Integration of GUI application with external application extensions

• Main Authors: Gebhart, Alexander, Gottschall, Dieter, Jung, Juergen, Wastl, Silke
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 05.08.2003

The present invention relates to an integration technology for extending an application with a message-based user interface by an independent supplementary application. A computerized method for dynamically extending a main application comprising a first user-interface-control by at least one supplementary application is proposed. The method comprises a first-step of monitoring system-messages of a system-message-queue and determines if a monitored system-messages comprises a user-interaction-request for creating said first user-interface-control of said main application. In the affirmative case, an indicator is set that said user-interaction-request for creating said first user-interface-control has been detected. Said method comprises a second-step monitoring application-messages of an application-message-queue and associates in response to setting said indicator the next one or multitude of application-message with said monitored system-message. Said method interprets said next one or multitude of application-message as application-message comprising the request for creating said first user-interface-control by determining based on said next application-message a first user-interface-control-handle, which is used by said GUI system as unique identification of said first user-interface-control. Finally said method executes said supplementary application.