Extending Legacy Scripting Languages with Graphical References

• US 20120150939A1
• Filed: 12/08/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zaifman, Arthur, Ellson, John, Ireifej, Paul, Mocenigo, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,720,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells

Abstract

A graphical data type inference transparently transforms a legacy text-oriented command line interface (CLI) into a graphic-oriented or graphic-aware CLI (G-CLI). A user fuses graphical references with the legacy scripting language by identifying objects using syntax familiar to the user. The objects are presented to the user via a user interface and may be queried/selected by the user. The user issues commands on the selected objects by referencing the graphical selection in a command line within a shell. The graphical selection in short hand is translated into a form operable by a server or computer. The syntax of the legacy command language is extended with operators that operate entirely within the G-CLI. Consequently, the command line used in the shell has an existing operation set, as well as new graphic-based operations.

Claims

1. A method for interpreting a command line, the method comprising:

presenting a listing of a plurality of objects to a user via a graphical user interface;

receiving the command line from the user, the command line including a reference to at least one of the plurality of objects in the graphical user interface; and

executing a command on the at least one of the plurality of objects.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is on a client in communication with the server, the method further comprising:

receiving the listing of the plurality of objects from a server; and

transmitting the command line to the server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the listing received from the server is stored on a cache on a memory of the client, the method further comprising using a coherency protocol to keep the list updated.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising parsing the reference to determine which object the command is to be executed upon.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising distilling and normalizing the command line submitted by the user into a command line that can be executed by the server.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a batch of commands from the user; and

transmitting the batch of commands to the server for execution by the server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the list of objects further comprises arranging the objects in a tree and presenting the tree to the user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising tagging one or more of the objects in the listing, wherein the reference in the command line includes one or more tags.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more tags includes one or more of a visual tag, a text tag, and a voice tag.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the visual tag includes one or more of a color, a structure, a region of the graphical user interface, and a location of the object within the graphical user interface.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the command line includes an operator, an argument, and a switch.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the reference to the object modifies the argument of the command line.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating a graphical data type by overloading one or more of a redirect and an append operator in the command line;

and specifying a target file with a GDT suffix.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of objects includes one or more of a file, a directory, a process, a resource, a node, a network entity, and a user account.

15. A computer program product for interpreting a command line, the computer program product being stored on a computer-readable medium and including logic for:

presenting a listing of a plurality of objects to a user via a graphical user interface;

tagging one or more of the plurality of objects with a tag;

receiving the command line from the user, the command line including at least an operator, an argument, and a switch, the argument including the tag;

parsing the command line to determine the one or more of the plurality of objects the command is to be executed upon; and

distilling and normalizing the command line for subsequent execution of the command line by a server.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the graphical user interface is on a client in communication with the server, the method further comprising:

receiving the listing of the plurality of objects from the server;

storing the listing on a cache on a client memory;

using a coherency protocol to keep the listing updated; and

transmitting the distilled and normalized command line to the server for execution.

17. A system for executing a command on a plurality of objects, the system comprising:

a client having at least a client processor, a client memory, an input device, a display, and a client network interface;

a server in communication with the client, the server including at least a server processor, a server memory, and a server network interface, wherein the server memory stores a listing of a plurality of objects that can be operated upon by the server processor;

client logic on the client memory for;

receiving the listing of the plurality of objects from the server,

presenting the listing to a user via a graphical user interface on the display,

receiving a command line from the user, the command line including at least an operator and an argument, the argument including a reference to one or more of the plurality of objects,

parsing the command line to determine the one or more of the plurality of objects,

distilling and normalizing the command line for subsequent execution of the command line by a server, and

transmitting the distilled and normalized command line to the server; and

server logic on the server memory for;

receiving the distilled and normalized command line, and

executing the command line on the one or more of the plurality of objects.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of objects includes one or more of a file, a directory, a process, a resource, a node, a network entity, and a user account.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of objects is stored on the server memory.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the client logic further transforms the listing of the plurality of objects into a graphical representation by using a meta-data for each object received from the server.