Plug-in installer framework

• US 9,223,594 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Inventors: Brown, Rodney D., Brennan, Andy T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Marina
• Application Number:
  US14/127,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20140223425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 717/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons

Abstract

There is provided a system and method for providing a plug-in installer framework. The method includes creating an installer plug-in and reading configuration information with the installer plug-in. An application server may be contacted by the installer plug-in to determine which plug-in files to update in local storage. The updated plug-in files may be downloaded from an application server to local storage, and additional plug-ins may be created within the installer plug-in from the plug-in files in local storage. The additional plug-ins may be loaded through the installer plug-in within a host application.

Claims

1. A method of providing a plug-in installer framework, comprising:

creating an installer plug-in conforming to a host application'"'"'s defined Application Programming Interface (API);

reading configuration information with the installer plug-in;

contacting an application server with the installer plug-in to determine which plug-in files to update in local storage;

downloading updated plug-in files from an application server to local storage;

updating the plug-in files which are used to create additional plug-ins;

loading each of the additional plug-ins in an internal collection of the installer plug-in;

maintaining the internal collection of the additional plug-ins in an additional plug-in library of the installer plug-in, wherein the host application is unaware of the additional plug-in library; and

loading the additional plug-ins through the installer plug-in when a functionality of at least one of the additional plug-ins is called, wherein the host application is unaware of the additional plug-ins.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the configuration information defines the additional plug-ins that will be loaded into the installer plug-in.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the configuration information defines where the additional plug-ins are located on the application server.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the configuration information is pre-determined.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the configuration information is determined by an end user.

6. The method recited in claim 1, comprising using a storefront application to allow a user to select additional plug-ins from available plug-ins to be created using the installer plug-in.

7. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the local storage is anywhere that does not require elevated privileges on an end user computer.

8. The method recited in claim 1, wherein updated plug-in files are automatically downloaded and used to create the additional plug-ins.

9. A system that is adapted to provide a plug-in installer framework, the system comprising:

a processor;

a tangible, machine-readable storage medium that stores machine-readable instructions for execution by the processor, the machine-readable instructions comprising;

code that, when executed by the processor, is adapted to cause the processor to read configuration information with an installer plug-in module conforming to a host application'"'"'s defined Application Programming Interface (API);

code that, when executed by the processor, is adapted to cause the processor to contact an application server with the installer plug-in module to determine which plug-in files to update in a local storage;

code that, when executed by the processor, is adapted to cause the processor to download updated plug-in files from an application server to the local storage;

code that, when executed by the processor, is adapted to cause the processor to create the additional plug-ins within the installer plug-in module from the plug-in files in local storage;

code that, when executed by the processor, is adapted to cause the processor to install the additional plug-ins outside of the host application'"'"'s application directory, wherein the host application is unaware of the additional plug-ins; and

code that, when executed by the processor, is adapted to cause the processor to load the additional plug-ins through the installer plug-in module in the host application when a functionality of at least one of the additional plug-ins is called.

10. The system recited in claim 9, wherein the configuration information defines the additional plug-ins that will be loaded into the installer plug-in module.

11. The system recited in claim 9, wherein the configuration information defines where the additional plug-ins are located on the application server.

12. The system recited in claim 9, wherein the configuration information is pre-determined.

13. The system recited in claim 9, wherein the configuration information is determined by an end user.

14. The system recited in claim 9, comprising using a storefront application to allow a user to select additional plug-ins from available plug-ins to be created using the installer plug-in module.

15. The system recited in claim 9, wherein the local storage is anywhere that does not require elevated privileges on an end user computer.

16. The system recited in claim 9, wherein updated plug-in files are automatically downloaded and used to create the additional plug-ins.

17. A non-transitory, computer readable medium comprising code configured to direct a processor to:

create an installer plug-in conforming to a host application'"'"'s defined Application Programming Interface (API);

read configuration information with the installer plug-in;

contact an application server with the installer plug-in to determine which plug-in files to update in a local storage;

download updated plug-in files from an application server to the local storage, wherein the updated plug-in file is used to create additional plug-ins;

load one or more additional plug-ins in an internal collection of the installer plug-in;

maintain the internal collection of the additional plug-ins in an additional plug-in library of the installer plug-in, wherein the host application is unaware of the additional plug-in library;

install the additional plug-ins outside of host application'"'"'s application directory; and

load the additional plug-ins through the installer plug-in when a functionality of at least one of the additional plug-ins is called, wherein the host application is unaware of the additional plug-ins.

18. The non-transitory, computer readable medium recited in claim 17, comprising using a storefront application to allow a user to select the additional plug-ins from available plug-ins to be created using the installer plug-in.

19. The non-transitory, computer readable medium recited in claim 17, wherein the local storage is anywhere that does not require elevated privileges on an end user computer.