Applet permissions manager
View Patent ↗Disclosed are novel methods and apparatus for providing a permissions manager capable of assisting an applet, for example, in determination and/or grant of the permissions required for an operation. In an embodiment, an apparatus for managing permissions is disclosed. The apparatus includes a software application, a permissions manager coupled to the software application and receiving a request sent by the software application, and a programming environment coupled to the permissions manager. The request may indicate a permission, which may be requested by the permissions manager. The permissions manager may access the programming environment to determine a required permission corresponding to the permission and to determine how to grant the required permission.
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving a request for permission at a permissions manager from a software application to access restricted elements of a programming environment in order to execute an operation of the software application;
accessing by the permissions manager the programming environment to determine a type of permission implemented by the programming environment corresponding to the request;
requesting by the permission manager the permission from the programming environment based upon the type of permission implemented by the programming environment; and
granting the request for permission to the software application via the permissions manager.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
executing the operation of the software application once the request for permission is granted; and
returning a result of the execution of the operation to the software application.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the programming environment is a browser.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the programming environment is an operating system.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining the type of the permission comprises examining environment properties of the programming environment.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the request for permission specifies a privilege to request.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the software application is selected from a group comprising an applet, a servlet, a program, an object, and a procedure.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the request for permission is for accessing a storage device selected from the group including a local file, a corporate file system, an Internet Web server, and an Oracle database.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the accessing of the storage device is an operation selected from the group including reading and writing.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the request for permission is for accessing a storage device selected from the group including a local file, a corporate file system, an Internet Web server, and an Oracle database.
11. A computer-implemented system, comprising:
a software application to send a request for permission to access restricted elements of a programming environment in order to execute an operation of the software application; and
a permissions manager to receive the request for permission and to request the permission from the programming environment by determining a type of permission implemented by the programming environment corresponding to the request;
wherein the programming environment to grant the request for permission to the software application via the permissions manager.
12. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 , wherein the programming environment is a browser.
13. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 , wherein the programming environment is an operating system.
14. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 , wherein the system determines the type of permission by examining environment properties of the programming environment.
15. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 , wherein the permissions manager specifies a privilege to request.
16. The computer-implemented system of claim 15 , wherein the software application uses the privilege to execute the operation of the software application.
17. The computer-implemented system of claim 11 , wherein the software application is selected from a group comprising an applet, a servlet, a program, an object, and a procedure.
18. A tangible machine-readable medium, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to:
receive a request for permission at a permissions manager from a software application to access restricted elements of a programming environment in order to execute an operation of the software application;
access by the permissions manager the programming environment to determine a type of permission implemented by the programming environment corresponding to the request;
request by the permissions manager the permission from the programming environment based upon the type of permission implemented by the programming environment; and
grant the request for permission to the software application via the permissions manager.
19. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 18 , further causes the machine to:
execute the operation of the software application once the request for permission is granted and;
return a result of the execution of the operation to the software application.
20. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the programming environment is a browser.
21. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the programming environment is an operating system.
22. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 21 , causes the machine to determine the type of the permission by examining environment properties of the programming environment.
23. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the request for permission specifies a privilege to request.
24. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the software application is selected from a group comprising an applet, a servlet, a program, an object, and a procedure.
25. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the request for permission is for accessing a storage device selected from the group including a local file, a corporate file system, an Internet Web server, and an Oracle database.
26. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the accessing of the storage device is an operation selected from the group including reading and writing.