XGL and dynamic accessibility system and method

• US 7,240,295 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2002
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Evans, Christopher A., Bybee, Andrew G., Obla, Pritvinath, Yeh, Leslie S., Neff, Chad C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Theriault; Steven B.
• Application Number:
  US10/162,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20030225828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,856 Days
• Field of Search: 715/749
• US Class Current: 715/788
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for providing dynamic wizard interfaces to end users. In one embodiment, a client device retrieves a container encapsulating a number of packages utilizing a self-describing data format from a remote server. A wizard engine on the client device interprets the container and packages to produce a wizard interface. Preferably, the present invention utilizes a compatible data structure for receiving, saving, and transmitting captured information regarding the wizard interface.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for responding to events from a wizard, comprising:

detecting an event from the wizard that is not part of a console for managing multiple heterogeneous software products;

determining that the wizard has an XGL action object associated with said event triggered by loading and unloading of XGL containers, XGL packages, and XGL pages;

extracting a script corresponding to said XGL action object; and

executing instructions of said script before the execution of said event.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said wizard comprises a wizard interface encapsulated in a wizard container.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said wizard container comprises a package.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said package comprises a page.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said action is performed before a part of said wizard interface is loaded.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said part is selected from the group consisting of a wizard container, a package, a page and an object.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said action is performed after a part of said wizard interface is loaded.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said part is selected from the group consisting of a wizard container, a package, a page and an object.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein an event is detected and said action object is a validation action object for validating any fields with validation indicators.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said validation is performed by a wizard engine.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said validation is performed by an associated script.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said validation is performed on a remote computing device.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein an event is detected and said action object is an instrumentation action object.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said wizard engine performs event-based instrumentation separately from said actions.

15. A tangible storage computer readable medium containing computer executable code for responding to events from a wizard, comprising:

detecting an event from the wizard that is not part of a console for managing multiple heterogeneous software products;

determining that the wizard has an XGL action object associated with said event triggered by loading and unloading of XGL container, XGL packages, and XGL pages;

extracting a script corresponding to said XGL action object; and

executing instructions of said script before the execution of said event.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein said wizard comprises a wizard interface encapsulated in a wizard container.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein said action is performed before a part of said wizard interface is loaded.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein said action is performed after a part of said wizard interface is loaded.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein an event is detected and said action object is a validation action object for validating any fields with validation indicators.

20. A computing apparatus comprising a processor and a memory, and operable to respond to events from a wizard by:

detecting an event from the wizard that is not part of a console for managing multiple heterogeneous software products;

determining that the wizard has an XGL action object associated with said event triggered by loading and unloading of XGL containers, XGL packages, and XGL pages;

extracting a script corresponding to said XGL action object; and

executing instructions of said script before the execution of said event.

21. The computing apparatus of claim 20 wherein said wizard comprises a wizard interface encapsulated in a wizard container.

22. The computing apparatus of claim 20 wherein said action is performed before a part of said wizard interface is loaded.

23. The computing apparatus of claim 20 wherein said action is performed after a part of said wizard interface is loaded.

24. The computing apparatus of claim 20 wherein an event is detected and said action object is a validation action object for validating any fields with validation indicators.