Packaging files having automatic conversion across platforms

• US 8,141,074 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fisher, Jeffrey O., Reddy, Satish B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Ted T
• Application Number:
  US11/969,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,534 Days
• Field of Search: 717120-121, 717136-138, 717140-141, 717171-177
• US Class Current: 717/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A mechanism for sharing files, and sets of related files, or packages of files, in a multi-host, multi-platform environment is provided. A public package client handles user requests to perform operations on a software package. Additionally, information about the package and the files contained therein may be obtained. A server, responsive to the client, performs the operations on the package. Data about the files is set in a data structure which may be stored in an archive along with the files themselves. In particular, this data may identify each file as either a text or binary file and as an executable file. A client may access the aforementioned data to determine if the file or files require further processing to adapt the file to the operating system on the client. Such processing may, for example, include linefeed/carriage return translation and codepage translation, or setting file attributes.

Claims

1. A computer program product embodied in a tangible storage medium for creating and managing software packages, the program product comprising programming instructions for:

(a) sending a request for creation of a software package in response to a user command, said request including a data structure for containing package information;

(b) if said user command includes a file specification;

(i) sending a file matching said file specification in said request;

(ii) setting a first file type tag corresponding to a first type of said file in step (i) in an attribute file, wherein said first file type represents one of a binary file type and a text file type; and

(iii) setting a second file type tag corresponding to a second file type of said file in (i) in said attribute file, wherein said second file type represents one of an executable file type and a nonexecutable file type, wherein the first file type and the second file type are operable for restoring file attribute flags associated with the file in en; and

(iv) sending said attribute file in said request;

(d) extracting a file from the software package in response to a request from a second host;

(e) returning said file in (d) in a reply to said second host;

(f) returning said attribute file corresponding to said file in (d) in said reply;

(g) returning said data structure in said reply; and

(h) determining from said package information in said data structure an operating system on said first host;

(j) if, a current operating system and the operating system in (h) are different;

(i) if a first file type tag in said attribute file in (f) represents a text file type, parsing said file; and

(ii) replacing a first line feed/carriage return character set with a second line feed/carriage return character set corresponding to the current operating system.

2. A computer program product embodied in a tangible storage medium for creating and managing software packages, the program product comprising programming instructions for:

(a) sending a request for creation of a software package in response to a user command, said request including a data structure for containing package information;

(b) if said user command includes a file specification;

(i) sending a file matching said file specification in said request;

(ii) setting a first file type tag corresponding to a first type of said file in step (i) in an attribute file, wherein said first file type represents one of a binary file type and a text file type; and

(iii) setting a second file type tag corresponding to a second file type of said file in (i) in said attribute file, wherein said second file type represents one of an executable file type and a nonexecutable file type, wherein the first file type and the second file type are operable for restoring file attribute flags associated with the file in (i); and

(iv) sending said attribute file in said request;

(c) shadowing said software package on a second host; and

(d) inserting said software in a list of shadowed software packages, said list including an identifier associated with said second host and an identifier of said software package.

3. A computer program product embodied in a tangible storage medium for creating and managing software packages, the program product comprising programming instructions for:

(a) sending a request for creation of a software package in response to a user command, said request including a data structure for containing package information;

(b) if said user command includes a file specification;

(i) sending a file matching said file specification in said request;

(ii) setting a first file type tag corresponding to a first type of said file in step (i) in an attribute file, wherein said first file type represents one of a binary file type and a text file type; and

(iii) setting a second file type tag corresponding to a second file type of said file in (i) in said attribute file, wherein said second file type represents one of an executable file type and a nonexecutable file type, wherein the first file type and the second file type are operable for restoring file attribute flags associated with the file in (i); and

(iv) sending said attribute file in said request;

(d) extracting a file from the software package in response to a request from a second (e) returning said file in (d) in a reply to said second host;

(f) returning said attribute file corresponding to said file in (d) in said reply;

(g1) setting one or more file attribute flags on said second host in response to at least one corresponding file type in said attribute file returned in (f);

(g2) returning said data structure in said reply, wherein said data structure includes package information containing an identifier of a codepage defining a character encoding; and

(h) determining from said package information in said data a codepage for encoding characters for text files in said reply;

(j) if, a current codepage and the codepage in step (h) are different;

(i) if a first file type tag in said attribute file in step (f) represents a text file type, parsing said file; and

(ii) translating each character representation from the representation from the codepage in step (h) to the corresponding representation from the current codepage.

4. A data processing system for creating and managing software packages comprising:

(a) circuitry operable for sending a request for creation of a software package in response to a user command, said request including a data structure for containing package information;

(b) circuitry operable for, if said user command includes a file specification;

(i) sending a file matching said file specification in said request;

(ii) setting a first file type tag corresponding to a first type of said file in step (i) in an attribute file, wherein said first file type represents one of a binary file type and a text file type; and

(iii) setting a second file type tag corresponding to a second file type of said file in (i) in said attribute file, wherein said second file type represents one of an executable file type and a nonexecutable file type, wherein the first file type and the second file type are operable for restoring file attribute flags associated with the file in (i); and

(iv) sending said attribute file in said request;

(d) circuitry operable for extracting a file from the software package in response to a request from a second host;

(e) circuitry operable for returning said file in (d) in a reply to said second host;

(f) circuitry operable for returning said attribute file corresponding to said file in (d) in said reply;

(g) circuitry operable for returning said data structure in said reply; and

(h) circuitry operable for determining from said package information in said data structure an operating system on said first host;

(j) circuitry operable for, if, a current operating system and the operating system in (h) are different;

(i) if a first file type tag in said attribute file in (f) represents a text file type, parsing said file; and

(ii) replacing a first line feed/carriage return character set with a second line feed/carriage return character set corresponding to the current operating system.

5. A data processing system for creating and managing software packages comprising:

(a) circuitry operable for sending a request for creation of a software package in response to a user command, said request including a data structure for containing package information;

(b) circuitry operable for, if said user command includes a file specification;

(i) sending a file matching said file specification in said request;

(ii) setting a first file type tag corresponding to a first type of said file in step (i) in an attribute file, wherein said first file type represents one of a binary file type and a text file type; and

(iii) setting a second file type tag corresponding to a second file type of said file in (i) in said attribute file, wherein said second file type represents one of an executable file type and a nonexecutable file type, wherein the first file type and the second file type are operable for restoring file attribute flags associated with the file in (i); and

(iv) sending said attribute file in said request;

(d) circuitry operable for extracting a file from the software package in response to a request from a second host;

(e) circuitry operable for returning said file in (d) in a reply to said second host;

(f) circuitry operable for returning said attribute file corresponding to said file in (d) in said reply;

(g1) circuitry operable for setting one or more file attribute flags on said second host in response to at least one corresponding file type in said attribute file returned in (f);

(g2) circuitry operable for returning said data structure in said reply, wherein said data structure includes package information containing an identifier of a codepage defining a character encoding; and

(h) circuitry operable for determining from said package information in said data a codepage for encoding characters for text files in said reply;

(j) circuitry operable for, if a current codepage and the codepage in step (h) are different;

(i) if a first file type tag in said attribute file in step (f) represents a text file type, parsing said file; and

(ii) translating each character representation from the representation from the codepage in step (h) to the corresponding representation from the current codepage.