USING VIRTUAL REPOSITORY ITEMS FOR CUSTOMIZED DISPLAY

• US 20080177692A1
• Filed: 01/24/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bloesch, Anthony Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship

Abstract

In one embodiment, a computer system performs a method for providing repository item information from one or more different perspectives using virtual repository items within a customizable presentation scheme. A computer system accesses a user-defined presentation scheme that describes a manner in which repository items are to be presented. The computer system generates virtual repository items for actual repository items based on the user-defined presentation scheme. The virtual repository items are generated for presentation along with their actual repository items. The computer system maps the virtual repository items to different virtualized sets of repository items according to the user-defined presentation scheme. The virtualized sets comprise at least one of actual repository items and virtual repository items. The computer system presents the virtualized sets of repository items in one or more different perspectives within the user-defined presentation scheme.

Claims

1. At a computer system, a method for providing repository item information from one or more different perspectives using virtual repository items within a customizable presentation scheme, the method comprising:

an act of accessing a user-defined presentation scheme that describes a manner in which repository items are to be presented;

an act of generating virtual repository items for actual repository items based on the user-defined presentation scheme, wherein virtual repository items are generated for presentation along with their actual repository items;

an act of mapping the virtual repository items to different virtualized sets of repository items according to the user-defined presentation scheme, wherein the virtualized sets comprise at least one of actual repository items or virtual repository items; and

an act of presenting the virtualized sets of repository items in one or more different perspectives within the user-defined presentation scheme.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing an actual repository item for use in generating the virtual repository item.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the virtualized set comprises at least one of a plurality of actual repository items, a plurality of virtual repository items or a combination of actual repository items and virtual repository items.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-defined presentation scheme uses monikers to refer to repository items and virtual repository items.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein moniker families are identified by globally unique identifiers (GUID'"'"'s).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the presentation perspectives comprises a diagram.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the presentation perspectives comprises a list, a formatted report or formatted document.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing a user to dynamically restructure the presentation of the virtualized sets based on a modification of the presentation scheme.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtualized sets are presented according to the domain to which the actual repository item belongs.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a browser is used to view virtualized sets.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the presentation scheme is scalable to include a plurality of virtualized sets.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising efficiently searching the virtualized sets by deferring the loading of providers and the execution of provider instructions until appropriate.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising simultaneously presenting multiple versions the same actual repository item.

14. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having thereon an application programming interface for providing repository item information from one or more different perspectives using virtual repository items within a customizable presentation scheme, the application programming interface comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of the computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method, the method comprising:

an act of accessing a user-defined presentation scheme that describes a manner in which repository items are to be presented;

an act of generating virtual repository items for actual repository items based on the user-defined presentation scheme, wherein virtual repository items are generated for presentation along with their actual repository items;

an act of mapping the virtual repository items to different virtualized sets of repository items according to the user-defined presentation scheme, wherein the virtualized sets comprise at least one of actual repository items or virtual repository items; and

an act of presenting the virtualized sets of repository items in one or more different perspectives within the user-defined presentation scheme.

15. The application programming interface of claim 14, wherein the method performed by the interface further comprises presenting custom search panels.

16. The application programming interface of claim 15, wherein search panels provide for searching by one or more of accessibility, base class, name, interface or namespace.

17. The application programming interface of claim 14, wherein the method performed by the interface further comprises allowing a user to dynamically restructure the presentation of the virtualized sets based on a modification of the presentation scheme.

18. The application programming interface of claim 14, wherein the method performed by the interface further comprises efficiently searching the virtualized sets by deferring the loading of providers and the execution of provider instructions until appropriate.

19. The application programming interface of claim 18, wherein the method performed by the interface further comprises simultaneously presenting multiple versions the same actual repository item.

20. A computer program product for implementing a method for presenting directory item information in multiple different perspectives using virtual repository items within a customizable display scheme, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of the computing system, cause the computing system to perform the method, the method comprising:

an act of receiving a customizable display scheme that represents a structure describing how directory items are to be presented within the scheme;

an act of creating virtual directory items for actual directory items based on the customizable display scheme, wherein virtual directory items are created for displaying along with their actual directory items;

an act of coupling the virtual directory items to different virtualized sets of directory items according to the customizable display scheme, wherein the virtualized sets comprise one or more of actual directory items or virtual directory items; and

an act of displaying the virtualized sets of directory items in one or more different perspectives within the customizable display scheme.