Method and system for address book application programming interface
View Patent ↗An address book API according to the present invention includes an abstracted API and one or more address book specific adapters. The abstracted API provides functionalities common to a plurality of address book programs. The abstracted API is abstract enough to readily interface with various address books. Each adapter provides for address book program specific implementation of functionalities.
1. A system comprising:
a computer system comprising:
a storage device comprising an application programming interface and an adapter; and
a processor configured to execute the application programming interface and the adapter;
wherein said application programming interface is configured, when executed, to enable communication between an application and said adapter, wherein said application programming interface is configured to provide a common interface for accessing a plurality of address book programs, wherein a first address book program of said plurality of address book programs comprises a first server-dependent application programming interface and a second address book program of said plurality of address book programs comprises a second server-dependent application programming interface; and
wherein said adapter is configured, when executed, to enable communication between said application programming interface and one of said plurality of address book programs,
wherein said adapter performs at least one address book operation on an address book entry in said first address book program, and wherein said at least one address book operation comprises one selected from a group consisting of fetching said address book entry, modifying said address book entry, adding said address book entry, and deleting said address book entry.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said application programming interface comprises a first set of programming code generic to said plurality of address book programs.
3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein said adapter comprises a second set of programming code specific to said one of said plurality of address book programs.
4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said application programming interface and said adapter are written in a platform independent programming language.
5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein said platform independent programing language is Java.
6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said application programming interface and said adapter are substantially lightweight directory access protocol compliant.
7. A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which when executed cause a computing device to implement a method of communicating between an application and a plurality of address book programs comprising:
establishing a session between said application and a first address book program of the plurality of address book programs, wherein an implementation of said session is provided by an adapter for communicating between said application and said first address book program;
accessing said first address book program using said adapter; and
performing an operation on an address book entry in said first address book program using said adapter, wherein said operation is one selected from a group consisting of fetching said address book entry, modifying said address book entry, adding said address book entry, and deleting said address book entry,
wherein an address book application programming interface provides a common interface for access to said plurality of address book programs, wherein said first address book program comprises a first server-dependent application programming interface and a second address book program of said plurality of address book programs comprises a second server-dependent application programming interface.
8. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7 , wherein said application programming interface comprises programming code common to the plurality of address books programs.
9. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8 , wherein said adapter comprises programming code dependent from said first address book program.
10. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein said plurality of address book programs are lightweight directory access protocol compliant.
11. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7 , wherein said application programming interface and said adapter are written in a platform independent programming language.
12. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein said platform independent programming language is Java.