METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING AN EXTENSIBLE USER INTERFACE

• US 20090094526A1
• Filed: 04/29/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Snapkauskas, Darius, Ramani, Preethi, Sourov, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Displaying a custom user interface in response to a determination that the application program is configured to display the custom user interface. To create the custom user interface, the end user can customize one or more default user interface files to create custom user interface files. The default user interface files can comprise one or more of a structure definition file, a content definition file, and a content display file. Additionally, the custom user interface can be associated with a program module function that can execute in connection with displaying the custom user interface.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for displaying a user interface, comprising the steps of:

creating a custom user interface for a program module by modifying a default user interface for the program module;

in response to start-up of the program module, determining whether the program module is configured to display the custom user interface rather than the default user interface; and

displaying the custom user interface in response to a determination that the program module is configured to display the custom user interface.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of modifying the default user interface comprises creating a custom file defining at least a portion of the user interface based upon one or more modifications to the default user interface.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

associating the custom user interface with a function of the program module; and

executing the program module function in connection with displaying the custom user interface.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said default user interface comprises a default structure definition file defining user interface structure referencing a first content item,

wherein said step of creating a custom user interface comprises modifying the default structure definition file to create a custom structure definition file defining custom user interface structure referencing a second content item, and

wherein said step of displaying the custom user interface comprises displaying the second content item according to the custom structure definition file.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first and second content items comprise different content items.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the default and custom structure definition files comprise an HTML-type file.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein said default user interface further comprises a default content display file comprising display content corresponding to the first content item,

wherein said step of creating a custom user interface further comprises modifying the default content display file to create a custom content display file comprising custom display content corresponding to the second content item, and

wherein said step of displaying the custom user interface further comprises displaying the custom display content corresponding to the second content item according to the custom structure definition file.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the default and custom structure definition files and the default and custom content display files comprise an HTML-type file.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said default user interface comprises a default content definition file defining a first content item,

wherein said step of creating a custom user interface comprises modifying the default content definition file to create a custom content definition file defining a second content item, and

wherein said step of displaying the custom user interface comprises displaying the second content item defined in the custom content definition file.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first and second content items comprise different content items.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the default and custom content definition files comprise an XML-type file.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein said default user interface comprises a default content display file comprising display content corresponding to the first content item,

wherein said step of creating a custom user interface further comprises modifying the default content display file to create a custom content display file comprising custom display content corresponding to the second content item, and

wherein said step of displaying the custom user interface further comprises displaying the custom display content corresponding to the second content item.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the default and custom content definition files comprise an XML-type file, and

wherein the default content display file and the custom content display file comprise an HTML-type file.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein said default user interface comprises a structure definition file defining user interface structure referencing one or more content items, a content definition file defining the one or more content items, and a content display file providing display content corresponding to at least one of the one or more content items,

wherein said step of creating a custom user interface comprises modifying one of the structure definition file, the content definition file, and the content display file, and

wherein said step of displaying the custom user interface comprises displaying the user interface using the file modified in said step of creating a custom user interface.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said step of modifying one of the structure definition file, the content definition file, and the content display file comprises modifying existing content in the modified file.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein said step of modifying one of the structure definition file, the content definition file, and the content display file comprises adding new content to the modified file.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the content definition file comprises an XML-type file, and

wherein the structure definition file and the content display file comprise an HTML-type file.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

19. A system for displaying a user interface, comprising:

a monitor that displays the user interface; and

a processor executing a program module operable to present the user interface for display on the monitor by performing the steps comprising;

reading a structure definition file that references a content item for display in the user interface;

reading a content definition file defining the content item referenced in the structure definition file; and

displaying the user interface comprising the content item on the monitor,

wherein at least one of the structure definition file and the content definition file comprise information modified by an end user of the program module.

20-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A computer-implemented method for displaying a user interface of a program module, comprising the steps of:

creating an HTML structure file comprising a position of a content item for display on the user interface;

creating an HTML content display file comprising display content corresponding to the content item;

creating an XML content file that associates the content item to the content display file;

customizing the user interface by modifying one of the HTML structure file, the HTML content file, and the XML content file; and

displaying the custom user interface by displaying the display content associated with the content item in the position in the HTML structure file.

27-34. -34. (canceled)