Methods and systems for tag-based object management

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying a tag;

separately assigning the same tag to each of a plurality of software applications;

receiving an access control setting;

associating the access control setting with the tag, wherein the access control setting is associated with the tag after the tag is assigned to each of the plurality of software applications;

performing an action with respect to a software application from the plurality of software applications by applying the setting to the software application based on the tag being assigned to the software application, wherein:

performing the action comprises receiving a request to access the software application and determining, based on the access control setting, whether to permit access to the software application;

the method is performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

the tag identifies a user;

the access control setting identifies at least one access control privilege of the user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein:

the access control privilege of the user indicates that the user is allowed to use any software application to which the tag is assigned.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

associating the setting with the tag enables a user to permit and/or prohibit one or more other users from using the software application.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

the access control setting indicates that a first user is allowed to access the software application if the software application is tagged with the tag and with an additional tag.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

the access control setting indicates that a user only has limited access to software applications to which the tag is assigned.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying an additional access control setting that has a conflict with the access control setting;

resolving the conflict between the access control setting and the additional access control setting.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein resolving the conflict comprises:

defining priorities for the access control setting and the additional access control setting.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying an additional tag;

determining that the additional tag is not associated with any access control settings;

identifying a rule that indicates that tags that are not explicitly associated with any access control settings are implicitly associated with a no-access setting;

receiving a request to access an additional software application that is tagged with the additional tag;

denying access to the additional software application based on the implicit no-access setting.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

retrieving the access control setting from an access-control-setting database upon receiving the request to access the software application.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the tag comprises a name of a user who made the request to access the software application.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:

a first computer-executable instruction operable to identify a tag;

a second computer-executable instruction operable to separately assign the same tag to each of a plurality of software applications;

a third computer-executable instruction operable to receive an access control setting;

a fourth computer-executable instruction operable to associate the access control setting with the tag, wherein the access control setting is associated with the tag after the tag is assigned to each of the plurality of objects;

a fifth computer-executable instruction operable to perform an action with respect to a software application from the plurality of software applications by applying the setting to the software application based on the tag being assigned to the software application, wherein the fifth computer-executable instruction is operable to perform the action by receiving a request to access the software application and determining, based on the access control setting, whether to permit access to the software application.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein:

the tag identifies a user;

the access control setting identifies at least one access control privilege of the user.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the access control setting indicates that the user is not allowed to access software applications tagged with the tag.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a tag from a user interface;

separately assigning the tag to each of a plurality of software modules;

receiving an access control setting;

associating the access control setting with the tag, wherein the access control setting is associated with the tag after the tag is assigned to each of the plurality of software modules;

performing an action with respect to a software module from the plurality of software modules by applying the setting to the software module based on the tag being assigned to the software module, wherein:

performing the action comprises receiving a request to access the software module and determining, based on the access control setting, whether to permit access to the software module;

the method is performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein:

the software module comprises a subroutine of a software application;

separately assigning the tag to each of the plurality of software modules comprises separately assigning the tag to each of a plurality of subroutines.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein:

the software module comprises a user interface window;

separately assigning the tag to each of the plurality of software modules comprises assigning the tag to the user interface window.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , further comprising:

receiving a request to create the tag for the software module, the request being sent by a user;

providing the user with the user interface in response to the request.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18 , wherein:

the software module comprises a window;

assigning the tag to the software module comprises assigning the tag to the window;

providing the user with the interface comprises sub-classing the window.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 , wherein sub-classing the window comprises:

displaying a dialog sub-window, the dialog sub-window comprising the user interface from which the tag is received;

rerouting operating system communications from the window to the dialog sub-window.