Method and system for registering data formats for objects

• US 20040236781A1
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1992
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Williams, Antony S.
• Application Number:
  US10/879,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236781A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database

Abstract

A method and system for registering data formats for objects are provided. In a preferred embodiment, a server application registers in a registration database data formats for receiving and for sending data. To send data to the server application, a client application retrieves and selects from the registration database a data format that the server application supports for receiving data and sends data to the server application in the selected data format. To receive data from the server application, the client application retrieves and selects from the registration database a data format that the server application supports for sending data and requests the server application to send data in the selected data format.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A computer-based method for providing a client with data format information relating to data formats supported by a server, the method comprising:

under control of server code, providing the data format information;

storing the provided data format information in a persistent registry; and

under control of the client,

retrieving from the persistent registry the stored data format information; and

determining from the retrieved data format information data formats supported by the server.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the server code is code executed during installation of the server.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the server code is code executed when the server is launched.

30. The method of claim 27 including when the server supports a data format that is compatible with the client, launching the server.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the client is executing in a process and the server is launched in a separate process.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the client is executing in a process and the server is launched in the same process.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the client and the server exchange data using a compatible format.

34. The method of claim 27 wherein the client determines the data formats while the server is not executing.

35. A computer-based method for determining the data formats that are supported by a server, the method comprising:

retrieving from a persistent registry data format information, the data format information being provided by server code for storage in the persistent registry; and

determining from the retrieved data format information data formats supported by the server.

36. The method of claim 35 including when the server supports a data format that is compatible with the client, launching the server.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the client is executing in a process and the server is launched in a separate process.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the client is executing in a process and the server is launched in the same process.

39. The method of claim 36 wherein the client and the server exchange data using a compatible format.

40. The method of claim 35 wherein the client determines the data formats while the server is not executing.

41. A computer-based method for supplying data format information for data formats supported by a server, the method comprising:

under control of server code,

retrieving the data format information; and

storing the data format information in a persistent registry so that a client can retrieve the data format information from the registry and determine the data formats that are supported by the server.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the client determines the data formats while the server is not executing.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein the server code is code executed during installation of the server.

44. The method of claim 41 wherein the server code is code executed when the server is launched.

45. The method of claim 41 including when the server supports a data format that is compatible with the client launching the server.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein the client is executing in a process and the server is launched in a separate process.

47. The method of claim 45 wherein the client is executing in a process and the server is launched in the same process.

48. The method of claim 45 wherein the client and the server exchange data using a compatible format.

49. One or more computer-readable media containing computer-executable instructions for performing a method to provide a client with data format information relating to data formats supported by a server, the method comprising:

under control of server code, providing the data format information;

storing the provided data format information in a persistent registry; and

under control of the client,

retrieving from the persistent registry the stored data format information; and

determining from the retrieved data format information data formats supported by the server.

50. The computer-readable media of claim 49 wherein the server code is code executed during installation of the server.

51. The computer-readable media of claim 49 wherein the server code is code executed when the server is launched.

52. The computer-readable media of claim 49 including when the server supports a data format that is compatible with the client, launching the server.

53. The computer-readable media of claim 52 wherein the client is executing in a process and the server is launched in a separate process.

54. The computer-readable media of claim 52 wherein the client is executing in a process and the server is launched in the same process.

55. The computer-readable media of claim 52 wherein the client and the server exchange data using a compatible format.

56. The computer-readable media of claim 49 wherein the client determines the data formats while the server is not executing.

57. A computer-readable media containing computer-executable instructions for performing a method to determine data formats that are supported by a server, the method comprising:

retrieving from a persistent registry data format information, the data format information being provided by server code for storage in the persistent registry; and

determining from the retrieved data format information data formats supported by the server.

58. The computer-readable media of claim 57 including when the server supports a data format that is compatible with the client, launching the server.

59. The computer-readable media of claim 58 wherein the client is executing in a process and the server is launched in a separate process.

60. The computer-readable media of claim 58 wherein the client is executing in a process and the server is launched in the same process.

61. The computer-readable media of claim 58 wherein the client and the server exchange data using a compatible format.

62. The computer-readable media of claim 57 wherein the client determines the data formats while the server is not executing.

63. A computer-readable media containing computer-executable instructions for performing a method to supply data format information for data formats supported by a server, the method comprising:

under control of server code,

retrieving the data information; and

storing the data format information in a persistent registry so that a client can retrieve the data format information from the registry and determine the data formats that are supported by the server.

64. The computer-readable media of claim 63 wherein the client determines the data formats while the server is not executing.

65. The computer-readable media of claim 63 wherein the server code is code executed during installation of the server.

66. The computer-readable media of claim 63 wherein the server code is code executed when the server is launched.

67. The computer-readable media of claim 63 including when the server supports a data format that is compatible with the client launching the server.

68. The computer-readable media of claim 67 wherein the client is executing in a process and the server is launched in a separate process.

69. The computer-readable media of claim 67 wherein the client is executing in a process and the server is launched in the same process.

70. The computer-readable media of claim 67 wherein the client and the server exchange data using a compatible format.