Dynamically extensible application program framework including message and notification routing

• US 20060129979A1
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shah, Mehul Y., Fernando, Joseph P., Fernando, Antonio W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,861,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/113
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements

Abstract

Dynamically configuring an application program at run-time via one or more extension objects. The invention software implements a framework with one or more extension objects providing functionality to an application program and an application manager for integrating the functionality with the application program during execution of the application program. The framework of the invention also formulates and routes application messages between extensible objects of one application program and extensible objects of other application programs implementing a similar, dynamically extensible application program framework. On receipt of messages or notifications, the framework of the receiving application program facilitates the discovery of the intended recipient extension object and routes the message accordingly.

Claims

1. A system for switching between multiple views of a workspace in a user interface, said system comprising:

at least one view extension object providing at least one user interface element for the user interface, said user interface being associated with a dynamically extensible application, said view extension object corresponding to a view selection service object; and

a view selector object for managing the view selection service object to transition a view for the workspace.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the view selector object, in response to user input, calls the view selection service object to activate or de-activate the view.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said view selection service object stores a state of the view extension object.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface element is a plug-in.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said view extension object comprises a chat object.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure representing a header for a message, said message being encapsulated by the view extension object, said view extension object being in an extension object hierarchy of the dynamically extensible application, said data structure comprising:

a type field identifying a class of the view extension object; and

a name field identifying the view extension object.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the view extension object relates to the workspace in the user interface, and wherein said type field corresponds to a type of said workspace in said user interface.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the view extension object relates to the workspace in the user interface, and wherein said name field corresponds to an identifier of said workspace in said user interface.

9. A method of switching between multiple views of a workspace in a user interface, said method comprising:

associating a user interface with a dynamically extensible application;

providing at least one user interface element for the user interface via at least one view extension object, said view extension object corresponding to a view selection service object; and

managing the view selection service object via a view selector object to transition a view for the workspace.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the view selector object, in response to user input, calls the view selection service object to activate or de-activate the view.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said view selection service object stores a state of the view extension object.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the user interface element is a plug-in.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said view extension object comprises a chat object.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 9.