GUIDANCE ACROSS COMPLEX TASKS
Architecture that guides a user through a complex set of steps of a task that can span multiple applications and services, and/or multiple subprograms/services within a single application. A publication mechanism publishes categorized tasks and task steps to the end user client. Task publication allows end user/community modification or task creation for self use or for publishing to other users. A user interface (UI) associates a specific step with the larger task and helps the user to return back to the list of steps and otherwise navigate at the user discretion. A profile mechanism facilitates the storage of user choices over time and the development of a user profile from which future or similar task completion can be based. The architecture serves as a teaching tool that exposes the user to a variety of applications and services of which the user might now otherwise be aware.
1 . A computer-implemented task processing system, comprising:
a presentation component for presenting categories of tasks for execution and selecting a task from the categories of tasks;
a guidance component for generating and presenting selectable options that guide execution of elements of the task across disparate resources; and
an execution component for executing an element across the disparate resources based on a selected option.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the disparate resources include at least one of applications or service domains.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the disparate resources reside on a client computing system.
4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a profile component for building a user profile based in part on a category selected.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the presentation component presents a set of candidate tasks based on the user profile.
6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a navigation component for maintaining relationships of the tasks and task elements and facilitating navigation of the tasks and task elements.
7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a publication component for publishing the categories for presentation by the presentation component.
8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a publication component for publishing a customized task or task element to other entities.
9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a discovery component for randomly selecting and including a new category in the categories for presentation, the new category not previously selected as part of task execution.
10 . A computer-implemented task processing system, comprising:
a presentation component for presenting categories of tasks from which a task is selected for execution;
a guidance component for generating and presenting options that guide completion of steps of the task across disparate applications or services;
a navigation component for maintaining relationships between the tasks and steps and facilitating navigation of the tasks and steps; and
a profile component for building a user profile based in part on selections associated with task execution.
11 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising a scoring component for assigning weighting data to a category from which the task was selected, the weighted category stored as part of the user profile and, the weighted category presented in the categories based on selection of a new task and according to the user profile.
12 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising a publication component for publishing the categories and customized tasks or task steps for presentation by the presentation component.
13 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising a discovery component for tailoring the categories to a user based on user interaction over time.
14 . A computer-implemented method of processing a task, comprising:
presenting categories of tasks from which a task is selected for execution across disparate resources;
exposing steps for completing the selected task; and
presenting selectable options that guide completion of the steps across the disparate resources.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
customizing a task; and
publishing the customized task to other entities.
16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
applying points to the task based on user interaction and client processing; and
storing the points as a score of a task profile for a user.
17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising selecting the categories based on the task profile of the user.
18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising processing the profile to extract user information and provide targeted content to a user based on the user information.
19 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
randomly selecting a new category; and
presenting the new category in the categories.
20 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising delaying execution of the task for a later time.