Integrating online community and program development environments

• US 7,395,312 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kothari, Nikhil, Guthrie, Scott D., Warren, Susan M., Lin, Andrew C.
• Primary Examiner(s): SALAD, ABDULLAHI ELMI
• Application Number:
  US10/410,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20040205200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,911 Days
• Field of Search: 709/205, 709/201, 709/202, 709/229, 717/100, 717/120, 717/102, 715/733
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

An Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is configured with an online community interface for accessing online community resources, such as contacts and information, directly through the Internet or other networks. The online community interface displays icons and other selectable objects that are associated with contacts or webpages. Upon selecting an object associated with a contact, an email or instant messaging window is launched that enables communication with the one or more contacts. Upon selecting an object associated with a webpage, a browser is launched that accesses and displays the webpage. The online community interface also enables an IDE element, such as a development tool or program snippet to be copied from the IDE and sent to a desired contact through the IDE interface.

Claims

1. In a computing system with an operating system running one or more software applications, the one or more software applications including an integrated development environment configured to receive user input for developing computing programs, a method for enabling access to one or more online community resources from within the integrated development environment, the method comprising:

an act of providing an integrated development environment that is configured to develop one or more computing programs;

an act of displaying at least one link within the integrated development environment, the at least one link to information related to development of the one or more computer programs, the information being accessible over a network in response to user input received from within the integrated development environment;

an act receiving user input selecting the at least one link; and

a step for enabling access to the information related to development of the one or more computer programs using the integrated development environment, the integrated development environment opening an integrated Web browser within the integrated development environment in response to user input selecting the at least one link such that the integrated web browser appears to be part of the integrated development environment, the integrated web browser including the information corresponding to the displayed link.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the online community resources include information that is contained within one or more Internet webpages, and wherein the step for enabling access to online community resources includes an act of accessing the one or more Internet webpages in response to user input that is received within the integrated development environment.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the act of accessing the one or more Internet webpages includes displaying the one or more webpages within the integrated development environment.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the online community resources include one or more contacts, and wherein the step for enabling access to online community resources includes an act of initiating a communication with the one or more contacts in response to user input received within the integrated development environment.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the communication occurs at least in part from within the integrated development environment.

6. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the communication includes an act of sending an element of the integrated development environment to the one or more contacts.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the element includes at least one of program code, program content, a development tool.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step for enabling access includes:

an act of displaying one or more links to one or more online community resources that can be accessed in response to user input that is received from within the integrated development environment;

an act receiving input selecting the one or more links; and

an act of initiating communication with the one or more selected online community resources which correspond with the selected one or more links.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more online community resources includes at least one of a webpage and a contact.

10. In a computing system with an operating system running one or more software applications, the one or more software applications including an integrated development environment configured to receive user input for developing computing programs, a method for enabling access to one or more online community resources from within the integrated development environment, the method comprising:

an act of providing an integrated development environment that is configured to develop one or more computing programs;

an act of displaying one or more links within the integrated development environment, the links configured to interact with an integrated electronic message client interface that is part of the integrated development environment, the links corresponding to one or more contacts that can be communicated with over a network and from within the integrated development environment using the integrated electronic message client interface;

an act receiving user input selecting a first link corresponding to a first contact; and

in response to receiving the user input selecting the first link corresponding to the first contact, an act of initiating the integrated electronic message client interface within the integrated development environment, the integrated electronic message client being configured to initiate a communication with the first contact, wherein the communication includes transmitting at least one of an element of the integrated development environment related to development of the one or more computer programs and a message from the user to the first contact, the integrated electronic message client interface being opened within the integrated development environment such that the integrated electronic message client interface appears to be part of the integrated development environment.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, further including an act of receiving user input selecting a second link corresponding to a second contact, and an act of initiating a communication with second contact in response to the user input selecting the second link.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein at least part of the communications with the first and second contacts occur simultaneously.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least part of the communications occurs through one of instant messaging, email, telephony, and facsimile.

14. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein each of the one or more links is displayed in a manner that reflects a network presence of each of the one or more contacts.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the network presence is reflected by at least one of a color, size, animation, and shading of each of the one or more links.

16. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the first link is selected by clicking on the first link.

17. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the element includes at least one of a development tool, program code, and program content.

29. The method of claim 10, wherein the first link is selected by dragging and dropping an element of the integrated development environment onto the first link.

30. The method of claim 10, wherein the first contact is at least one of a person, a group of people and an organization.

18. In a computing system with an operating system running one or more software applications, the one or more software applications including an integrated development environment configured to receive user input for developing computing programs, a method for enabling access to one or more online community resources from within the integrated development environment, the method comprising:

an act of providing an integrated development environment that is configured to develop one or more computing programs;

an act of displaying at least one link within the integrated development environment, the at least one link to information related to development of the one or more computer programs, the information being accessible over a network in response to user input received from within the integrated development environment;

an act of receiving user input selecting the at least one link;

an act of initiating an integrated Web browser within the integrated development environment to access the information related to development of the one or more computer programs, the integrated web browser being opened within the integrated development environment in response to receiving user input selecting the at least one link such that the integrated web browser appears to be part of the integrated development environment, the integrated web browser including the information corresponding to the displayed link; and

an act of displaying the information related to development of the one or more computer programs associated with the at least one link within the integrated Web browser within the integrated development environment in response to the user input selecting the at least one link.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the network includes the Internet.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the information is contained in a webpage.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein the information is provided only to members of a subscription service.

22. A computer program product for use in a computing system with an operating system running one or more software applications, the one or more software applications including an integrated development environment configured to receive user input for developing computing programs, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for implementing a method for enabling access to one or more online community resources from within the integrated development environment, the method including;

an act of displaying at least one link within the integrated development environment, the at least one link to information related to development of the one or more computer programs, the information being accessible over a network in response to user input received from within the integrated development environment;

an act of receiving user input selecting the at least one link;

an act of initiating an integrated Web browser within the integrated development environment to access the information related to development of the one or more computer programs, the integrated web browser being opened within the integrated development environment in response to receiving user input selecting the at least one link such that the integrated web browser appears to be part of the integrated development environment, the integrated web browser including the information corresponding to the displayed link; and

an act of displaying the information related to development of the one or more computer programs associated with the at least one link within the integrated Web browser within the integrated development environment in response to the user input selecting the at least one link.

23. A computer program product as recited in claim 22, wherein the information includes one or more contacts.

24. A computer program product as recited in claim 22, wherein the communication includes an email communication.

25. A computer program product as recited in claim 22, wherein the communication includes instant messaging.

26. A computer program product as recited in claim 22, wherein the information includes information received over a network.

27. A computer program product as recited in claim 26, wherein the network is the Internet.

28. A computer program product as recited in claim 27, wherein the information includes a webpage.