BINARY RESOURCE FORMAT AND COMPILER

• US 20100251227A1
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Burukhin, Anatoliy, Arayasantiparb, Athapan, Ghosh, Amit Kumar, Elkhadiri, Mohamed Reda, Redlich, Robert C., Tosukhowong, Voraluk, Borzello, Eric M.
• Application Number:
  US12/410,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20100251227A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/151
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

Optimization architecture for applications that uses a localization model in which localizable resources are separated from code. The resources are typically located in separate DLL files as binary blobs in a unique format. The format is designed for optimized performance and to accommodate various requirements of complex office applications. The binary blobs are produced by a resource compiler based on the format. The architecture includes a resource binary format that facilitates resource identification and lookup, optimization of memory paging by grouping and ordering resources according to runtime use, optimization by compressing resources with an optimal algorithm that is fast in decompression, fast reverse lookup of a resource identifier by resource content, resource grouping, resource substitution, branding, and resource runtime metadata (also referred to as user data).

Claims

1. A computer-implemented data processing system, comprising:

a format component for representing resources of multiple different data structures in a format for optimized use by a specified application; and

a compiler for transforming the format of resources into a runtime for optimized access to the resources by the application.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the format is structured to represent objects and strings as XML entries.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the format component includes an element that facilitates access to the resources in resource groups defined as a string table.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the format component includes an element that specifies substitution of one resource for another resource.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the format component includes an element that specifies maintaining of shared resources in a central location.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the format component includes an element that specifies storage of extra data of resources in the runtime.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the resources are assigned identifiers, and lookup of a resource is based on at least one of the identifiers.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the compiler optimizes memory paging by grouping and ordering the resources according to runtime use.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the compiler compresses the format using an optimization algorithm.

10. A computer-implemented data processing system, comprising:

a format component for representing resources of multiple different data structures in a format of resource information that is ordered for optimized performance of a related application; and

a compiler for compiling the format into a runtime binary for execution by the application for performant access of the resources.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the resources are assigned identifiers and lookup of a resource is based on at least one of the identifiers or a reverse lookup of a resource ID is performed based on resource content.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the compiler optimizes memory paging by grouping and ordering the resources according to runtime use.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a logging component for logging an order in which the application loads the resources, the format component represents the resource information in the format according to the logged order.

14. A computer-implemented data processing method, comprising:

representing localized resources of multiple different data structures in a format of resource information that is ordered for optimized performance of a related application; and

compiling the format into a runtime binary for execution by the application for performant access of the localized resources via the runtime binary.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

tracking an order in which the application loads the resources; and

representing the resource information in the format according to the tracked order.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

assigning an identifier to a resource having content; and

searching for the resource using the identifier or searching for the identifier using the content.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining whether to compress the format based on impact on the performance.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising;

specifying tokens in a resource file for product names; and

resolving the tokens during compile by replacing the tokens with explicit string definitions.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising accessing specific portions of the runtime binary by interfaces of the application for correspondingly specific purposes of the application.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising organizing the resource information in the format for optimized memory utilization and document paging during runtime execution by the application.