System and method for exposing tasks in a development environment

• US 20050171967A1
• Filed: 01/30/2004
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Calvert, Simon, Mohan, Bulusu Krishna, Kothari, Nikhil, Lin, Andrew Cheng-min, Cote, Antoine, Horton, Anson M., Yuknewicz, Paul, Pepin, Brian, Barber, Corrina, Wallace, Donna, Dias, Christopher, Schmelzer, James, Balsiger, Fred, Perez, Meghan Rae, Mott, Graeme, Harsh, Michael, Kubiniec, Joseph F., Chrisope, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,490,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/00 Arrangements for software engineering testing or debugging G06F11/36; administrative, planning or organisation aspects of software project management G06Q10/06

Abstract

A user interface is provided that exposes items such as developer tasks, commands, property settings, and other related information to a user. The user interface may be invoked in a number of development interfaces such as, for example, a designer or an editor. The user interface may be either an object bound interface or an action triggered interface. An object bound interface exposes a set of items that are associated with a corresponding object. An action triggered interface exposes a set of items that are associated with a corresponding triggering action. In addition to enumerating developer tasks, the user interface may provide a direct link to other interfaces that facilitate task execution.

Claims

1. A method for exposing a developer task that is associated with an object in a development interface, the method comprising:

detecting the object in the development interface;

determining that the developer task is associated with the object;

providing a user interface that enables a user to view and select the developer task for execution.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising detecting the object in a designer.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising detecting the object in an editor.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining the state of the object; and

determining that the developer task is associated with the object based on the state of the object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the developer task is associated with the object comprises querying a task to service to determine that the developer task is associated with the object.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a programmatic interface that enables a user to associate the developer task with the object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the user interface that enables the user to view and select the developer task comprises providing a panel that enables the user to view and select the developer task.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising providing the panel instantaneously when the object is detected in the development interface.

9. The method of claim 7, comprising providing the panel in response to detecting a stroke of a shortcut key on an attached keyboard.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying an icon in the development interface to indicate to the user that the panel is available.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising displaying the icon adjacent to the object.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting that the user has moved a screen pointer over the icon and clicked on the icon using an attached input device; and

displaying the panel in response to detecting the click on the icon.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising displaying the panel adjacent to the icon.

14. The method of claim 10, comprising displaying a marker icon when a screen pointer is hovering over a screen area that is not adjacent to the object.

15. The method of claim 10, comprising displaying a non-shaded icon when a screen pointer is hovering adjacent to the object.

16. The method of claim 10, comprising displaying a shaded icon when a screen pointer is hovering over the icon.

17. The method of claim 1, comprising determining that the developer task is associated with a child object that is associated with the object that is detected in the development interface.

18. The method of claim 1, comprising providing a user interface with a user input field that enables the user to set a property of the object.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the user has selected the developer task; and

providing a direct link to another user interface that facilitates the execution of the developer task.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing the developer task in a re-entrant fashion.

21. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 1.

22. A method for exposing a developer task that is associated with an action performed in a development interface, the method comprising:

detecting the performance of the action;

determining that the developer task is associated with the action;

providing a user interface that enables the user to view and select the developer task for execution.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising detecting the performance of the action in a designer.

24. The method of claim 22, comprising detecting the performance of the action in an editor.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein determining that the developer task is associated with the action comprises querying a task to service to determine that the developer task is associated with the action.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing a programmatic interface that enables a user to associate the developer task with the action.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein providing the user interface that enables the user to view and select the developer task comprises providing a panel that enables the user to view and select the developer task.

28. The method of claim 27, comprising providing the panel in response to detecting a stroke of a shortcut key on an attached keyboard.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising displaying an icon in the development interface to indicate to the user that the panel is available.

30. The method of claim 29, comprising displaying the icon adjacent to an object on which the action is performed.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

detecting that the user has moved a screen pointer over the icon and clicked on the icon using an attached input device; and

displaying the panel in response to detecting the click on the icon.

32. The method of claim 29, comprising displaying the panel adjacent to the icon.

33. The method of claim 29, comprising displaying a marker icon when a screen pointer is hovering over a screen area that is not adjacent to an object on which the action is performed.

34. The method of claim 29, comprising displaying a non-shaded icon when a screen pointer is hovering adjacent to an object on which the action is performed.

35. The method of claim 29, comprising displaying a shaded icon when a screen pointer is hovering over the icon.

36. The method of claim 29, comprising displaying an icon that expires after a selected time interval.

37. The method of claim 29, comprising displaying an icon that expires after a performance of another action by a user.

38. The method of claim 29, comprising displaying an icon that includes an informational symbol corresponding to a type of action.

39. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

detecting the user has selected the developer task; and

providing a direct link to another user interface that facilitates the execution of the developer task.

40. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 22.