System and method for extending application preferences classes

• US 20050091674A1
• Filed: 10/24/2003
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Curley, Vincent H., Gerber, Robert H., Knight, Holly, Pather, Shyamalan, Mensa-Annan, Charles Tete
• Granted Patent: US 7,137,099 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/332
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4488 Object-oriented

Abstract

The present systems and methods disclose a system for personalizing computer functionality. End-users are provided with tools to easily write rich and complex preferences, for example, by using a plurality simple IF-THEN propositional logic. The preferences are then transformed into queries and executed efficiently on structured data. Preferences that are satisfied then execute actions such as providing notification or storing data in a particular folder. Furthermore, according to an aspect of the invention, data, logic, events, inter alia, are all schematized, thereby enabling sharing of data between application components and across applications.

Claims

1. A system for dynamically extending application preference classes comprising:

a first executable application including one or more functions that are registered in a registy component; and

an extension component that reads function data from the registry and binds a second executable application to the first, wherein second application preference class declarations are bound to the functions provided by the first application.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the registry component comprises a definition registry for storing function definitions and a binding registry for storing binding data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the functions provide conditions.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the functions provide events.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the functions provide accessors.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein functions are only available for binding to specific applications.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the binding registry receives function binding information from an extension data file (EDF).

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the binding is broken upon removal of the function providing application.

9. A system for extending condition constants comprising:

an input component for receiving a constant accessor; and

an accessory component for determining the constant accessor value from data stored across a plurality of domains.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the constant accessor is a first order constant accessor.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the constant accessor is an Nth order constant accessor.

12. A method for extending application preference class functionality comprising:

receiving an extension data file (EDF) containing information about candidate function bindings;

registering one or more function bindings in a central data store; and

binding a function of a first executable application to a preference class of a second executable application utilizing binding function information located in the central data store.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising applying acceptance logic to determine whether the second application will accept the binding.

14. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 12.

15. A method of uninstalling an application comprising:

removing all application registrations from central storage location;

removing program components; and

notifying dependent applications.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the central storage location is an instance registry.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the instance registry comprises a definition registry and a binding registry.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein removing registrations comprises removing registrations in the definition registry and the binding registry.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the notifying dependant applications causes dependant applications to place their dependencies in a NotAvailable state.

20. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 15.

21. A method for extending constant accessors comprising:

receiving a constant accessor; and

resolving the value of the constant accessor by searching across application domains.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the constant accessor is a first order constant accessor.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the constant accessor is an Nth order constant accessor.

24. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 21.