Importance

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Abstract

A proxy server 'platform' is provided that is easily modified and customized to reformat web content in a particular way under certain conditions as determined by the operator of the proxy server. The proxy server retrieves from the Internet web content requested by a client, reformats it into a suitable format for the requesting client, and then forwards the reformatted web content to the requesting client. The proxy server evaluates operator-alterable rules to determine, based on capabilities of the requesting client (and/or on request variables), specifically how to reformat the requested web content so that it will be suitable for passing on to the requesting client. The platform has a 'modular' architecture wherein content reformatting is performed by one or more 'modules'. The modules are dynamically-linkable into the executing proxy server platform software at run time. The platform is easily customizable by the operator because modules can be deleted and/or added without affecting other modules. Modules are, in one embodiment, written in accordance with the COM modular programming standard so that individual modules can be removed, replaced and/or added without having to modify or recompile other modules. In one embodiment, web content cached on the proxy server is deemed suitable for passing to a requesting client if evaluation of the rules for the request from the client matches the prior evaluation of the rules that gave rise to the original reformatted web content as cached.

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First Claim