FORMATTING AND VIEWING SOURCE OBJECTS

• US 20080196015A1
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bekelman, Igor A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,877,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/143
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques

Abstract

A system, method, and computer readable storage medium for formatting and viewing a source object that allows software developers to select their own preferences for formatting and/or viewing the same source object.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

means for receiving a source object;

a parser configured to structurally parse the source object and to create a structural representation of the source object;

a linker configured to resolve references in the structural representation of the source object to create a linked structural representation of the source object;

a rules module that includes one or more rule units for formatting a source object for rendering;

a formatter configured to format the linked structural representation of the source object according to the one or more rule units included in the rules module to create a formatted linked structural representation of the source object; and

rendering means for converting the formatted source object into human readable form.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the rule unit consists of one or more rules.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the structural representation of the source object contains one or more structural components.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the structural representation of the source object contains one or more identifier tags for each structural component.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the formatter is configured to create a mapping unit that maps one or more line numbers corresponding to the rendered formatted linked structural representation of the source object with the appropriate identifier tag.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein a sync module tracks one or more changes made to the formatted linked structural representation of the source object.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a mapping module receives the changes made to the formatted linked structural representation of the source object from the sync module.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the mapping module updates the changes to the linked structural representation of the source object.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the mapping module updates the changes to the structural representation of the source object.

10. A system, comprising:

means for receiving a source object;

a parser selector for selecting a parser that corresponds to the source object, the parser being configured to structurally parse the source object and create a structural representation of the first source object;

a linker selector for selecting a linker that corresponds to the source object the linker being configured to resolve the local path of a parameter of the source object to a global path of the parameter of the source object;

a rules module that includes one or more rule units for formatting and/or viewing the source object;

a formatter selector for selecting a formatter that corresponds to the source object, the formatter configured to format the linked parsed structural representation of the source object;

a sync module for communicating changes made to the formatted linked parsed structural representation of the source object;

a mapping module for receiving changes made to the formatted linked parsed structural representation of the source object; and

a viewer for viewing the formatted linked parsed structural representation of the source object.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the formatter formats the linked parsed structural representation of the source object according to the one or more rule units contained in the rules module.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the structural representation of the source object contains one or more structural components.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the structural representation of the source object contains one or more identifier tags for each structural component.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the formatter creates a mapping unit that contains a mapping of one or more line numbers of the formatted linked structural representation to the corresponding one or more identifier tags.

15. A method, comprising:

selecting a source object;

parsing the source object to create a structural representation;

linking the structural representation;

formatting the linked structural representation;

rendering the formatted structural representation; and

synchronizing one or more changes made to the formatted structural representation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein one or more rule units are applied

17. The method of claim 15, wherein a sync module tracks the changes made to the formatted structural representation.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a mapping module receives the changes made to the formatted structural representation.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the mapping module updates the changes to the linked structural representation.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the mapping module updates the changes to the structural representation.