Shell extensions for an operating system

• US 5,838,322 A
• Filed: 08/20/1997
• Issued: 11/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Belfiore, Joseph D., Pitt, George H. III, Nakajima, Satoshi, Guzak, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US08/915,443
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326, 345/348, 345/349, 395/651, 395/652, 395/653, 395/674, 395/676, 395/677, 395/680, 707/103, 707/104, 707/105, 707/200
• US Class Current: 715/846
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells

Abstract

An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space. The mechanism provided by the operating system to add such a name space is polymorphic and transparent to users.

Claims

1. In a data processing system having a video display, a memory means and a processing means running an operating system that includes a shell that provides functionality, an application program installed under the operating system, and a file having a file type associated with the application, the file having an associated file identifier, a method comprising the steps of:

providing a database of registration information that is stored in the memory means;

storing a representation of a per-instance icon for the file in the memory means;

registering the representation of the per-instance icon in the database in association with the file identifier;

providing and registering in the database, a per-instance icon handler for the file type to extend the functionality of the shell relative to the file type, said per-instance icon handler provide by the application program and being independent of the operating system,

wherein the per-instance icon handler is for finding the representation of the per-instance icon and providing the representation of the per-instance icon to the operating system to display the icon on the video display; and

in response to a request to display an icon for the file, accessing the database to locate the per-instance icon handler and using the per-instance icon handler to display the per-instance icon as the icon for the file on the video display.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of storing the representation of the per-instance icon for the file in the memory means comprises the step of storing a metafile of the per-instance icon for the file in the memory means.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of registering the icon handler comprises the step of registering a class identifier for an object class for the icon handler.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of using the icon handler to display the icon on the video display further comprises the steps of creating an instance of an icon handler object of the registered object class and using the icon handler object to display the per-instance icon on the video display.

5. In a data processing system having a video display, memory means holding a database of registration information and a representation of a per-instance icon for a file and processing means running an operating system that includes a shell that provides functionality, an application program installed under the operating system, wherein the file is associated with the application and has an associated file identifier, a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of:

providing a database of registration information that is stored in the memory means;

registering the representation of the per-instance icon in the database in association with the file identifier;

providing, and registering in the database, a per-instance icon handler for the file type to extend the functionality of the shell relative to the file type, said per-instance icon handler provided by the application program and being independent of the operating system,

wherein the per-instance icon handler is for finding the representation of the per-instance icon and providing the representation of the per-instance icon to the operating system to display the icon on the video display; and

in response to a request to display an icon for the file, accessing the database to locate the per-instance icon handler and using the per-instance icon handler to display file per-instance icon as the icon for the file on the video display.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5 wherein the step of storing the representation of the per-instance icon for the file in the memory means comprises the step of storing a metafile of the per-instance icon for the file in the memory means.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 5 wherein the step of registering the icon handler comprises the step of registering a class identifier for an object class for the icon handler.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 5 wherein the step of using the icon handler to display the icon on the video display further comprises the steps of creating an instance of an icon handler object of the registered object class and using the icon handler object to display the per-instance icon on the video display.

9. A computer system comprising:

a display device;

a storage medium holding;

an object of an object class having an associated object class identifier, said object having an associated object identifier which is different than the object class identifier;

an operating system that includes a shell that provides functionality;

an application program installed under the operating system, wherein the object and object class are associated with the application;

a per-instance icon that is associated with the object but not with the object class;

a per-instance icon handler provided by the application and being independent of the operating system, said per-instance icon handler for locating and displaying the per-instance icon of the display device;

a registry holding registration information, said registry including an entry for the per-instance icon handler stored in association with the object identifier; and

a processor for running the operating system and the per-instance icon handler.

10. The computer system of claim 9 wherein the representation of the per-instance icon is a bitmap.

11. The computer system of claim 9 wherein the representation of the per-instance icon is a metafile.

12. In a computer system having a display device and an operating system with a shell that provides functionality, an application program installed under the operating system, and an instance of an object class related to the application program, said object class having an associated object class identifier, said instance having an associated instance identifier which is different than the object class identifier, a method comprising the steps of:

providing a per-instance icon handler by the application program when the application program is installed under the operating system, the per-instance icon handler being independent of the operating system, the per-instance icon handler for displaying a per-instance icon associated with the instance on the display device; and

running the per-instance icon handler to extend the functionality of the shell for the instance of the object class when the instance identifier is invoked through the shell.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

providing a registry in which configuration information for the computer system is registered; and

registering the icon handler in the registry.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the registering step comprises registering an object class for the icon handler in the registry.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of instantiating the icon handler by instantiating an instance of the object class that is registered in the registry.

16. In a computer system having a display device and an operating system with a shell that provides functionality, an application program installed tinder the operating system, and an instance of an object class related to the application program, said object class having an associated object class identifier, said instance having an associated instance identifier, which is different than the object class identifier, a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of:

providing a per-instance icon handler by the application program when the application program is installed under the operating system, the per-instance icon handler being independent of the operating system, the per-instance icon handler for displaying a per-instance icon associated with the instance on the display device; and

running the per-instance icon handler to extend the functionality of the shell for the instance of the object class of objects instance identifier is invoked through the shell.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the method further comprises the steps of

providing a registry in which configuration information for the computer system is registered;

and

registering the icon handler in the registry.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein the registering, step comprises registering an object class for the icon handler in the registry.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the method further comprises the step of instantiating the icon handler by instantiating an instance of the object class that is registered in the registry.