Extensible resource resolution framework

• US 7,415,673 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2007
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Salter, Craig, Dahyabhai, Nitin Somabhai, Mandel, Lawrence Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Knoll; Clifford H
• Application Number:
  US11/846,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20070294451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• Field of Search: 715/760, 715/500, 715515-516, 717/120
• US Class Current: 715/760
• 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 computer-implemented method of resolving locations of resources, comprising:

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

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

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

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

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request identifies the resource and conveys information usable by the selecting of the at least one resource resolver.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the conveyed information comprises at least one parameter specifying execution context information of an execution context from which the request was received.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the execution context information comprises a location of a resource that referenced the resource to be resolved.

5. The method according to claim 3, 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.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the identification of the resource further comprises a file type of the resource.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the execution context information comprises a file type of a resource that referenced the resource to be resolved.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the request identifies 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 selecting of the at least one resource resolver.

9. The method according to claim 1, 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 selecting of the at least one resource resolver further comprises evaluating the at least one criterion to select from among the plurality of resource resolvers identified in the resolver extension registry.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of resource resolvers are selected by the selecting of the at least one resource resolver; and

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

11. The method according to claim 10, 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.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the invoking ceases the invocations upon one of the invoked resource resolvers successfully resolving the location of the requested resource to create the resolution result.

13. The method according to claim 9, 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 invoking uses the identified location.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein:

the resolver specification further specifies a file type value; and

the selecting of the at least one resource resolver compares the file type value to a file type from the request to determine whether to select this resource resolver.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein:

the resolver specification further specifies a project identifier value; and

the selecting of the at least one resource resolver compares the project identifier value to a project identifier from the request to determine whether to select this resource resolver.