Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Stephen John Mooney

Prakash Sikchi

Evgeny Veselov

Melissa Wood Dunn

Jean Paoli

Suryanarayanan V Raman

Adriana Ardeleanu

Rajesh K Jha

Ned Bearer Friend

Oliver Griffith Fisher

Laurent Mollicone

Andrew Paul Begun

Dragos Barac

Ranjan Aggarwal

Melissa Dunn Wood

Patanjali Srivatsa Venkatacharya

Jean D Paoli

A data processing application uses a translation file to render a visual surface based on underlying structured data. The data processing application provides mapping between nodes associated with the visual surface and nodes associated with the structured data. The mapping is generated in two phases. In a first phase, the data processing application adds mapping functions to the translation file. In the second phase, the data processing application renders the visual surface on the basis of a specific instance of the structured data, and, in the process, executes the mapping functions within the translation file to provide specific pointer information that is embedded amongst the nodes associated with the visual surface. The pointer information points back to specific locations in the structured data, thus providing mapping between the visual surface and the structured data. The structured data can be formed using Extensible Markup Language (XML). The visual surface can be formed using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). The translation file can be formed using Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT).

Translation file

Methods and systems of authoring XML using DHTML views and XSLT are described. Various user interfaces can be automatically or semi-automatically provided in a DHTML view that enable a user to interact with the DHTML view. The interfaces, some of which are termed 'in document' interfaces, permit a user to interact with a DHTML view and have those interactions automatically made to a corresponding XML document that describes data that is associated with the DHTML view.

Authoring arbitrary XML documents using DHTML and XSLT

A method of merging contact information received from multiple sources. The method includes acts of identifying a first data record including a first information content as representing a contact, identifying a second data record that has a second information content differing from the first data record and represents the contact, and merging the first data record and the second data record into a single contact record.

System and method of merging contacts

Computer-implemented methods of processing contact records are provided. A user may merge and unmerge contact records to control which records are synchronized with each other. Identity claims of records may be compared to identify possible duplicate records. Identity claims may include addresses, phone numbers, instant messenger addresses or other contact data that is likely to be uniquely associated with a contact. When possible duplicate contact records are found, a dialog box is displayed that identifies the possible duplicate records and includes an option for merging the possible duplicate contact records.

Composite user interface and framework

An upgrade module is used to convert arbitrary XML documents into a form compatible with the processing expectations of a particular processing mechanism. In one implementation, the upgrade module can be used to convert XML documents pertaining to an earlier version of the processing mechanism to a form compatible with a later version of the processing mechanism. The processing mechanism can pertain to a solution module that transforms an input XML document into an electronic form. The upgrade module can be automatically generated when a user makes changes to the electronic form in a manner that affects the schema of the electronic form, or which affects other aspects of the electronic form. The upgrade module can be implemented as an Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT) file.

Conversion of structured documents

This document describes a system and method that incrementally transforms and renders changes to a hierarchical data file. This system and method allows a user to incrementally see changes that the user has made to the hierarchical data file through entry of data in a rendered form. A hierarchical data processing engine may perform partial transformations of data files and produce partial rendering files of changes made to data files. By so doing, the hierarchical data processing engine improves a user's editing experience by allowing for quicker updating of the rendered form being edited by the user.

System and method for incrementally transforming and rendering hierarchical data files

A data processing application uses a translation file to render a visual surface based on underlying structured data. The data processing application provides mapping between nodes associated with the visual surface and nodes associated with the structured data. The mapping is generated in two phases. In a first phase, the data processing application adds mapping functions to the translation file. In the second phase, the data processing application renders the visual surface on the basis of a specific instance of the structured data, and, in the process, executes the mapping functions within the translation file to provide specific pointer information that is embedded amongst the nodes associated with the visual surface.

Mapping between structured data and a visual surface

Methods and systems of authoring XML using DHTML views and XSLT are described. Various user interfaces can be automatically or semi-automatically provided in a DHTML view that enable a user to interact with the DHTML view. The interfaces, some of which are termed 'in document' interfaces, permit a user to interact with a DHTML view and have those interactions automatically made to a corresponding XML document that describes data that is associated with the DHTML view. Presentation of the various in document interfaces takes place by considering not only an XML schema (of which the XML document is an instance), but an XSL-T (XSLT transformation) that was utilized to transform the XML document into the DHTML view. In addition, the notion of a crystal is introduced and is used to map interactions with a DHTML view directly back to a corresponding XML document. A crystal, in a basic form, includes one or more behaviors and associated XSL-T. The crystals are used to transform XML into the DHTML views. The behaviors of a crystal are defined to be data-shape specific or dependent, with the data shape being defined by the XML document. The behavior is not necessarily dependent upon any schema, data or tags. Because of its data-shape dependent nature, crystals can be packaged for reuse with various XML documents which have no relation to one another other than a shape that is defined by the XML. Behaviors can be attached to DHTML tags that are generated by the XSL-T. The behaviors ensure that user interactions with the DHTML view are mapped directly back to the XML document. In this way, the XML document can be authored to reflect the changes that are made to the DHTML view by the user.

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Stephen John Mooney