System and method for offline editing of data files

• US 7,370,066 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2003
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Narendran, Arungundram, Jha, Rajesh K., Sikchi, Prakash, Pavlicic, Miladin, Yiu, Kelvin S., Barac, Dragos
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US10/395,490
• Time in Patent Office: 1,870 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 2, 707100-1041, 707/4, 707/200, 717/100, 717/101, 717/121
• US Class Current: 707/698
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A system and method that enables a user to edit a data file offline is described. This system and method can enable a user to edit a data file without the user having to discover or deploy a solution application governing the data file. For security, this system and method can deploy a solution application within a sandbox, thereby limiting the operations the solution application can perform.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving input to open a data file having a solution;

discovering, without user interaction, the solution in an offline memory source;

deploying, without user interaction, the solution;

opening the data file effective to enable a user to edit the data file; and

prior to receiving the input to open the data file;

discovering a solution identifier in a prior data file governed by the solution;

computing a special name from the solution identifier;

naming a folder of an offline memory source with the special name; and

downloading the solution from an online memory source into the folder.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein discovering the solution is performed using the special name.

3. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving input to open a data file having a solution;

discovering, without user interaction, the solution in an offline memory source;

deploying, without user interaction, the solution;

displaying a representation of the data file;

prior to deploying the solution, updating the solution discovered in the offline memory source with a newer solution, wherein updating the solution includes;

comparing a time stamp of the solution with a time stamp of the newer solution; and

replacing the solution with the newer solution.

4. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving input to open a data file;

discovering a solution identifier in the data file;

computing a special name corresponding to the solution identifier;

searching local memory for the special name; and

installing a solution found in a folder having the special name, wherein the solution identifier is a URL.

5. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving input to open a data file;

discovering a solution identifier in the data file;

computing a special name corresponding to the solution identifier;

searching local memory for the special name; and

installing a solution found in a folder having the special name, wherein the solution identifier is a URN.

6. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving input to open a data file;

discovering a solution identifier in the data file;

computing a special name corresponding to the solution identifier;

searching local memory for the special name; and

installing a solution found in a folder having the special name, wherein the local memory is a cache.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving input to open a data file;

discovering a solution identifier in the data file;

computing a special name corresponding to the solution identifier;

searching local memory for the special name; and

installing a solution found in a folder having the special name, wherein computing the special name is performed with a one-way hash.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one-way hash is an MD5 hash.

9. A system comprising:

a display having a screen capable of displaying icons or text representing a data file;

a user-input device capable of enabling a user to select the data file;

a network interface capable of communicating with a communications network to download a data file'"'"'s solution application;

a computer capable of executing applications and communicating with a local memory source to store the data file'"'"'s solution application; and

a document manager application executable on the computer and configured to discover and deploy the data file'"'"'s solution from the local memory source without user interaction.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the document manager application is further capable of silently deploying the data file'"'"'s solution within a sandbox.