System and method for dynamically verifying the compatibility of a user interface resource

• US 20020052910A1
• Filed: 10/29/2001
• Published: 05/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ye, Shenghua, Lin, Yung-Shin, Bennett, Julie D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,178,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

In a computer operating system having a user interface, a resource loader, and a registry resource database, a method for dynamically verifying whether the resource content of a resource module is compatible with the most current version of the operating system. Upon obtaining a request for a resource, the resource loader verifies that the resource modules remain compatible with the operating system prior to loading a resource from an alternate resource module. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the operating system has a multilingual user interface and utilizes resource modules that are language specific.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically verifying resource compatibility with an operating system, the method comprising:

obtaining a request to load a resource from an alternate resource module, wherein the alternate resource module corresponds to a selected interface;

obtaining the resource content of a default resource module from which the alternate resource module was localized;

obtaining the resource content of a current default resource module;

comparing the resource content of a default resource module from which the alternate resource module was localized and the resource content of a current default resource module; and

loading the requested resource from the alternate resource module if the resource content of the default resource module from which the alternate resource module was localized is the same as the resource content of the current default resource module.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternate resource module corresponds to a selected interface language and the resource modules are language specific.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the resource content of the default resource module from which the alternate resource module was localized and the resource content of the current default resource module includes comparing a representation of each module.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the resource content is represented as a unique number.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the unique number is a checksum.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein obtaining the resource content of the current default resource module includes obtaining a checksum value from the current default resource module.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein obtaining the resource content of the current default resource module includes calculating a checksum value from the current default resource module.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein obtaining the resource content of the default resource module from which the alternate resource module was localized includes obtaining a checksum value from the alternate resource module.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein obtaining the resource content includes obtaining a checksum value calculated using an MD5-message digest algorithm.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising loading a resource from the current default resource module if the resource content of the default resource module from which the alternate resource module was localized is not the same as the resource content of the current default resource module.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking compatibility information as to whether the resource content of the default resource module from which the alternate resource module was localized is the same as the resource content of the current default resource module.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein tracking the compatibility information includes storing the compatibility information in an information store.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising prior to obtaining the resource content of the default resource module from which the alternate resource module was localized:

obtaining version information of the alternate resource module;

obtaining version information of the current default resource module;

comparing the version information of the alternate resource module and the current default resource module; and

loading the requested resource from the alternate resource module when the version information of the alternate resource module and the default resource module are the same.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining whether the current default or alternate resource module has been updated if the version information of the current default resource module and the alternate resource module are not the same;

obtaining compatibility information for the version of the current default resource module and the alternate resource module if no update has occurred; and

loading the requested resource based on the compatibility information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein loading the requested resource based on the compatibility information includes loading a resource from the alternate resource module if the compatibility information indicates that the current default resource module is compatible with the alternate resource module.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein loading the requested resource based on the compatibility information includes loading a resource from the default resource module if the compatibility information indicates that the current default resource module is not compatible with the alternate resource module.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein determining whether an update has occurred includes searching an information store holding compatibility information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining whether an update has occurred includes determining that an update has not occurred if no information is found in the information store holding compatibility information.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising creating a record in the information store corresponding to the version of the current default resource module and the alternate resource module if an update has occurred.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the compatibility information is obtained from an information store used for tracking compatibility information.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating system includes a plurality of alternate resource modules.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternate resource module is selected by the user.

23. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in any one of claims 1-22.

24. A computer system having a processor, and a memory in an operating environment, the computer system for performing the method recited in any one of claims 1-22.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising loading the requested resource from the alternate resource module when the version information of the alternate resource module and the default resource module is the same.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising obtaining compatibility information for the version of the current default resource module and the alternate resource module if no update has occurred and, based on the compatibility information, loading the requested resource.

29. The computer system of claim 28, wherein the alternate resource module corresponds to a selected interface language and the resource modules are language specific.

30. The computer system of claim 28, wherein the resource content is represented as a unique number.

31. The computer system of claim 30, wherein the unique number is a checksum of the resource content.

32. The computer system of claim 30, wherein the default resource module contains the checksum of its resource content.

33. The computer system of claim 30, wherein the alternate resource module contains the checksum of the resource content of the default resource module from which it was localized.

34. The computer system of claim 28, wherein the operating system includes a plurality of alternate resource modules.

35. The computer system of claim 28, wherein the alternate resource module is selected by the user.

36. The computer system of claim 28, further comprising a registry resource version database holding compatibility information of the current default resource module and the alternate resource module, wherein the resource loader utilizes the compatibility information to determine whether the alternate resource module is compatible with the operating system.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the alternate resource module corresponds to a user-selected interface language and the resource modules are language specific.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the resource content is represented as a unique number.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the unique number is a checksum of the resource content.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the default resource module contains the checksum of its resource content.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the alternate resource module contains the checksum of the resource content of the default resource module from which it was localized.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the operating system includes a plurality of alternate resource modules.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, further comprising a registry resource version database holding version information of the current default resource module, version information of the alternate resource module, and compatibility information for the current default resource module and the alternate resource module, wherein the resource loader utilizes the compatibility information to determine whether the alternate resource module is compatible with the operating system.

25. A method for dynamically verifying resource module compatibility with an operating system, wherein the resource modules include language-specific data such that a default resource module corresponds to a default interface language and one or more alternate resource modules correspond to a selected interface language, the method comprising:

obtaining a request to load a language-specific resource from an alternate resource module;

obtaining version information of the alternate resource module;

obtaining version information of the current default resource module;

comparing the version information of the alternate resource module and the current default resource module;

determining whether the current default or alternate resource module has been updated if the version information of the current default resource module and the alternate resource module are not the same;

obtaining the resource content of a default resource module from which the alternate resource module was localized if an update has occurred;

obtaining the resource content of the current default resource module if an update has occurred;

comparing the resource content of the default resource module from which the alternate resource module was localized and the resource content of the current default resource module;

tracking compatibility information as to whether the resource content of the default resource module from which the alternate resource module was localized is the same as the resource content of the current default resource module; and

loading the requested language-specific resource from the alternate resource module if the resource content of the default resource module from which the alternate resource module was localized is the same as the resource content of the current default resource module.

28. A computer system for dynamically verifying that a resource module is compatible with an operating system, the computer system comprising:

a resource loader for loading a resource from a resource module;

a current default resource module containing at least one resource, wherein the current default resource module has a resource content; and

an alternate resource module including one or more resources localized from a default resource module and resource content of the default resource module from which the resource contained in the alternate resource module was localized;

wherein the resource loader loads a resource from the alternate resource module when the resource content from which the alternate resource module was localized is the same as the resource content of the current default resource module.

37. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable modules, comprising:

a resource loader module for loading a resource from a resource module;

a current default resource module including at least one resource;

an alternate resource module including one or more resources localized from a default resource module and the resource content of the default resource module from which the alternate resource module was localized; and

wherein the resource loader loads a resource from the alternate resource module when the resource content from which the alternate resource module was localized is the same as the resource content of the current default resource module.