CONTROLLING APPLICATION FEATURES

• US 20080127053A1
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Torr, Peter J., Schnepp, Eric S., Stubbs, Paul, Shepard, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,850,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

A facility is provided for controlling application features. In various embodiments, the facility assembles an indication of features, starts a controlled application, and provides the assembled indication of features to the controlled application so that the controlled application can disable a feature of the controlled application. The facility can include a controlling application that is adapted for assembling a set of tokens that identify features by adding or removing tokens when a user of the controlling application selects a command associated with the controlling application, and a controlled application that, when invoked by the controlling application and provided the assembled set of tokens, controls a feature of the controlled application based on the assembled set of tokens.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computing system for controlling features of a controlled application from a controlling application, comprising:

assembling an indication of features of the controlled application;

starting the controlled application; and

providing the indicated features to the controlled application so that the controlled application can disable a feature of the controlled application.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the assembling includes identifying a feature that is to be enabled.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the assembling includes identifying a feature that is to be disabled.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a command to the identified process.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the command is to load a project.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the command is to insert code into a code editor.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing includes identifying an application that starts the integrated development environment so that the integrated development environment can customize itself.

8. A system for controlling features of a controlled application from a controlling application, comprising:

a controlling application that is adapted for assembling a set of tokens, the set of tokens assembled by adding or removing tokens when a user of the controlling application selects a command associated with the controlling application; and

a controlled application that, when invoked by the controlling application and provided the assembled set of tokens, controls a feature of the controlled application based on the assembled set of tokens.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the controlled application is an integrated development environment.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the assembled set of tokens causes the integrated development environment to add code in a code editor.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the integrated development environment is MICROSOFT VISUAL STUDIO.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the assembled set of tokens causes the controlled application to disable a feature.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the controlling application generates source code for display in a code editor of the controlled application when assembling the set of tokens.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the controlled application emits the source code in the code editor when the controlled application starts.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein the controlling application has a provider component for communicating with the controlled application.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the provider component starts the controlled application.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform a method for controlling features of a controlled application from a controlling application, the method comprising:

receiving from the controlling application an indication to load a component associated with the controlled application and an assembled set of tokens;

determining whether the component to be loaded is indicated by the assembled set of tokens to be enabled; and

when the component to be loaded is indicated by the assembled set of tokens to be enabled, enabling the component.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising loading the component.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising inserting source code into a code editor associated with the controlled application when the assembled set of tokens indicates that source code is to be inserted.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein a feature of the controlled application is disabled when the component is not loaded.