Dynamic tree-node property page extensions

• US 20040207621A1
• Filed: 05/07/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Allor, Jason M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,154,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Several systems and associated methodologies are provided for adding one or more property pages to one or more types of data. The property pages are added to a data type based upon a unique identifier associated with the data type. The property pages can be selectively enableable property pages which can be selectively enabled for a particular item for a type of data. In accordance with user input, a property page control can display appropriate property pages to a user via a display.

Claims

1. A system that associates at least one property page with at least one type of data comprising:

a property page plug-in that includes the at least one property page, the plug-in associates the at least one property page with the at least one type of data based upon an identifier that identifies the type of data to which the at least one property page is to be associated.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the identifier is a unique identifier.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a control to display the at least one property page.

4. A system to present data comprising:

a folder that contains N number of property pages for a type of data, N being an integer;

a globally unique identifier (GUID) associated with the type of data; and

a property page control operatively coupled to the folder and to collect at least one of the property pages from the folder based upon user input and the GUID.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the control presents the at least one collected property page to a user.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the control presents the at least one collected property page via a display.

7. The system of claim 4 further comprising:

a property page plug-in that includes at least one new property page that is to be included in the folder, the plug-in to include the at least one property page in the folder based upon the GUID.

8. The system of claim 4 further comprising:

at least one additional folder that contains at least one additional property page for an additional type of data; and

at least one additional GUID associated with the at least one additional type of data,

the property page control operatively coupled to the at least one additional folder and that collects the at least one additional property page from the at least one additional folder in response to user input and based upon the at least one additional GUID.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a property page plug-in that includes at least one new property page, the plug-in includes the at least one new property page in the folder based upon the GUID and in the at least one additional folder based upon the at least one additional GUID.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

a property page plug-in that includes at least one selectively enableable property page that is to be included in the folder, the plug-in being operatively coupleable to the folder and includes the at least one selectively enableable property page in the folder based upon the type GUID corresponding to the type of data.

11. A control that presents a property page comprising:

a first component that determines an identifier associated with the property page;

a second component that determines if the property page has been enabled for a particular item of a data type based upon the identifier; and

a third component that displays the property page only for the particular item of the data type if the property page a has been enabled to be displayed within a particular item of a data type.

12. A method for displaying a property page comprising:

determining a GUID associated with the property page;

determining if the property page has been enabled for a particular item of a type of data based upon the GUID; and

displaying the property page for that particular item of the type of data if the page has been enabled for a particular item of a type of data.

13. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions to perform the acts recited in claim 12.

14. A method for adding a property page to a type of data comprising:

associating the property page with a property page plug-in;

determining an identifier corresponding to the type of data;

associating an identifier corresponding to the type of data with the property page plug-in; and

utilizing the identifier to add the property page to a folder to contain property pages for the type of data.

15. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions to perform the acts recited in claim 14.

16. In a computer system having a graphical user interface, a method for presenting data comprising:

determining if the data has an associated identifier;

displaying the data for all types of data if the data does not have an associated identifier;

determining if the data has been enabled for a particular item of a type of data if the data does have an associated identifier; and

displaying the data for that particular item for the type of data if the data has been enabled for a particular item of a type of data.

17. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions to perform the acts recited in claim 16.

18. A system that facilitates adding a property page to a type of data comprising:

means for associating the page with a property page plug-in;

means for determining an identifier corresponding to the type of data;

means for associating an identifier corresponding to the type of data with the property page plug-in; and

means for utilizing the identifier to add the property page to a folder to contain property pages for the type of data.

19. A method for selectively enabling a property page comprising:

establishing a page GUID associated with the property page;

establishing a type GUID associated with a particular data type; and

if the page GUID corresponds to the type GUID, enabling the property page for the particular data type.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the act of communicating the property page for the particular data type to a user.

21. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions to perform the acts recited in claim 19.