Method and apparatus for software technology injection for operating systems which assign separate process address spaces

Abstract

Method and apparatus for seamlessly integrating new or modified user interface features or modified functionality, to an existing target application program ( ) in the context of an operating system ( ) which assigns a separate process address space for each application program then operating. The disclosed invention does not require re-compiling the existing application program's source code. Rather, a novel approach is provided which allows a technology injection system (TIS) ( ) to inject itself directly between a computer operating system ( ) and the target program ( ) so as to intercept and act upon messages and commands to the target program ( ). In this way, the TIS ( ) can modify any inputs and outputs of the target program ( ). By performing special processing of those messages to the target application program ( ) which determine the appearance of the target application user interface or which concern modified functionality, the TIS ( ) can provide the new functionality to the target application program ( ) and alter the appearance of its user interface. Interception of messages between the operating system ( ) and the TIS ( ) is achieved by utilizing operating system functions , or any other available computer system functions, to overwrite a pointer ( ) to a window procedure ( ) of the target application ( ), with a pointer to a surrogate window procedure ( ).