Dynamically extensible application program framework including message and notification routing

• US 7,861,167 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shah, Mehul Y., Fernando, Antonio W., Fernando, Joseph P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton; Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dasgupta; Soumya
• Application Number:
  US11/343,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20060129979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 715/700, 715/714, 715/717
• US Class Current: 715/700
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements

Abstract

Dynamically configuring an application program at run-time via one or more extension objects. The invention software implements a framework with one or more extension objects providing functionality to an application program and an application manager for integrating the functionality with the application program during execution of the application program. The framework of the invention also formulates and routes application messages between extensible objects of one application program and extensible objects of other application programs implementing a similar, dynamically extensible application program framework. On receipt of messages or notifications, the framework of the receiving application program facilitates the discovery of the intended recipient extension object and routes the message accordingly.

Claims

1. A method of switching between multiple views of a workspace frame window in a user interface of a dynamically extensible computer application, said user interface being generated on a display device by a computer associated therewith, said method comprising:

providing at least one user interface element for the workspace frame window of the user interface of the dynamically extensible computer application via at least one view extension object of the dynamically extensible computer application, said view extension object corresponding to a view selection service object;

integrating functionality provided by the at least one view extension object into the dynamically extensible computer application during execution of the dynamically extensible computer application via an application manager, wherein said application manager services requests during execution of the dynamically extensible computer application from the at least one view extension object to obtain the identity of other view extension objects that provide other specific functionality for integrating into the dynamically extensible computer application during execution of the dynamically extensible computer application;

managing the view selection service object via a view selector object of the application manager for switching between the multiple views of the workspace frame window, wherein the at least one view extension object corresponding to the view selection service object manages the state of the at least one user interface element by maintaining said state during said switching; and

servicing requests during the execution of the dynamically extensible computer application from the at least one view extension object to obtain the identity to other view extension objects that provide other specific functionality and user interface elements for integrating into the dynamically extensible computer application during the execution said servicing including instantiating the identified other view extension objects and identifying the instantiated other view extension objects to the requesting at least one view extension objects.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the view selector object, in response to user input, calls the view selection service object to activate or de-activate the view.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said view selection service object stores a state of the view extension object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface element is a plug-in.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said view extension object comprises a chat object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 1.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying the validity of the requests and obtaining the required interfaces for the identified other view extension objects.

8. A computer system for generating a user interface for a dynamically extensible computer application, said user interface comprising a workspace frame window having multiple views, said system comprising:

a computer configured for executing computer-readable instructions;

at least one view extension object of the dynamically extensible computer application providing at least one user interface element for the workspace frame of the user interface, wherein the view extension object manages a state of the at least one user interface element and placement of the view extension object within the workspace frame window, said view wherein the extension object corresponds to a view selection service object;

an application manager for;

integrating functionality provided by the at least one view extension object into the dynamically extensible computer application during execution of the dynamically extensible computer application, said application manager including a view selector object for managing the view selection service object for switching between the multiple views of the workspace frame window, wherein the at least one view extension object corresponding to the view selection service object manages the state of the at least one user interface element by maintaining said state during said switching, and

servicing requests during the execution of the dynamically extensible computer application from the at least one view extension object to obtain the identity to other view extension objects that provide other specific functionality and user interface elements for integrating into the dynamically extensible computer application during the execution, said servicing including instantiating the identified other view extension objects and identifying the instantiated other view extension objects to the requesting at least one view extension objects; and

a display device associated with the computer on which the user interface is displayed.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the view selector object, in response to user input, calls the view selection service object to activate or de-activate the view.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said view selection service object stores a state of the view extension object.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the user interface element is a plug-in.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said view extension object comprises a chat object.

13. The system of claim 8 further comprising a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a data structure representing a header for a message, said message being encapsulated by the view extension object, said view extension object being in an extension object hierarchy of the dynamically extensible computer application, said data structure comprising:

a type field identifying a class of the view extension object; and

a name field identifying the view extension object.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the view extension object relates to the workspace frame window in the user interface of the dynamically extensible computer application, and wherein said type field corresponds to a type of said workspace frame window in said user interface of the dynamically extensible computer application.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the view extension object relates to the workspace frame window in the user interface of the dynamically extensible computer application, and wherein said name field corresponds to an identifier of said workspace frame window in said user interface of the dynamically extensible computer application.

16. The computer system of claim 8, said servicing including verifying the validity of the requests and obtaining the required interfaces for the identified other view extension objects.