Dynamic tree-node property page extensions

• US 6,784,883 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2001
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Allor, Jason M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sealey, Lance W.
• Application Number:
  US09/894,702
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102-104, 707/104.1, 717/124, 345/419, 345/440
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Several systems and associated methodologies are provided for adding one or more property pages to one or more types of data. The property pages are added to a data type based upon a unique identifier associated with the data type. The property pages can be selectively enableable property pages which can be selectively enabled for a particular item for a type of data. In accordance with user input, a property page control can display appropriate property pages to a user via a display.

Claims

1. A system that associates at least one property page with at least one type of data comprising:

a property page plug-in that includes the at least one property page;

if the property page does not have a unique identifier, the plug-in associates the property page with a plurality of data types; and

if the property image has a unique identifier, the plug-in associates the at least one property page with the at least one type of data based upon the unique identifier that identifies the type of data to which the at least one property page is to be associated.

2. A system to present data comprising:

a folder that contains N number of property pages for a type of data, N being an integer;

a globally unique identifier (GUID) associated with at least one of the type of data;

a property page control operatively coupled to the folder and adapted to collect at least one of the property pages from the folder based upon user input; and

a control reveal the collected property page for all types of data if the GUID does not associate the collected property page with at least one of the type of data.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the control is also adapted to present the at least one collected property page to a user via display.

4. The system of claim 2 further comprising:

a property page plug-in that includes at least one new property page that is to be included in the folder, the plug-in being adapted to include the at least one property page in the folder based upon the GUID.

5. The system of claim 2 further comprising:

at least one additional folder adapted to contain at least one additional property page for an additional type of data; and

at least one additional GUID associated with the at least one additional type of data,

the property page control operatively coupled to the at least one additional folder and adapted to collect the at least one additional property page from the at least one additional folder in response to user input and based upon the at least one additional GUID.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising:

a property page plug-in that includes at least one new property page, the plug-in adapted to include the at least one new property page in the folder based upon the GUID and in the at least one additional folder based upon the at least one additional GUID.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

a property page plug-in that includes at least one selectively enableable property page that is to be included in the folder, the plug-in being operatively coupleable to the folder and adapted to include the at least one selectively enableable property page in the folder based upon the type GUID corresponding to the type of data.

8. A control adapted to present a property page comprising:

a first component adapted to determine if the property page has an associated identifier;

a second component adapted to present the property page for all types of data if the property page does not have a unique identifier;

a third component adapted to determine if the property page has been enabled for a particular item of a data type if the property page does have a unique identifier;

a fourth component adapted to display the property page only for the particular item of the data type if the property page a has been enabled to be displayed within a particular item of a data type.

9. A method for displaying a property page comprising:

determining if the page has an associated page GUID;

displaying the page for all types of data if the page does not have an associated GUID;

determining if the page has been enabled for a particular item of a type of data if the page does have an associated GUID; and

displaying the page for that particular item for the type of data if the page has been enabled for a particular item of a type of data.

10. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions adapted to perform the steps recited in claim 9.

11. In a computer system having a graphical user interface, a method for presenting a property page comprising:

determining if the property page has an associated identifier;

displaying the property page for all types of data if the property page does not have an associated identifier;

determining if the property page has been enabled for a particular item of a type of data if the property page does have an associated identifier; and

displaying the property page for that particular item for the type of data if the property page has been enabled for a particular item of a type of data.

12. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions adapted to perform the steps recited in claim 11.