Methods and Systems For Delivering Software

• US 20080134162A1
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Raman, Suryanarayanan V., Sanchez, Lawrence M., Licata, John A., Syme, Brian J., James, Sarita M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,074,217 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons

Abstract

Methods and systems for software delivery are described. In one embodiment, an extension definition catalog structure is defined and can be used to select one or more software extensions for incorporation on a computing device. At least one software extension is identified using a uniform resource name and, for the one software extension, at least one instance of the software extension is identified using a uniform resource name. For the one instance of the software extension, a uniform resource locator can be used to select the instance.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

defining an extension definition catalog structure that can be used to select one or more software extensions for incorporation on a computing device;

identifying at least one software extension using a uniform resource name;

for said at least one software extension, identifying at least one instance of said software extension using a uniform resource name; and

for said at least one instance, identifying a uniform resource locator that can be used to select said at least one instance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of defining comprises defining the extension definition catalog structure as an XML file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said extension definition catalog structure permits a software extension instance to be identified by language.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said extension definition catalog structure permits a software extension instance to be identified by version.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said extension definition catalog structure permits a software extension instance to be identified by language and version.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said extension definition catalog structure permits a software extension instance language to be identified as being a default language.

7. One or more computer-readable media embodying computer-readable instructions which, when executed, implement an architecture comprising:

one or more attachment points each of which being configured to receive and process data associated with extension definition files that describe a software extension;

an extension definition file hub structure that receives multiple extension files and merges the files to expose the files to said one or more attachment points as a single list;

one or more attachment managers communicatively linked with at least one attachment point for communication that pertains to a software extension; and

an attachment point manager configured to manage said one or more attachment points.

8. The computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein individual attachment points comprise a collection of objects and fire events to registered listeners as objects are added to or removed from the collection.

9. The computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein at least some attachment points are configured to perform filter operations on the single list exposed by the extension definition file hub structure.

10. The computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein at least some attachment points are configured to perform merge operations on the single list exposed by the extension definition file hub structure.

11. The computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein at least some attachment points are configured to perform expand operations on the single list exposed by the extension definition file hub structure.

12. The computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the attachment point manager is configured to create and destroy attachment points.

13. The computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein the attachment point manager is configured to reuse attachment points.

14. The computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein said extension definition files comprise XML files and each top level tag in an XML file is associated with a corresponding attachment manager that uses data provided by an associated attachment point to incorporate a particular type of software feature.

15. The computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein individual attachment managers are configured to request, from the attachment point manager, a set of attachment points.

16. The computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein requests from the individual attachment managers comprise predicate chains that the attachment point manager uses to create and build a set of attachment points.

17. A method comprising:

receiving multiple extension definition files, each of which describes a software extension;

combining the multiple extension definition files into a single list;

exposing the single list to one or more components that can manipulate data contained in the single list; and

using at least one of said one or more components to notify an additional component that uses data provided by said at least one component to incorporate a particular type of software feature.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the act of exposing is performed by exposing said list to at least one chain of components.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein there is a one-to-one correspondence between individual instances of said additional component and individual chains of components.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising prior to exposing said list to at least one chain of components:

receiving a description of a chain as a predicate string;

interpreting the predicate string; and

building, responsive to said interpreting, an associated chain of components.