Integration of external tools into an existing design environment

• US 20050177818A1
• Filed: 02/05/2004
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Huene, Peter C., Shepard, Joshua C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,657,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/116
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

Custom build tools are integrated into a design environment build process without writing code. Properties of the tool are defined in a file describing the appropriate syntax of the tool'"'"'s command line. Values are specified for a particular use of the tool in a particular project. At runtime the command line for the tool is generated from the generalized syntax as defined in the file and the stored values.

Claims

1. A system for integrating a tool into a design environment comprising:

a dynamic property descriptor associated with a custom build rule object, the dynamic property descriptor storing information associated with a property of the custom build rule object, the property of the custom build rule object associated with at least one value; and

a generic property store for storing the at least one value for the property of the custom build rule object.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a content handler, the content handler receiving a tool file, the tool file comprising at least one custom build rule and generating from the at least one custom build rule the custom build rule object.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the tool file is associated with a schema.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the tool file comprises an XML file.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the XML file is associated with an XML schema.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the XML file is validated against the XML schema.

7. The system of claim 2, further comprising a dialog for adding or modifying the tool file.

8. The system of claim 2, further comprising a dialog for adding or modifying the custom build rule.

9. The system of claim 2, further comprising a dialog for adding or modifying the property of the custom build rule object.

10. The system of claim 2, further comprising a dialog for adding or modifying the at least one value associated with the property of the custom build rule object.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one value comprises a parameter value for the property of the custom build rule object.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the custom build rule object transforms a generalized command line by programmatically replacing a tag with a property value to generate an executable command line.

13. A method for integrating a build tool into a design environment comprising:

associating a dynamic property with a build rule object associated with the build tool, the dynamic property associated with a switch property;

associating a value with the switch property; and

transforming a generalized command line into an executable command line by programmatically replacing a tag in the generalized command line with the value.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving a tool file describing the build tool, the tool file including the generalized command line and a build rule for transforming the generalized command line into the executable command line for executing the build tool.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the tool file is an XML file.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the XML file is associated with an XML schema and the XML file is validated against the XML schema.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating the build rule object from the build rule.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the build rule object generated from the build rule creates a dynamic property descriptor.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the value is stored in a generic property store.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the value is associated with a particular use of the build rule in a project.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the value is associated with the switch property via a user interface.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the value is associated with the switch property via a scripting language.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the XML file is received by a content handler, the content handler generating from the XML file at least one custom build rule object.

24. A method for integrating a build tool into a design environment comprising:

receiving a file describing a build tool, the file including a build rule, the build rule comprising a generalized command line and a rule for transforming the generalized command line into an executable command line for executing the tool;

generating a build rule object from the build rule;

associating a dynamic property with the build rule object, the dynamic property associated with a switch property;

associating a value with the switch property; and

transforming the generalized command line into an executable command line by programmatically replacing a tag in the generalized command line with the value of the switch property.

25. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for:

receiving a file describing a build tool, the file including a build rule, the build rule comprising a generalized command line and a rule for transforming the generalized command line into an executable command line for executing the tool.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, further comprising:

generating a build rule object from the build rule.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, further comprising:

associating a dynamic property with the build rule object, the dynamic property associated with a switch property;

associating a value with the switch property; and

transforming the generalized command line into an executable command line by programmatically replacing a tag in the generalized command line with the value of the switch property.