Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

David S Kosbie

Bruce Alan Morgan

Andrew L Nicholson

Maria K Blees

Thomas A Vaughan

Michael J Glass

A search across multiple programs can be conducted, whether or not a particular program is active. After a search is conducted, search results can be displayed from programs that are in use and those that are not currently in use when the search is initiated. Upon selection of a search result, the program supporting the selected result can be launched if it is not already in use and can become the active program. Once the program supporting the selected result becomes active, the search result can be pre-populated within the search engine of the program. Therefore, search strategy across multiple programs is unified while sharing of search output data across multiple programs is facilitated. This sharing of data makes information across multiple separate programs more readily accessible. Also, a consistent user interface for searching across multiple programs is presented. This interface can eliminate the learning of multiple search techniques that are dependent upon a unique search engines of respective programs.

Method and system for unifying search strategy and sharing search output data across multiple program modules

Automated generation of schema and interface methods is described. The system receives a schema definition file, which in one aspect of the system is an XML file. The system parses the schema definition file into an internal representation comprising collection classes. A SQL generator traverses the collection classes and generates SQL statements that define tables, views and stored procedures. A component generator traverses the collection classes and generates computer program source code implementing components that access properties defined in the schema definition data, and methods that provide for persistent storage of the objects in a database.

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

David S Kosbie