Retrieval of services by attribute

• US 7,428,634 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2004
• Issued: 09/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Harvey, John III, Daniels, Andrew Michael, Saunders, William James
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, VINCENT HUY
• Application Number:
  US10/765,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20040158835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,702 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 718/104
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

An automatic method and apparatus for providing services on a computer system. A set of services is established providing different functionality for the computer system. With each of the set of services an attribute is stored for identifying characteristics of the function of each of the set of services. Then, the first set of services can be retrieved by a first set of attributes which is specified irrespective of any locales which may be defined in the computer system. Thus, characteristics or attributes of most importance to a service may be used to describe it and used for retrieval of such services. The establishing of the first set of services includes building a structure which references each of the first set of services. Retrieving may include maintaining a reference to one of the services in the structure and iterating through the structure in order to retrieve a subsequent one of the services. An iterator may be created which is used to iterate though the database of services and provide the services to application or system programs.

Claims

1. An automatic method of providing locales on a computer system comprising:

establishing a set of localization services, said set of localization services specifying localization services required for said locales;

associating with each of said localization services an attribute for identifying characteristics of the corresponding localization services without specifying a locale, wherein the attribute comprises,

a name that identifies a type of localization service; and

a value that further distinguishes said each of said localization services among other of said localization services having said name; and

defining a first locale that specifies a set of attributes of a first set of said localization services.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing comprise building a structure that references each of said first set of localization services.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said localization services comprise at least one of text services, input services, formatting services and presentation services.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said defining comprises storing a locale file on a computer executable medium coupled to said computer system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said method is performed at an operating system level.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a services database from said set of localizing services.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an index of said set of localizing services based on said attributes for each service.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said characteristics are locale-related characteristics.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of attributes does not specify a locale.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of attributes does not include references to language for a locale.

11. An apparatus of providing locales on a computer system comprising:

means for establishing a set of localization services, said set of localization services specifying localization services required for said locales;

means for associating with each of said localization services an attribute for identifying characteristics of said each of said localization services without specifying a locale, wherein the attribute comprises.

a name that identifies a type of localization service; and

a value that further distinguishes said each of said localization services among other of said localization services having said name; and

means for defining a first locale that specifies a set of attributes of a first set of said localization services.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said means for establishing comprises means for building a structure that references each of said first set of localization services.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said localization services comprise at least one of text services, input services, formatting services and presentation services.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said defining comprises means for storing a locale file on a computer executable medium coupled to said computer system.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said method is performed at an operating system level.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

means for generating a services database from said set of localizing services.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for generating an index of said set of localizing services based on said attributes for each service.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said characteristics are locale-related characteristics.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the set of attributes does not specify a locale.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the set of attributes does not include references to language for a locale.

21. A machine readable medium having executable instructions to cause a processor to perform a method for providing locales, comprising:

establishing a set of localization services, said set of localization services specifying localization services required for said locales;

associating with each of said localization services an attribute for identifying characteristics of said each of said localization services without specifying a locale,

wherein the attribute comprises,

a name that identifies a type of localization service; and

a value that further distinguishes said each of said localization services among other of said localization services having said name; and

defining a first locale that specifies a set of attributes of a first set of said localization services.

22. The machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein said establishing comprises building a structure that references each of said first set of localization services.

23. The machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein said localization services comprise at least one of text services, input services, formatting services and presentation services.

24. The machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein said defining comprises storing a locale file on a computer executable medium coupled to said computer system.

25. The machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein said method is performed at an operating system level.

26. The machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

generating a services database from said set of localizing services.

27. The machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

generating an index of said set of localizing services based on said attributes for each service.

28. The machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein said characteristics are locale-related characteristics.

29. The machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein the set of attributes does not specify a locale.

30. The machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein the set of attributes does not include references to language for a locale.

31. A method of providing locales on a computer system using a set of localization services, said set of localization services associated with an attribute and said attribute associated with a locale, the method comprising:

loading said locale by retrieving, using said attribute, said set of localization services without reference to language of any locales associated with said attribute, wherein said attribute identifies characteristics of each of the said set of localization services and comprises,

a name that identifies a type of localization service; and

a value that further distinguishes said each of said localization services among other of said localization services having said name.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said characteristics are locale-relate characteristics.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein said attribute does not specify a locale.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein said localization services comprise at least one of text services, input services, formatting services and presentation services.

35. An apparatus of providing locales on a computer system using a set of localization services, said set of localization services associated with an attribute and first attribute associated with a locale, comprising:

means for retrieving first locale, using said attribute, said set of localization services without reference to language of any locales associated with said attribute, wherein said first attribute identifies characteristics of each of the said set of localization services and comprises,

a name that identifies a type of localization service; and

a value that further distinguishes said each of said localization services among other of said localization services having said name; and

means for loading first locale using said localization services.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said characteristics are locale-relate characteristics.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said first attribute does not specify a locale.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said localization services comprise at least one of text services, input service, formatting services and presentation services.

39. A method of providing a localization service on a computer system using the set of localization services, where each localization service is associated with a first attribute, and using a set of locales where each locale is associated with a second attribute, the method comprising:

searching a set of localization services with a third attribute and reference to more than one locale taken from the set of locales, wherein said first attribute identifies characteristics of each of the said set of localization services and comprises;

a name that identifies a type of localization service; and

a value that further distinguishes said each of said localization services among other of said localization services having said name.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the third attribute comprises at least one of the first attribute and the second attribute.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein said searching the set of localization services comprises:

generating a set of sub-searches by searching the set of localization services with the third attribute and reference to one locale taken from the set of locales; and

conducting each sub-search in the set of sub-searches.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein said characteristics are locale-related characteristics.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein said localization services comprises at least one of text services, input services, formatting services and presentation services.

44. An apparatus of providing a localization service on a computer system using a set of localization services, said each localization service is associated with a first attribute, and using a set of locales where each locale is associated with a second attribute, the method comprising:

means for receiving a third attribute; and

means for searching the set of localization services with the third attribute and reference to more than one locale taken from the set of locales, wherein said first attribute identifies characteristics of each of the said set of localization services and comprises,

a name that identifies a type of localization service; and

a value that further distinguishes said each of said localization services among other of said localization services having said name.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the third attribute comprises at least one of the first attribute and the second attribute.

46. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein said means for searching the set of localization services comprises:

generating a set of sub-searches by searching the set of localization services with the third attribute and reference to one locale taken from the set of locales; and

conducting each sub-search in the set of sub-searches.

47. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein said characteristics are locale-relate characteristics.

48. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein said localization services comprise at least one of text services, input services, formatting services and presentation services.

49. A machine readable medium having a set of localization services which each localization service is associated with a first attribute, a set of locales where each locale is associated with a second attribute, and executable instructions to cause a processor to perform a method comprising:

searching the set of localization services with a third attributes and reference to more than one locale taken from the set of locales, wherein said first attribute identifies characteristics of each of the said set of localization services and comprises;

a name that identifies a type of localization service; and

a value that further distinguishes said each of said localization services among other of said localization services having said name.

50. The machine readable medium of claim 49, wherein the third attribute comprises at least one of the first attribute and the second attribute.

51. The machine readable medium of claim 49, wherein said searching the set of localization services comprises:

generating a set of sub-searches by searching the set of localization services with the third attribute and reference to one locale taken from the set of locales; and

conducting each sub-search in the set of sub-searches.

52. The machine readable medium of claim 49, wherein said characteristics are locale-relate characteristics.

53. The machine readable medium of claim 49, wherein said localization services comprises at least one of text services, input services, formatting services and presentation services.