System and method for application installation management

• US 20010029607A1
• Filed: 04/26/2001
• Published: 10/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hildebrandt, Jonathan, Chauvin, Joseph, Granshaw, Richard C.H., Huapaya, Luis M., Veres, James E., Leatham, Scott R.
• Application Number:
  US09/843,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20010029607A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/268 Signal distribution or switching

Abstract

An application manager and application programming interface (API) for managing an install operation, a downsize operation, a reinstall operation, and an uninstall operation are disclosed. A method of communicating between the application manager and an application to perform these operations comprises the following steps: receiving from the application a call to set a property related to performing an application installation operation; receiving from the application a call to initialize an application installation operation; and receiving from the application a call to finalize the application installation operation.

Claims

1. In a system for managing application installation operations, a method of communicating with an application, comprising:

receiving from the application a call to set a property related to performing an application installation operation;

receiving from the application a call to initialize an application installation operation; and

receiving from the application a call to finalize the application installation operation.

2. The method of

claim 1

, wherein said application installation operation is at least one of the following:

install, downsize, reinstall, uninstall.

3. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising, if the application installation operation is not executed successfully by the application, receiving a call to abort the application installation operation.

4. The method of

claim 1

, wherein said application installation operation is install, said call to initialize the application installation operation is InitializeInstall, and said call to finalize the application installation operation is FinalizeInstall.

5. The method of

claim 1

, wherein said application installation operation is downsize, said call to initialize the application installation operation is InitializeDownsize, and said call to finalize the application installation operation is FinalizeDownsize.

6. The method of

claim 1

, wherein said application installation operation is reinstall, said call to initialize the application installation operation is InitializeReInstall, and said call to finalize the application installation operation is FinalizeReInstall.

7. The method of

claim 1

, wherein said application installation operation is uninstall, said call to initialize the application installation operation is InitializeUnInstall, and said call to finalize the application installation operation is FinalizeUnInstall.

8. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising receiving a call from the application to get a property related to performing an application installation operation.

9. The method of

claim 1

, wherein said call to set a property is SetProperty.

10. A computer readable medium having instructions thereon for performing the method of

claim 1

.

11. In a system for managing application installation operations, a method of communicating with an application, comprising:

receiving from the application a call to set a property related to performing an application install operation;

receiving from the application a call to initialize the application install operation; and

receiving from the application a call to finalize the application install operation.

12. The method of

claim 11

, wherein said call to set a property is SetProperty.

13. The method of

claim 12

, wherein said call to SetProperty includes a parameter identifying APP_PROPERTY_COMPANYNAME as the property that is being set.

14. The method of

claim 13

, wherein said call to SetProperty further includes a parameter for pointing to a string identifying a company.

15. The method of

claim 12

, wherein said call to initialize the application install operation is InitializeInstall.

16. The method of

claim 12

, wherein said call to finalize the application install operation is FinalizeInstall.

17. The method of

claim 12

, further comprising if the application install is not executed successfully by the application, receiving a call to abort the application install operation.

18. A computer readable medium having instructions thereon for performing the steps recited in

claim 12

.

19. The method of

claim 12

, further comprising the following:

receiving a call to SetProperty having a parameter identifying APP_PROPERTY_SIGNATURE as the property that is being set;

receiving a call to SetProperty having a parameter identifying APP_PROPERTY_CATEGORY as the property that is being set; and

receiving a call to SetProperty having a parameter identifying APP_PROPERTY_ESTIMATEDINSTALLSIZE as the property that is being set.

20. The method of

claim 12

, further comprising receiving from the application a call to retrieve an application property.

21. The method of

claim 20

, wherein said call to retrieve an application property is GetProperty.

22. The method of

claim 21

, wherein said call to GetProperty has a parameter identifying APP_PROPERTY_GUID as the application property being retrieved.

23. The method of

claim 21

, wherein said call to GetProperty has a parameter for pointing to a string containing a GUID value identifying the application that is the object of the install operation.

24. The method of

claim 22

, further comprising the following:

receiving a call to GetProperty having a parameter identifying APP_PROPERTY_ROOTPATH as the application property that is being retrieved; and

receiving a call to GetProperty having a parameter identifying APP_PROPERTY_SETROOTPATH as the application property that is being retrieved.

25. The method of

claim 12

, further comprising the following:

receiving a call to SetProperty having a parameter identifying APP_PROPERTY_EXECUTECMDLINE as the application property that is being set; and

receiving a call to SetProperty having a parameter identifying APP_PROPERTY_DEFAULTSETUPEXECMDLINE as the application property that is being set.

26. A computer readable medium having instructions thereon for performing the method of

claim 12

.

27. In a system for managing application installation operations, a method of communicating with an application, comprising:

receiving from the application a call to set a property related to performing an application uninstall operation;

receiving from the application a call to initialize the application uninstall operation; and

receiving from the application a call to finalize the application uninstall operation.

28. The method of

claim 27

, wherein said call to set a property is SetProperty.

29. The method of

claim 28

, wherein said call to SetProperty has a parameter identifying APP_PROPERTY_GUID as the application property that is being set.

30. The method of

claim 29

, wherein said call to SetProperty has a further parameter for pointing to a GUID for identifying the application that is the object of the uninstall operation.

31. The method of

claim 27

, wherein said call to initialize the application uninstall operation is InitializeUnInstall.

32. The method of

claim 27

, wherein said call to finalize the application uninstall operation is FinalizeUnInstall.

33. The method of

claim 27

, further comprising if the application uninstall is not successfully executed by the application, receiving a call to abort the application uninstall operation.

34. A computer readable medium having instructions thereon for performing the steps recited in

claim 27

.

35. In a system for managing application installation operations, a method of communicating with an application, comprising:

receiving from the application a call to set a property related to performing an application downsize operation;

receiving from the application a call to initialize the application downsize operation; and

receiving from the application a call to finalize the application downsize operation.

36. The method of

claim 35

, wherein said call to set a property is SetProperty.

37. The method of

claim 36

, wherein said call to SetProperty has a parameter identifying application property APP_PROPERTY_GUID as the property being set.

38. The method of

claim 37

, wherein said call to SetProperty has a further parameter for pointing to a GUID for identifying the application that is the object of the downsize operation.

39. The method of

claim 35

, wherein said call to initialize the application downsize operation is InitializeUnInstall.

40. The method of

claim 35

, wherein said call to finalize the application downsize operation is FinalizeUnInstall.

41. The method of

claim 35

, further comprising if the application uninstall is not successfully executed by the application, receiving a call to abort the application downsize operation.

42. A computer readable medium having instructions thereon for performing the steps recited in

claim 35

.

43. In a system for managing application installation operations, a method of communicating with an application, comprising:

receiving from the application a call to set a property related to performing an application reinstall operation;

receiving from the application a call to initialize the application reinstall operation; and

receiving from the application a call to finalize the application reinstall operation.

44. The method of

claim 43

, wherein said call to set a property is SetProperty.

45. The method of

claim 44

, wherein said call to SetProperty has a parameter identifying APP_PROPERTY_GUID as the application property that is being set.

46. The method of

claim 45

, wherein said call to SetProperty has a further parameter for pointing to a GUID for identifying the application that is the object of the reinstall operation.

47. The method of

claim 45

further comprising receiving a call to SetProperty having a parameter identifying APP_PROPERTY_ESTIMATEDINSTALLSIZE as the application property that is being set.

48. The method of

claim 43

, wherein said call to initialize the application reinstall operation is InitializeReInstall.

49. The method of

claim 43

, wherein said call to finalize the application reinstall operation is FinalizeReInstall.

50. The method of

claim 43

, further comprising if the application reinstall is not successfully executed by the application, receiving a call to abort the application reinstall operation.

51. A computer readable medium having instructions thereon for performing the steps recited in

claim 43

.

52. A system for managing application installation operations, comprising:

a computing device operable to read programmed instructions; and

programmed instructions for performing a method of communicating with an application, comprising;

receiving from the application a call to set a property related to performing an application installation operation;

receiving from the application a call to initialize an application installation operation; and

receiving from the application a call to finalize the application installation operation.