EXTENSIBLE AND CONTEXT-AWARE COMMANDING INFRASTRUCTURE
Computing systems in which multiple non-context-sensitive or core commands may be initiated from each of a number of different user interface contexts. There are also multiple context-sensitive mechanism for visualizing the commands depending on which of the multiple possible user interface contexts that the commands appear. At least some embodiments described herein also related to the presentation of dialogs at various stages of the command lifecycle without the system needing to know the underlying operations of the command, and allowing the developer to specify when dialogs are to appear in that lifecycle.
1 . A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to instantiate and/or operate the following:
a plurality of non-context-sensitive commands that may be initiated from each of a plurality of user interface contexts; and
a plurality of context-sensitive mechanisms for visualizing the plurality of non-context-sensitive commands depending on which of the plurality of user interface contexts in which the plurality non-context sensitive commands appear.
2 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 1 , the plurality of non-context-sensitive commands being associated with a resource upon which each of the plurality of non-context-sensitive commands acts when selected.
3 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 1 , the one or more computer-readable storage media having thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to further instantiate and/or operate the following:
one or more context-sensitive commands visualized with the plurality of non-context-sensitive commands, but which may differ depending on which of the plurality of user interface contexts in which the plurality of non-context-sensitive commands appear.
4 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 1 , the different contexts in the user interface including a first set of one or more contexts associated with a first application, and a second set of one or more contexts associated with a second application.
5 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 4 , the first set of one or more contexts associated with the first application including a first context of a particular context type, and the second set of one or more contexts associated with the second application also including a second context also of the same particular context type.
6 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 5 , any context of the particular context type being associated with a particular context-sensitive mechanism for visualizing the plurality of non-context-sensitive commands, such that the mechanism for visualizing the plurality of non-context-sensitive commands is the same in the first context of the particular context type and associated with the first application as the mechanism for visualizing the plurality of non-context-sensitive commands in the second context of the particular context type and associated with the second application.
7 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 1 , the plurality of non-context-sensitive commands being a first plurality of non-context-sensitive commands, the one or more computer-readable storage media further having thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of the computing system, cause the computing system to instantiate and/or operate the following:
a second plurality of non-context-sensitive commands that may be initiated from each of the plurality of user interface contexts; the plurality of context-sensitive mechanisms also for visualizing the second plurality of non-context-sensitive commands,
such that for a given user interface context, the same context-sensitive mechanism is used to visualize the first plurality of non-context-sensitive commands as would be used to visualize the second plurality of non-context-sensitive commands in that given user interface context.
8 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 1 , the plurality of non-context-sensitive commands being selectable from a user interface element, the execution of at least one of the plurality of non-context-sensitive commands resulting in a change in data displayed in the user interface element.
9 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 1 , the plurality of context-sensitive mechanisms being intrinsic to a system, and not alterable by applications running within the system.
10 . A method for executing a command from a user interface element, the method comprising:
an act of initiating the command; and
an act of tracking the command at a plurality of stages;
for each of the plurality of stages, determining whether a dialog is indicated as to be displayed, and if so, displaying a dialog for the corresponding stage that is consistent across a plurality of commands.
11 . The method in accordance with claim 10 , the method being performed by a command state tracking module, and the command being a first command, the method further comprising:
an act of initiating a second command; and
an act of tracking the second command at a plurality of stages of the second command that are the same as the plurality of stages of the first command;
for each of the plurality of stages of the second command, determining whether a dialog is indicated as to be displayed, and if so, displaying a dialog for the corresponding stage that is consistent across a plurality of commands.
12 . The method in accordance with claim 11 , the first and second commands both being intrinsic commands.
13 . The method in accordance with claim 11 , the first and second commands both being extrinsic commands.
14 . The method in accordance with claim 11 , one of the first and second commands being an extrinsic command, and the other of the first and second commands being an intrinsic command.
15 . The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the act of determining whether a dialog is to be displayed is performed at least at each transition between the plurality of stages.
16 . The method in accordance with claim 15 , the determination of whether or not to display a dialog being provided by a developer.
17 . The method in accordance with claim 15 , the act of displaying the dialog performed at each transition being a function of the transition.
18 . The method in accordance with claim 10 , the act of displaying the dialog being a function of a resource that is being operated upon.
19 . A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method for executing a command from a user interface element, the method comprising:
an act of initiating the command; and
an act of tracking the command at a plurality of stages;
for each of the plurality of stages, an act of determining whether a dialog is indicated as to be displayed, and if so, displaying a dialog for the corresponding stage that is consistent across a plurality of commands.
20 . The computer program product in accordance with claim 19 , the plurality of commands including a plurality of extrinsic commands and a plurality of intrinsic commands.