Extensible resource resolution framework

• US 7,356,767 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2005
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dahyabhai, Nitin Somabhai, Salter, Craig, Mandel, Lawrence Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Knoll; Clifford H
• Application Number:
  US11/260,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20070101315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 715/760, 715/500, 715515-516, 717/120
• US Class Current: 715/209
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons

Abstract

An extensible resource resolution framework. Executing code that references a resource invokes an interface of an extensible resource resolution framework. Parameters may be provided on the invocation to specify information pertaining to the current execution context. One or more resource resolvers are selected, transparently to the invoking code, as appropriate to a given situation (comprising, for example, the execution context). Preferably, the resource resolvers are contributed as plug-ins to the resolution framework. Criteria may be specified for each resolver, indicating when that resolver should be selected. Priority order may be specified, per resolver, to control order of invocation when more than one resolver is selected.

Claims

1. A resource resolver system including a computer executing software, the software comprising:

an extensible resource resolution framework, the framework adapted for extension using at least one resource resolver, each resource resolver adapted for resolving locations of resources, the framework further adapted for dynamically selecting and invoking at least one of the at least one resource resolvers upon receiving a request for resolution of a location of a resource, wherein the at least one invoked resource resolver contributes to a resolution result for the location of the resource, responsive to its invocation, and the framework returns the resolution result as a response to the resolution request.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the resource resolvers are adapted for use as plug-ins to the framework.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the at least one resource resolvers is registered with a resolver extension registry; and

the framework searches the resolver extension registry to perform the dynamic selection from among the registered resource resolvers.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one dynamically-selected resource resolvers is selected based upon a current execution context, each of the selected resource resolvers adapted for use with this current execution context.

5. A system for resolving resources, including a computer executing a software program, comprising:

means for receiving, at a resource resolution interface component, a request for resolving a location of a resource;

means for selecting, by the resource resolution interface component, at least one resource resolver for resolving the location of the resource, responsive to receiving the request;

means for invoking, by the resource resolution interface component, at least one of the selected resource resolvers to resolve the location of the resource, such that a resolution result for the location of the resource is obtained; and

means for returning, by the resource resolution interface component, the resolution result as a response to the request.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the request identifies the resource and conveys information usable by the means for selecting.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the conveyed information comprises at least one parameter specifying execution context information of an execution context from which the request was received.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the execution context information comprises a location of a resource that referenced the resource to be resolved.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the execution context information comprises a project in which a reference to the resource was encountered, and wherein the request is generated responsive to encountering the reference.

10. The system according to claim 6, wherein the identification of the resource further comprises a file type of the resource.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the execution context information comprises a file type of a resource that referenced the resource to be resolved.

12. The system according to claim 5, wherein:

the request identities the resource and conveys at least one parameter specifying a location of a resource that referenced the resource to be resolved;

identification of a project in which the reference occurred is determined using the specified location; and

the project identification is used by the means for selecting.

13. The system according to claim 5, wherein:

a plurality of resource resolvers are identified in a resolver extension registry, each having associated therewith at least one criterion usable for determining when to select the associated resource resolver; and

the means for selecting further comprises evaluating the at least one criterion to select from among the plurality of resource resolvers identified in the resolver extension registry.

14. The system according to claim 5, wherein:

a plurality of resource resolvers are selected by the means for selecting; and

the means for invoking uses a priority value associated with each resource resolver to determine an order in which to invoke each of the selected resource resolvers.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein a contribution to the resolution result is obtained from each of the invoked resource resolvers and is passed as input to a next-invoked one of the resource resolvers.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the means for invoking ceases the invocations upon one of the invoked resource resolvers successfully resolving the requested resource to create the resolution result.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein:

each resource resolver is registered with the resolver extension registry using a resolver specification that identifies a location of an implementation of the resolver; and

the means for invoking uses the identified location.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein:

the resolver specification further specifies a file type value; and

the means for selecting compares the file type value to a file type from the request to determine whether to select this resource resolver.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein:

the resolver specification further specifies a project identifier value; and

the means for selecting compares the project identifier value to a project identifier from the request to determine whether to select this resource resolver.

20. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-usable media storing computer-readable program code, wherein the computer-readable program code, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to:

receive, at a resource resolution interface component, a request for resolving a location of a resource;

select, by the resource resolution interface component, at least one resource resolver for resolving the location of the resource, responsive to receiving the request;

invoke, by the resource resolution interface component, at least one of the selected resource resolvers to resolve the location of the resource, such that a resolution result is obtained; and

return, by the resource resolution interface component, the resolution result as a response to the request.