and audio files. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the specific content tool is selected from ad server position tools, archive tools, blog/feed tools, building block tools, calendar tools, contest tools, feed multi tools, feed slideshow tools, form module tools, forum/message board tools, full text tools, gallery module tools, HTML code drop tools, keyword search box tools, landing pad tools, media player tools, log-in block tools, navigation tools, podcast feed and multi-tools, poll module tools, RSS feed pull tools, simple text tools, scheduled content tools, tab set tools, user generated content tools, and video blog/feed tools. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising: prior to the providing of the interactive web application from the server, receiving, at the server from the client machine, a request to initiate the instance of the development application at the server, the receiving of the request comprising receiving indication from the browser application on the client machine that the user has directed the browser to navigate to a URL designating the development application. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising: delivering the interactive web application from the development application executing on the server to the browser executing on the client machine. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising: providing, by the server, the final mark-up language coding to a second browser that navigates to a web page address identifying the web page, the providing causing the second browser to display the web page. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the interactive web application comprises an asynchronous Javascript and XML (AJAX) application. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the series of instructions comprises a web page layout selection that defines the layout for the web page including one or more divisions of the web page 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the series of instructions comprises a CSS properties selection that defines CSS properties for one or more divisions of the web page. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the series of instructions comprises a content selection that designates one or more content feeds whose contents are to be displayed in one or more divisions of the web page 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the series of instructions comprises a content tool selection that identifies a content tool for inclusion in a division of the web page to provide content and a content tool configuration selection that defines how the content tool configures the content provided via the content tool. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing, by the development application, an administrative console accessible by navigating the browser to an administrative console URL, the administrative console providing functionality for creating a new content tool or modifying default settings of an existing content tool. 
     
     
         14 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 activating a control console of an interactive web application executed in a browser on a client machine, the interactive web application having been received over a network from a development application at a server implemented on one or more processors;   receiving a first modification of a web page CSS properties feature by user interaction with a CSS properties user interface element provided in the browser upon selection by a user of a CSS properties option on the control console;   receiving a second modification of functionality of a specific tool to be displayed in the web page by user interaction with a choose and configure tool user interface element provided in the browser upon selection by the user of a choose and configure tool option on the control console;   receiving a third modification of content to be provided within the web page by user interaction with a content management user interface element provided in the browser upon selection by the user of a content management option on the control console;   relaying instructions based on the first modification, the second modification, and the third modification to the development application for the development application to generate a mark-up language coding that creates the web page based on the instructions; and   displaying a preview of the web page in the browser upon selection by the user of a preview option on the control console, the displaying comprising passing the mark-up language coding to the browser from the development application.   
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 directing the browser to a uniform resource locator corresponding to an administrative console provided by the development application; and   interacting with the administrative console via the browser to create or modify a content tool.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 14 , wherein the tool configuration console provides options for presentation of the content. 
     
     
         17 . A computer program product comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform functions comprising:
 receiving, from a browser executing an interactive web application on a client machine, at a development application executing on a server, a series of instructions pertaining to creation or modification of a web page, the instructions being entered by a user of the client machine via interaction with a plurality of user interface elements displayed by the interactive web application in the browser, the instructions in the series of instructions relating to one or more of a layout including one or more divisions of the web page, one or more CSS properties for displaying one of the one or more divisions of the web page, one or more content feeds providing content to be displayed in one of the one or more divisions of the web page, a content tool to handle the one or more content feeds in the one of the one or more divisions of the web page, and a configuration of the content tool defining how the content tool handles the one or more content feeds;   generating, by the development application upon receipt by the server of each instruction, a mark-up language coding that modifies the layout and one or more functions of the web page based on the received series of instructions;   transmitting, upon receipt of a request entered by the user at the interactive web application, the mark-up language coding from the development application to the interactive web application for display in the browser as a real time preview of the web page; and   storing, in a database accessible to the server, a final mark-up language coding for the web page upon receiving, from the interactive web application at the server, a request from the user to save changes to the web page.