Supporting multiple application program interfaces

• US 20040010791A1
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Jain, Vikas, Lee, Michele C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,478,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/543 Local
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

Technology is disclosed for supporting multiple application program interfaces. A main application identifies an application program interface to employ with a program outside of the main program, such as a plug-in. In one instance, the main application employs an application program interface registration list to identify the proper application program interface to use with a desired program—allowing the proper application program interface to be identified before interacting with the desired program. The registration list includes a set of entries. Each entry identifies a program and a corresponding application program interface to use with the program. The main application accesses an entry in the registration list for the desired program to identify the corresponding application program interface. One example of a registration list is an event catalog with each entry correlating an event to a program and the application program interface used by the program. When an event occurs, the main application accesses an event catalog entry to identify a program that corresponds to the event and the application program interface that corresponds to the program.

Claims

1. A method of managing an interface, comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying an application program interface corresponding to a program, based at least in part on an application program interface registration list; and

(b) interacting with said program in accordance with said application program interface identified in said step (a).

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said application program interface registration list contains an entry correlating said program to said application program interface.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said step (a) includes the step of:

(1) identifying said application program interface from said entry.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said method includes the step of:

(c) identifying said entry.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said entry corresponds to an event.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said step (c) is performed in response to said event.

7. A method according to claim 3, wherein said method includes the step of:

(d) identifying said program from said entry.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step (a) is performed by a first application and said program is a client program outside of said first application.

9. A method according to claim 2, wherein said steps (a) and (b) are performed by a first application and said application program interface identified in said step (a) is one of a plurality of application program interfaces supported by said first application.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said application program interface registration list is an event catalog.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step (a) is performed by a first application prior to said first application interacting with said program for a first time.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein said method is performed as part of an Identity System.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said program is a client program outside of said Identity System.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein said method is performed as part of an Access System.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said program is a client program outside of said Access System.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein said method is performed as part of an integrated Identity/Access System.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said program is a client program outside of said integrated Identity/Access System.

18. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on said one or more processor readable storage devices, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying an application program interface corresponding to a program, based at least in part on an application program interface registration list; and

(b) interacting with said program in accordance with said application program interface identified in said step (a).

19. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 18, wherein said application program interface registration list contains an entry correlating said program to said application program interface, wherein said step (a) includes the step of:

(1) identifying said application program interface from said entry.

20. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 19, wherein said method includes the step of:

(c) identifying said entry.

21. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 20, wherein said entry corresponds to an event, wherein said step (c) is performed in response to said event.

22. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 19, wherein said method includes the step of:

(d) identifying said program from said entry.

23. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 18, wherein said step (a) is performed by a first application and said program is a client program outside of said first application.

24. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 18, wherein said step (a) is performed by a first application prior to said first application interacting with said program for a first time.

25. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 18, wherein said method is performed as part of an Identity System.

26. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 18, wherein said method is performed as part of an Access System.

27. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more storage devices; and

one or more processors in communication with said one or more storage devices, said one or more processors perform a method comprising the steps of;

(a) identifying an application program interface corresponding to a program, based at least in part on an application program interface registration list; and

(b) interacting with said program in accordance with said application program interface identified in said step (a).

28. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said application program interface registration list contains an entry correlating said program to said application program interface, wherein said step (a) includes the step of:

(1) identifying said application program interface from said entry.

29. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said method includes the step of:

(c) identifying said entry, wherein said entry corresponds to an event, wherein said step (c) is performed in response to said event.

30. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said step (a) is performed prior to interacting with said program for a first time.

31. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said method is performed as part of an Identity System.

32. A method of managing an interface, comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying an entry in a configuration file; and

(b) identifying an application program interface from said entry.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein said configuration file is an event catalog.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein said entry corresponds to an event.

35. A method according to claim 32, wherein said entry corresponds to an event and said method includes the step of:

(c) interacting with a program corresponding to said event using said application program interface.

36. A method according to claim 35, wherein said steps (a) and (b) are performed by a first application and said application program interface identified in said step (b) is one of a plurality of application program interfaces supported by said first application.

37. A method according to claim 35, wherein said method includes the step of:

(d) identifying said program from said entry.

38. A method according to claim 37, wherein said entry specifies said program.

39. A method according to claim 32, wherein said entry specifies said application program interface.

40. A method according to claim 32, wherein said method is performed as part of an Identity System.

41. A method according to claim 32, wherein said method is performed as part of an Access System System.

42. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on said one or more processor readable storage devices, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying an entry in a configuration file; and

(b) identifying an application program interface from said entry.

43. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 42, wherein said entry corresponds to an event and said method includes the step of:

(c) interacting with a program corresponding to said event using said application program interface.

44. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 43, wherein said method includes the step of:

(d) identifying said program from said entry.

45. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 42, wherein said method is performed as part of an Identity System.

46. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more storage devices; and

one or more processors in communication with said one or more storage devices, said one or more processors perform a method comprising the steps of;

(a) identifying an entry in a configuration file; and

(b) identifying an application program interface from said entry.

47. An apparatus according to claim 46, wherein said entry corresponds to an event and said method includes the steps of:

(c) interacting with a program corresponding to said event using said application program interface; and

(d) identifying said program from said entry.

48. An apparatus according to claim 46, wherein said method is performed as part of an Identity System.

49. A method of managing an interface, comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying an application program interface in a plurality of application program interfaces, wherein said application program interface corresponds to a program; and

(b) interacting with said program in accordance with said application program interface identified in said step (a), wherein said step (a) is performed prior to interacting with said program for a first time.

50. A method according to claim 49, wherein said step (a) includes the step of:

(1) identifying said application program interface, based at least in part on a configuration file, wherein said configuration file contains an entry correlating said program to said application program interface.

51. A method according to claim 50, wherein said step (a)(1) includes the step of:

(i) identifying said application program interface from said entry.

52. A method according to claim 51, wherein said method includes the steps of:

(c) identifying said entry in response to an event; and

(d) identifying said program from said entry.

53. A method according to claim 52, wherein said configuration file is an event catalog.

54. A method according to claim 49, wherein said step (a) is performed by a first application and said program is a client program outside of said first application.

55. A method according to claim 49, wherein said method is performed as part of an Identity System.

56. A method according to claim 49, wherein said method is performed as part of an Access System.

57. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on said one or more processor readable storage devices, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying an application program interface in a plurality of application program interfaces, wherein said application program interface corresponds to a program; and

(b) interacting with said program in accordance with said application program interface identified in said step (a), wherein said step (a) is performed prior to interacting with said program for a first time.

58. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 57, wherein said step (a) includes the step of:

(1) identifying said application program interface, based at least in part on a configuration file, wherein said configuration file contains an entry correlating said program to said application program interface.

59. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 58, wherein:

said step (a)(1) includes the step of;

(i) identifying said application program interface from said entry, and said method includes the steps of;

(c) identifying said entry in response to said event; and

(d) identifying said program from said entry.

60. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 57, wherein said step (a) is performed by a first application and said program is a client program outside of said first application.

61. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 57, wherein said method is performed as part of an Identity System.

62. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more storage devices; and

one or more processors in communication with said one or more storage devices, said one or more processors perform a method comprising the steps of;

(a) identifying an application program interface in a plurality of application program interfaces, wherein said application program interface corresponds to a program; and

(b) interacting with said program in accordance with said application program interface identified in said step (a), wherein said step (a) is performed prior to interacting with said program for a first time.

63. An apparatus according to claim 62, wherein said step (a) includes the step of:

(1) identifying said application program interface, based at least in part on a configuration file, wherein said configuration file contains an entry correlating said program to said application program interface.

64. An apparatus according to claim 63, wherein:

said step (a)(1) includes the step of;

(i) identifying said application program interface from said entry, and said method includes the steps of;

(c) identifying said entry in response to an event; and

(d) identifying said program from said entry.

65. An apparatus according to claim 62, wherein said method is performed as part of an Identity System.