Enabling UI template customization and reuse through parameterization

• US 20060225037A1
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mandryk, Luciano, Stall, Jeffrey, Finocchio, Mark, Hogle, Francis, Glein, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US11/095,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20060225037A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/117
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

An exemplary computer-implementable method includes declaring a template for a user interface component in a markup language where the template specifies one or more parameters for the user interface component and declaring a parent template for a user interface assembly of components in the markup language where the parent template calls for consumption of the template for the user interface component and provides at least one value for the one or more parameters or optionally relies exclusively on a default value or default values for one or more parameters. Various other exemplary methods, devices, systems, etc., are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

declaring a template for a user interface component in a markup language where the template specifies one or more parameters for the user interface component; and

declaring a parent template for a user interface assembly of components in the markup language where the parent template calls for consumption of the template for the user interface component and provides at least one value for the one or more parameters or relies exclusively on a default value or default values for the one or more parameters.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the user interface assembly.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the markup language comprises XML.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more parameters comprises a required parameter.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more parameters comprises an optional parameter.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the template for the user interface component includes a default values for at least one of the one or more parameters.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the user interface component serves as a component for selection using one or more commands issued from a remote control.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the user interface component serves as a component for selecting or consuming media.

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

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:

declaring a template for a user interface component in a markup language where the template specifies one or more parameters for the user interface component; and

declaring a parent template for a user interface assembly of components in the markup language where the parent template calls for a first consumption of the user interface component and where the parent template calls for a second consumption of the user interface component.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 where in the called for first consumption, the parent template provides at least one value for the one or more parameters.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 where in the called for second consumption, the parent template provides at least one value for the one or more parameters.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein at least one parameter value differs between the called for first consumption and the called for second consumption of the template for the user interface component.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein at least one of the one or more of the parameters uses a default value.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the markup language comprises XML.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the user interface component serves as a component for selection using one or more commands issued from a remote control.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the user interface component serves as a component for selecting or consuming media.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 10.

19. A computer-implemented method comprising:

positioning an icon for a user interface component on a form; and

creating an instance of a template in a markup language for the user interface component where the template specifies one or more parameters for the user interface component.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 wherein the instance of the template comprises a child of a parent template.