Generic user interface command architecture

• US 8,359,606 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2009
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Odins-Lucas, Zeke B., Miller, Marc M., Gusmorino, Paul A. III
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VAN H
• Application Number:
  US12/570,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20100023954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 719/310, 719/328
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Certain aspects of a generic user interface command architecture allow an application to host commands for presentation on a computing device. The commands can be written by the same designer or author as the application, or alternatively by other parties (e.g., by a third-party developer). Other aspects of the generic UI command architecture describe an application programming interface (API) that can be used to allow the application to host the commands. Other aspects of the generic UI command architecture describe an activation mechanism by which registered commands can be activated by an application.

Claims

1. One or more computer storage media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that describe a component, wherein the component, when created, is to:

expose a modes enumeration;

return to a requestor, in response to the requestor invoking the modes enumeration based at least in part on an order of preference of the requestor, a list of one or more presentation models supported by the component for a particular command associated with the component, one or more groups of commands being enumerated such that particular commands within the one or more groups of commands are located in closer proximity to one another; and

presenting the component via a user interface based at least in part on the one or more presentation models and context information that is associated with the user interface, the context information describing currently available resources of the user interface and how the items are currently being displayed on the user interface.

2. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the component is created by being instantiated.

3. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the component, when created, is further to have an identity property that identifies the component.

4. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the component, when created, is further to:

expose a first property that allows a command context for the component to be set.

5. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the component, when created, is further to have a group property that allows identification of the one or more groups of commands to which the particular command belongs.

6. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the component, when created, is further to:

expose a groups enumeration; and

return to the requestor, in response to the requestor invoking the groups enumeration, a list of the one or more groups of commands supported by the component.

7. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the component, when created, is further to:

expose a get provider property, the get provider property having a parameter that is an identifier of a presentation model; and

create, in response to the requestor invoking the get provider property, a command provider component that implements the particular command for the identified presentation model.

8. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 7, wherein the component is to create the command provider component by instantiating the command provider component.

9. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the component, when created, is further to have a command context handler property that is fired whenever a context for the particular command changes.

10. A method, comprising:

accessing, by a computing device, a modes enumeration exposed by a component;

receiving, by the computing device and in response to accessing the modes enumeration, a list of one or more presentation models supported by the component for a particular command associated with the component;

enumerating, by the computing device and based at least in part on the accessing of the modes enumeration, one or more groups of commands such that particular commands within the one or more groups of commands are located in closer proximity to one another; and

presenting the particular command via a user interface utilizing the one or more presentation models and based at least in part on context information that describes items that are currently being displayed on the user interface and how the items are currently being displayed on the user interface.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

accessing an identity property of the component to retrieve the identity of the component.

12. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

accessing a first property of the component that allows a command context for the component to be set.

13. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

accessing a groups enumeration of the component; and

receiving, in response to accessing the groups enumeration, a list of one or more groups supported by the component.

14. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

accessing a get provider property of the component;

including, as a parameter in the accessing of the get provider property, an identifier of one of the one or more presentation models supported by the component; and

receive, in response to accessing the get provider property, an identifier of a command provider component that implements the particular command for the presentation model identified as the parameter.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory for storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, performs operations comprising;

accessing a modes enumeration exposed by a component;

receiving, in response to accessing the modes enumeration, a list of one or more presentation models supported by the component for a particular command associated with the component;

negotiating for at least one of the one or more presentation models to be used in presenting the particular command via a user interface, the particular command being presented via the user interface based at least in part on context information associated with the user interface, the context information including items being presented in the user interface that are currently selected, a size of an area in which the particular command will be located, and an amount of available resources; and

providing a notification of the negotiated at least one presentation model, the providing the notification including invoking a get provider process and including the negotiated at least one presentation model as a parameter of the get provider process.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, where the operations further comprise obtaining, based at least in part on the negotiated at least one presentation model, a command provider associated with the particular command.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the command provider is a final handler for the particular command.

18. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise enumerating, based at least in part on the accessing of the modes enumeration, one or more groups of commands.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein commands within the one or more groups of commands are located in closer proximity to one another.

20. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

exposing a get provider property associated with the get provider process, the get provider property having a parameter that is an identifier of the at least one presentation model; and

creating a command provider component that implements the particular command for the negotiated at least one presentation model.