Apple Inc.

Richard Ford

Yan J Arrouye

Michel Guittet

Alice Li

John Comiskey

Chris Nebel

Timo A Bruck

Michael Andrew Cleron

Stephen Fisher

John S Evans

Patrick A Holleran

Christopher Nebel

Richard J Donnelly

A method and apparatus for configuring a computer. One embodiment of the invention combines all of the prior art control panels related to networking into a consolidated Network Setup Control Panel. In addition, the invention provides for computer configuration by scripting. The configuration may be for a type of system setting or for network configurations and protocols. Through scripting, a computer may be configured locally or remotely on a network. One embodiment of the invention provides for a centralized database or Configuration Library consisting of collected data relating to available configuration settings. This database is not limited to configuration information and can be used as a general database containing information the user desires to store. To modify a configuration by scripting, the invention provides for a Scripting Interface consisting of a Scripting Server and Scripting Plug-In. The Scripting Server receives the script forwarded from a user or network administrator, parses the script and determines the appropriate Scripting Plug-In to forward the desired action to. The Scripting Plug-In receives the commands and executes the appropriate actions to modify the configuration as directed.

Method and apparatus for configuring a computer

Method and apparatus for configuring a computer using scripting plug-in

Method and apparatus for configuring a computer using scripting

A connection dialog component of an extensible and replaceable network-oriented component system enables a user to specify address information of a particular resource coupled to a computer network. The network-oriented system includes novel application programming interfaces for the connection dialog component that facilitates integration with an underlying software component architecture. Such a highly-modular cooperating layered-arrangement between the network component system and the component architecture allows the connection dialog component to be replaced, extended or modified by other connection dialog-type components, while ensuring that these latter components 'seamlessly' interact with existing components and component editors of the system.

Replaceable and extensible connection dialog component of a network

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Arlington, VA, United States of America

Richard Ford