External resource files for application development and management

• US 7,017,143 B1
• Filed: 12/01/1999
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Andrew, Felix G. T. I., Ellison-Taylor, Ian M., Carroll, Mark S., Colleran, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): DAS, CHAMELI
• Application Number:
  US09/452,421
• Time in Patent Office: 2,302 Days
• Field of Search: 717100-106, 717/160, 717113-114, 717108-111, 717/168, 345/418, 345/594, 345/650, 345/676, 345/741, 345/760, 345/740, 345/544, 709/223, 709/203, 709/224, 709/219, 707/104.1, 707/5, 703/201, 715/513, 715/760, 715/771, 715/713, 716/1
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

This invention provides a method and system for developing a software application program with user interfaces that make resource files external to the other compiled executable files such that the information from the resource file may be obtained at runtime as needed without the need for compilation. The external resource file may be edited at runtime to allow designers to modify the application'"'"'s interface without having to depend on developers implement changes in the interface. This is achieved by providing resources in a markup language and routines that locate and parse the markup language text on the fly as an application executes. Compartmentalization of the effort in developing and porting an application is facilitated for protection of source code and better management of designers and developers working on different aspects of a software application due to the externalization of the resource files needed primarily by the designers.

Claims

1. A computer software application development system comprising:

a first group of system users responsible for modifying one or more external resource files written in a markup language, at least one of the external resource files comprising at least one extensible markup language tag associated with at least one of a plurality of platform namespaces;

a second group of system users responsible for writing computer software code;

a graphical control locator for locating the one or more external resource files;

a parser for identifying a requested parameter stored in the one or more external resource files; and

a runtime tree built from the one or more external resource files in response to a resource request that references at least one of a plurality of graphical controls;

wherein at least some of the plurality of graphical controls have a parent-child relationship with others of the plurality of graphical controls; and

wherein a reference to the runtime tree is sent to each graphical control in a parent-child relationship with the at least one of the plurality of graphical controls referenced by the resource request.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one system user in the first group of system users cannot access the computer software code directly without authorization.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one system user in the second group of system users cannot access the one or more external resource files without authorization.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more external resource files are generated dynamically.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein different ones of at least some of the plurality of platform namespaces correspond to different computing platforms.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein different ones of at least some of the plurality of platform namespaces correspond to different computing platform versions.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein different ones of at least some of the plurality of platform namespaces correspond to different graphical user interface (GUI) implementations.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a plurality of graphical control locators and each graphical control locator corresponds to at least one of the plurality of platform namespaces.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each graphical control locator corresponds to different ones of the plurality of platform namespaces.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the external resource files comprises a plurality of extensible markup langauge tags, the plurality of extensible markup langauge tags comprising:

at least one extensible markup langauge tag recognized by the graphical control locator; and

at least one extensible markup langauge tag not recognized by the graphical control locator.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the system further comprises an application, the application comprising at least one graphical control; and

at least some of the information contained in the at least one extensible markup language tag recognized by the graphical control locator is supplied to at least one of the at least one graphical control.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the information contained in each of the at least one extensible markup language tag not recognized by the graphical control locator is supplied to the application.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical control locator is a component of a computer operating system.

14. A method for enhancing security in a computer software application development environment, the method comprising:

creating one or more external resource files for storing data in a markup language for implementing resources, at least one of the external resource files comprising at least one extensible markup language tag associated with at least one of a plurality of platform namespaces;

using a graphical control locator for retrieving information from the one or more resource files in response to a request for a resource;

providing a first user with authority to modify the one or more resource files and execute an application program associated with the one or more resource files;

restricting the first user from accessing and modifying source code for the application program; and

building a runtime tree from the one or more external resource files in response to a resource request that references at least one of a plurality of graphical controls;

wherein at least some of the plurality of graphical controls have a parent-child relationship with others of the plurality of graphical controls; and

wherein a reference to the runtime tree is sent to each graphical control in a parent-child relationship with the at least one of the plurality of graphical controls referenced by the resource request.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the method further includes restricting a second user from accessing and modifying the one or more resource files.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein restricting the second user comprises restricting a developer from accessing and modifying the one or more resource files.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein restricting the second user comprises restricting a text evaluator from accessing and modifying the one or more resource files.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the first user is a user interface designer.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein restricting the first user comprises using a password to determine whether the first user should be allowed access to the source code.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein restricting the first user comprises using a key to determine whether the first user should be allowed access to the source code.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the one or more external resource files are generated dynamically.

22. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for carrying out a method for enhancing security in a computer software application development environment, the method comprising:

creating one or more external resource files for storing data in a markup language for implementing resources, at least one of the external resource files comprising at least one extensible markup language tag associated with at least one of a plurality of platform namespaces;

using a graphical control locator for retrieving information from the one or more resource files in response to a request for a resource;

providing a first user with authority to modify the one or more resource files and execute an application program associated with the one or more resource files;

restricting the first user from accessing and modifying source code for the application program; and

building a runtime tree from the one or more external resource files in response to a resource request that references at least one of a plurality of graphical controls;

wherein at least some of the plurality of graphical controls have a parent-child relationship with others of the plurality of graphical controls; and

wherein a reference to the runtime tree is sent to each graphical control in a parent-child relationship with the at least one of the plurality of graphical controls referenced by the resource request.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the method further comprises restricting a second user from accessing and modifying the one or more resource files.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein restricting the second user comprises restricting a developer from accessing and modifying the one or more resource files.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein restricting the second user comprises restricting a text evaluator from accessing and modifying the one or more resource files.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the first user is a user interface designer.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein restricting the first user from accessing and modifying the source code comprises using a password to determine whether the first user should be allowed access to the source code.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein restricting the first user from accessing and modifying the source code comprises using a key to determine whether the first user should be allowed access to the source code.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the one or more external resource files are generated dynamically.