Network operating system
Generally described, the present invention is directed to a network operating system that provides more effective ways of leveraging the connectivity of computer networks. In one embodiment, an XML virtual machine is implemented that accepts high-level application code written in an XML programming language as input. Functionality is provided to interpret or translate the application code written in an XML programming language into code that is suitable for execution across computer platforms. Moreover, the XML virtual machine supports the Model View Controller (MVC) design paradigm that facilitates true data abstraction from applications to a common data model. Multi-instance applications, with each instance potentially supporting multiple views, may be created and executed.
1. A method of opening an application package on a client computing device containing an application's process and view logic, the method comprising:
obtaining resources of an application being opened as specified in a corresponding application package on the client computing device, the application defined in the application package having separately defined process and view logic;
instantiating an instance object that associates process and view objects to a particular application instance and tracks a runtime state of the application during execution, and wherein potentially multiple instances of the application execute concurrently on the client computing device;
re-creating a previous runtime state of the application within the instance object using data provided with the application package indicating the previous runtime state; and
executing the application's process and view logic relative to the appropriate application instance including using the instance object to provide context of the runtime state in executing application logic.
2. The method, as recited in claim 1 , wherein obtaining resources of an application being opened, includes:
evaluating an XML-based expression having a URL that references at least one resource of application; and
checking resources currently maintained in a client-side cache to determine whether at least one application resource is available locally.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein a number of application instances that can be instantiated is limited to a number specified in the application package.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein obtaining resources of an application being opened as specified in a corresponding application package includes instantiating an application object configured to hold multiple instance objects.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein obtaining resources of an application being opened, includes:
determining whether a primary network location that stores the resources is accessible; and
if the resources are not available from the primary network location, utilizing semantic logic in the application package to identify a secondary network location.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein resources obtained as specified in the application package includes at least one resource selected from an image, XML document, and binary file.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the instance object is configured to track at least one object in the view layer and at least one object in the controller layer associated with an application that adheres to the MVC design paradigm.
8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the instance object holds a local, expression engine and causes expressions referencing named objects that are global to the application to be evaluated relative to the appropriate application instance.
9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the data provided with the application package describing the previous runtime state includes data serialized in XML.
10. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein to initiate execution of an application's process and view logic includes utilizing a data type recognizer to identify a document type from semantic data in the application package and cause actions to be performed that are based on the identified document type.
11. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the data provided with the application package indicating the previous runtime state includes a reference to an XML document that describes the previous runtime state.
12. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the data provided with the application package indicating the previous runtime state includes XML data that describes the previous runtime state within the application package.