Patent Application
20070192383
Many application programs have an “undo” feature. For example, a user can perform operations in an application program, and, if unhappy with the result, press one button to undo the operations. Most application programs with undo features deliver one-touch undo user input taken through a user interface (U1) associated with the application program. Few application programs, however, handle user undo actions taken through, for example, extensions. An extension is a software module that sends commands to an application program (e.g. a parent application) through the application program's object model. A Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macro from MICROSOFT CORPORATION of Redmond, Washington, is an example of an extension.
An extension's UI for example, can be made indistinguishable from a parent application's user interface. In other words, the user may not know if a particular UI is associated with an extension or with the extension's parent application. For example, a solution provider may create a macro (e.g. an extension) that performs many operations in conjunction with an application program. Then the solution provider may add a button to a user's desktop UI that runs the macro when the button is pressed. Accordingly, the user may see the macro as part of their desktop and consequently expect it to have the same one-touch undo that operations native to the parent application program may have. In other words, because the user does not know which buttons on their desktop may be associated with a macro or with a parent application program, the user may expect the same undo functionality with all aspects of their desktop UI.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for methods and systems for providing extension specified undo transactions. Furthermore, there is a need for providing extension specified undo transactions using, for example, open and close batching of extension actions into undoable units.
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing extension specified undo transactions. This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
In accordance with one embodiment, a method for providing extension specified undo transactions may include receiving a first plurality of operations from an extension. The first plurality of operations may include a first open undo transaction command and a first close undo transaction command. In addition, the first plurality of operations may correspond to one event being completely specified by the first plurality of operations. No other data may be required to specify the event. Furthermore, the method may include receiving a first undo command. In addition, the method may include undoing all operations received between the first open undo transaction command and the first close undo transaction command in response to the received first undo command.
According to another embodiment, a system for providing extension specified undo transactions. The system may comprise a memory storage for maintaining a database and a processing unit coupled to the memory storage. The processing unit may be operative to receive a first plurality of operations from an extension. The first plurality of operations may include a first open undo transaction command and a first close undo transaction command. Also, the first plurality of operations may correspond to one event being completely specified by the first plurality of operations. No other data may be required to specify the event. In addition, the processing unit may be operative to receive a first undo command. Furthermore, the processing unit may be operative to undo all operations received between the first open undo transaction command and the first close undo transaction command in response to the received first undo command.
In accordance with yet another embodiment, a computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing extension specified undo transactions. The method may be executed by the set of instructions. The set of instructions may include receiving a first plurality of operations from an extension. The first plurality of operations may include a first open undo transaction command and a first close undo transaction command. In addition, the first plurality of operations may correspond to one event being completely specified by the first plurality of operations. No other data may be required to specify the event. Furthermore, the set of instructions may include receiving a first undo command. In addition, the set of instructions may include undoing all operations received between the first open undo transaction command and the first close undo transaction command in response to the received first undo command.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and should not be considered restrictive of the scope of the invention, as described and claimed. Further, features and/or variations may be provided in addition to those set forth herein. For example, embodiments of the invention may be directed to various combinations and sub-combinations of the features described in the detailed description.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate various embodiments and aspects of the present invention. In the drawings:
The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar parts. While several exemplary embodiments and features of the invention are described herein, modifications, adaptations and other implementations are possible, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, substitutions, additions or modifications may be made to the components illustrated in the drawings, and the exemplary methods described herein may be modified by substituting, reordering, or adding stages to the disclosed methods. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit the invention. Instead, the proper scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims
Systems and methods consistent with embodiments of the present invention provide extension specified undo transactions. Consistent with embodiments of the invention, extensions can specify undo transactions, for example, with an open and close call that may allow extension action batching into one-touch undo units. Furthermore, embodiments of the invention may allow multiple nested start and stop pairs. For example, extension writers may not need to worry about whether they foul their one-touch undo if one extension script, containing an open and close pair, calls some other extension function with a open and close of its own. If the extension, for example, calls a close undo transaction without a matching open, an undo stack may be cleared.
With conventional processes, a user could press a first button corresponding to a first extension causing six operations to be sent a parent application. Then the user could also press a second button twice sending three operations to the parent application on each second button press. Consequently, the parent application may have no way of telling which operation(s) came from which press of which extension's button. Accordingly, the parent application cannot undo just the operations from the second push of the second button like the user may expect. To counter this problem, conventional systems require users to define undo batches using other data such as batch management objects or by inserting bookmark records into an undo stack. In contrast with conventional systems, embodiments of the present invention do not require such other data thus enabling undo, for example, without the overhead of extra objects or the wasted space of bookmarks. For example, consistent with embodiments of the present invention, the aforementioned problem may be solved, for example, by giving extensions two new object model commands: i) “OpenUndoTransaction” and ii) “CloseUndoTransaction”.
Embodiments of the invention may be practiced, for example, in a computing device 100 as shown in
A GUID may comprise a unique 128-bit number that is produced by operating system 105 or by some other application in application 106 to identify, for example, a particular component, application, file, database entry, and/or user. For example, a website may generate a GUID and assign it to a user's browser to record and track the session. GUIDs can be created in a number of ways, but usually they are a combination of a few unique settings based on specific point in time.
An application program consistent with embodiments of the invention may include a multiple undo process that may use a change tracking process to discover what data changed as a result of any given user action. For example, a record of everything as a result of one command, plus the before and after values of any changed data may comprise one undo transaction record. Moreover, each command (or group of commands that may appear to an extension user to be one operation) issued by the extension through the application program may generate one such undo transaction record as well.
CloseUndoTransaction command 260 may have two effects. First, an “end-of-batch” flag 315 may be set on the more recently created undo transaction record (i.e. a last undo transaction record 320.) And second, a number of records 325 in the batch corresponding to extension code operations 250 may be cached on the undo transaction records at the start and end of the batch to, for example, speed jumps between the two.
Consistent with embodiments of the invention, whenever an undo command causes the undo stack to be parsed, batches may be treated as units. Batches included in undo stack 300, for example, may include batches 330, 335, 340, and the batch between first undo transaction record 305 and last undo transaction record 320. Embodiments of the invention may parse undo stack 300 as it is populated with transaction record labels according, for example, to a parsing algorithm 350 as shown in
Consistent with embodiments of the invention, an undo button input may apply the records as shown in undo stack 300 according to an undo algorithm 400 shown in
An embodiment consistent with the invention may comprise a system for providing extension specified undo transactions. The system may comprise a memory storage for maintaining a database and a processing unit coupled to the memory storage. The processing unit may be operative to receive a first plurality of operations from an extension. The first plurality of operations may include a first open undo transaction command and a first close undo transaction command. The first plurality of operations may correspond to one event being completely specified by the first plurality of operations. No other data may be required to specify the event. In addition, the processing unit may be operative to receive a first undo command. Furthermore, the processing unit may be operative to undo all operations received between the first open undo transaction command and the first close undo transaction command in response to the received first undo command.
Consistent with an embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned memory, processing unit, and other components may be implemented in a computing device, such as an exemplary computing device 100 of
Generally, program modules may include routines, programs, components, data structures, and other types of structures that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, embodiments of the invention may be practiced with other computer system configurations, including hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. Embodiments of the invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.
Embodiments of the invention, for example, may be implemented as a computer process (method), a computing system, or as an article of manufacture, such as a computer program product or computer readable media. The computer program product may be a computer storage media readable by a computer system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process. The computer program product may also be a propagated signal on a carrier readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process.
With reference to
Computing device 100 may have additional features or functionality. For example, computing device 100 may also include additional data storage devices (removable and/or non-removable) such as, for example, magnetic disks, optical disks, or tape. Such additional storage is illustrated in
Computing device 100 may also contain a communication connection 116 that may allow device 100 to communicate with other computing devices 118, such as over a network in a distributed computing environment, for example, an intranet or the Internet. Communication connection 116 is one example of communication media. Communication media may typically be embodied by computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” may mean a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media may include wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. The term computer readable media as used herein may include both storage media and communication media.
A number of program modules and data files may be stored in system memory 104 of computing device 100, including an operating system 105 suitable for controlling the operation of a networked personal computer, such as the WINDOWS operating systems from MICROSOFT CORPORATION of Redmond, Washington. System memory 104 may also store one or more program modules, such as undo transaction application 120, and others described below. While executing on processing unit 102, undo transaction application 120 may perform processes including, for example, one or more of the stages of the methods described below. The aforementioned process is exemplary, and processing unit 102 may perform other processes. Other applications 106 that may be used in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may include, but not limited to, electronic mail and contacts applications, word processing applications, spreadsheet applications, database applications, slide presentation applications, drawing or computer-aided application programs, and project planning applications.
Moreover, this grouped batch may appear as one event with the label specified in OpenUndoTransaction command 255 and may be one-touch undone. In other words, while this grouped batch may include a number of operations for the parent application, a user, supplying input to the extension, the number of operations may be perceived to be just one event. For example, the first plurality of operations (e.g. extension code operations 250) may correspond to one event being completely specified by the first plurality of operations. No other data may be required to specify the event. Conventional systems ask users to define undo batches by creating batch management objects or by inserting bookmark records into an undo stack. Embodiments of the invention do not require such other data thus enabling undo, for example, without the overhead of extra objects or the wasted space of bookmarks.
From stage 510, where computing device 100 receives the first plurality of operations from the extension, exemplary method 500 may advance to stage 520 where computing device 100 may receive a first undo command. For example, a user may be operating the application program and the extension on computing device 100. While the user may not know which operations are being performed by the application program or the extension, the user may wish to undo some operations recently entered into computing device 100. Accordingly, the user may use one of input devices 112 to enter the first undo command in order to undo some operations recently entered into computing device 100.
Once computing device 100 receives the first undo command in stage 520, exemplary method 500 may continue to stage 530 where computing device 100 may undo all operations received between the first open undo transaction command and the first close undo transaction command in response to the received first undo command. For example, as stated above, the undo command may cause an undo stack to be parsed as batches. Batches in the undo stack may be treated as units and may be undone and redone as units. For example, a series of operations may be performed by the extension that appear to be one operation to the user. When the extension sends the series of operations to the application program, the series of operations may be placed in the application program's undo stack as one unit or batch. The batch's start may be indicated by an OpenUndoTransaction command and the batch's end may be indicated by a CloseUndoTransaction command. After computing device 100 undoes all operations received between the first open undo transaction command and the first close undo transaction command in stage 530, exemplary method 200 may then end at stage 540.
Furthermore, embodiments of the invention may be practiced in an electrical circuit comprising discrete electronic elements, packaged or integrated electronic chips containing logic gates, a circuit utilizing a microprocessor, or on a single chip containing electronic elements or microprocessors. Embodiments of the invention may also be practiced using other technologies capable of performing logical operations such as, for example, AND, OR, and NOT, including but not limited to mechanical, optical, fluidic, and quantum technologies. In addition, embodiments of the invention may be practiced within a general purpose computer or in any other circuits or systems.
The present invention may be embodied as systems, methods, and/or computer program products. Accordingly, the present invention may be embodied in hardware and/or in software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.). Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product on a computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium having computer-usable or computer-readable program code embodied in the medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system. A computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
The computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer-readable medium would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM). Note that the computer-usable or computer-readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the program can be electronically captured, via, for instance, optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted, or otherwise processed in a suitable manner, if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.
Embodiments of the present invention are described above with reference to block diagrams and/or operational illustrations of methods, systems, and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood that the functions/acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the operational illustrations. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.
While certain features and embodiments of the invention have been described, other embodiments of the invention may exist. Furthermore, although embodiments of the present invention have been described as being associated with data stored in memory and other storage mediums, aspects can also be stored on or read from other types of computer-readable media, such as secondary storage devices, like hard disks, floppy disks, or a CD-ROM, a carrier wave from the Internet, or other forms of RAM or ROM. Further, the stages of the disclosed methods may be modified in any manner, including by reordering stages and/or inserting or deleting stages, without departing from the principles of the invention.
It is intended, therefore, that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims and their full scope of equivalents. Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims
