Computer system and computer-implemented process for presenting document connectivity

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of producing a graphical outline view of the web in which relative hierarchical levels of the elements on the web are displayed.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 , wherein a homepage is displayed at a top level of the outline view, other elements that are subordinate in the hierarchical levels being shown in lower levels.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of including orphan elements in the first and the second data structure, said orphan elements comprising elements that are not accessible by following any hypertext link from a homepage element.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of enabling a user to selectively graphically display hypertext links to and from at least one other element that is not the focus element.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 , wherein the elements comprise a plurality of hypertext markup language documents.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 , wherein a hypertext link from a first element to a second element is graphically represented by an arrow extending from the first element and pointing to the second element.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 , wherein neither the first nor the second data structure includes duplicate hypertext link entries.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1 , wherein hypertext links between the focus element and any other elements included in the first data structure are graphically represented at one side of the focus element, and hypertext links between the focus element and any other elements included in the second data structure are graphically represented on an opposite side of the focus element.

Claim 13

The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step of creating a list of any orphan elements on the web, said orphan elements comprising elements that are not accessible by following any link from the homepage.

Claim 14

The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the unique keys comprise a uniform resource locator for one of the elements of the web.

Claim 15

The method of claim 10 , wherein the hypertex link references each comprise a uniform resource locator.

Claim 16

The method of claim 10 , wherein the elements comprise a plurality of hypertext markup language documents.

Claim 17

The method of claim 10 , wherein one of the elements is disposed at a level zero, and wherein the link view includes graphic arrows representing hypertext linkages between other elements that are at non-zero levels and said one element.

Claim 18

The method of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the elements displayed in the link view at a non-zero level is selectively expandable to display its linkage to the other elements.

Claim 19

The method of claim 15 , wherein in the link view, the linkages between said selected element and the other elements are selectively contractible so that the linkages are not displayed.

Claim 20

The method of claim 10 , wherein said selected element in the object view is expanded to create the link view, without manually stepping through any intervening levels between the homepage and said selected element.

Claim 21

The method of claim 10 , wherein the master list comprises a primary dictionary, and wherein each element is assigned a unique key and is associated with a pointer to a document structure containing a list of hypertext link references to said element.

Claim 22

The method of claim 19 , wherein each element is referenced by the unique key assigned to it and is associated with a secondary dictionary, said secondary dictionary containing a list of hypertext link references identifying elements that contain a hypertext link to the element with which said secondary dictionary is associated.

Claim 23

The method of claim 20 , wherein duplicate pointers are not permitted within any secondary dictionary.

Claim 24

A media adapted for distribution of a computer program to enable the computer program to be executed on a computer, said computer program enabling a visual representation of relationships between elements that are linked together by hypertext links so as to form a web, the visual representation being displayed when the computer program is executed by a computer, comprising: (a) a memory media; and (b) a plurality of machine instructions comprising the computer program, which are stored on the memory media, said plurality of machine instructions when executed by a computer causing the computer to: (i) create a first data structure, which for each element of the web, identifies any hypertext links to other elements of the web; (ii) create a second data structure, which for each element of the web, identifies any hypertext links from other elements of the web; and (iii) in regard to at least one element of the web selected as a focus element, graphically display any links from said focus element to any other elements and any hypertext links from other elements to said focus element, using the first and the second data structures.

Claim 25

A media adapted for distribution of a computer program to enable the computer program to be executed on a computer, said computer program enabling a visual representation of relationships between elements that are linked together by hypertext links so as to form a web, the visual representation being displayed when the computer program is executed by a computer, comprising: (a) a memory media; and (b) a plurality of machine instructions comprising the computer program, which are stored on the memory media, said plurality of machine instructions when executed by a computer causing the computer to: (i) create a first data structure, which for each element of the web, identifies any hypertext links to other elements of the web; (ii) create a second data structure, which for each element of the web, identifies any hypertext links from other elements of the web; and (iii) in regard to at least one element of the web selected as a focus element, graphically display any links from said focus element to any other elements and any hypertext links from other elements to said focus element, using the first and the second data structures.

Claim 26

The media of claim 22 , wherein the machine instructions, when executed by a computer, further display a graphical outline view of the web in which relative hierarchical levels of the elements on the web are indicated.

Claim 27

The media of claim 23 , wherein the machine instructions, when executed by a computer, display a homepage at a top level of the outline view, other elements that are subordinate in the hierarchical levels being shown in lower levels.

Claim 28

The media of claim 22 , wherein the machine instructions, when executed by a computer, include orphan elements in the first and the second data structure for display, said orphan elements comprising elements that are not accessible by following any hypertext link from the homepage element.

Claim 29

The media of claim 22 , wherein the machine instructions, when executed by a computer, enable a user to selectively graphically display hypertext links to and from at least one other element that is not a focus element.

Claim 30

The media of claim 23 , wherein the elements comprise a plurality of hypertext markup language documents.

Claim 31

The media of claim 22 , wherein the machine instructions, when executed by a computer, graphically display a hypertext link from a first element to a second element using an arrow extending from the first element and pointing to the second element.

Claim 32

The media of claim 22 , wherein neither the first nor the second data structure includes duplicate hypertext link entries.

Claim 33

The media of claim 22 , wherein the machine instructions, when executed by a computer, graphically represent hypertext links between the focus element and any other elements included in the first data structure at one side of the focus element, and hypertext links between the focus element and any other elements included in the second data structure on an opposite side of the focus element.

Claim 36

The system of claim 31 , wherein the machine instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to present a graphical outline view of the web on the display based upon the first and second data structures, in which relative hierarchical levels of the elements on the web are indicated.

Claim 37

The system of claim 32 , wherein the machine instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to represent a homepage at a top level of the outline view, other elements that are subordinate to the homepage being shown in lower levels on the display.

Claim 38

The system of claim 31 , wherein the machine instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to include orphan elements in the first and the second data structure shown on the display, said orphan elements comprising elements that are not accessible by following any link from the homepage element.

Claim 39

The system of claim 31 , wherein the machine instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to enable a user to selectively graphically display hyperlinks to and from at least one other element that is not a focus element.

Claim 40

The system of claim 31 , wherein the elements comprise a plurality of hypertext markup language documents.

Claim 41

The system of claim 31 , wherein the machine instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to graphically display a hyperlink from a first element to a second element on the display, using an arrow extending from the first element and pointing to the second element.

Claim 42

The system of claim 31 , wherein neither the first nor the second data structure includes duplicate hyperlink entries.

Claim 43

The system of claim 31 , wherein the machine instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to graphically represent hyperlinks between the focus element and any other elements included in the first data structure at one side of the focus element in the display, and hyperlinks between the focus element and any other elements included in the second data structure on an opposite side of the focus element in the display.