Hosting environment abstraction model for content

Abstract

Software programming models are provided for supporting host-environment agnostic content that can be hosted in different hosting environments (e.g., browser or window) without needing to rewrite the content. The models comprise a host-environment abstraction wrapper that provides a transparent layer of abstraction between content and host-environment specific instructions. The host-environment abstraction wrapper supports the use of host-environment independent interaction instructions or declarative statements in content by invoking host-environment specific implementation details on behalf of the content. The host-environment independent interaction instructions represent particular interactions between some content and a hosting environment, but do not provide host-environment implementation instructions that are specific to any particular hosting environment.

1 . At least one computer-readable medium having at least one instruction embodied as an application program interface stored thereon, which when executed by at least one processing system, enables content to be hosted in a plurality of hosting environments, the at least one medium comprising: 
 at least one host-environment abstraction instruction that invokes at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction that is specific to a selected hosting environment from the plurality of hosting environments on behalf of at least one host-environment interaction instruction for the content that does not provide at least one interaction implementation detail that is specific to any one of the plurality of hosting environments.    
   
   
       2 . The medium as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the at least one host-environment abstraction instruction comprises at least one reference to the at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction that is on a host-environment object associated with the selected hosting environment.  
   
   
       3 . The medium as set forth in  claim 2  wherein the at least one reference comprises at least one of a method call for a method defined in the host-environment object, an event handler registration for an event defined in the host-environment object, and an attribute value assignment for an attribute defined in the host-environment object.  
   
   
       4 . The medium as set forth in  claim 2  wherein the host-environment object comprises a representation of a browser or a window in which the content is hosted.  
   
   
       5 . The medium as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the selected hosting environment comprises at least one of a browser environment and a window environment.  
   
   
       6 . A method for enabling content to be hosted in a plurality of hosting environments, the method comprising: 
 invoking at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction that is specific to a selected hosting environment from the plurality of hosting environments on behalf of at least one host-environment interaction instruction for the content that does not provide at least one interaction implementation detail that is specific to any one of the plurality of hosting environments.    
   
   
       7 . The method as set forth in  claim 6  wherein invoking at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction that is specific to a selected hosting environment further comprises: 
 referencing the at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction that is on a host-environment object associated with the selected hosting environment.    
   
   
       8 . The method as set forth in  claim 7  wherein referencing the at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction further comprises: 
 calling a method defined in the host-environment object, registering an event handler for an event defined in the host-environment object, or assigning a value to an attribute defined in the host-environment object.    
   
   
       9 . The method as set forth in  claim 7  wherein the host-environment object comprises a representation of a browser or a window in which the content is hosted.  
   
   
       10 . The method as set forth in  claim 6  wherein the selected hosting environment comprises at least one of a browser environment and a window environment.  
   
   
       11 . A system for enabling content to be hosted in a plurality of hosting environments, the system comprising: 
 a host-environment abstraction system that invokes at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction that is specific to selected hosting environment from the plurality of hosting environments on behalf of at least one host-environment interaction instruction for the content that does not provide at least one interaction implementation detail that is specific to any one of the plurality of hosting environments.    
   
   
       12 . The system as set forth in  claim 11  wherein the host-environment abstraction system references the at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction that is on a host-environment object associated with the selected hosting environment.  
   
   
       13 . The system as set forth in  claim 12  wherein the host-environment abstraction system references the at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction by calling a method defined in the host-environment object, registering an event handler for an event defined in the host-environment object, or assigning a value for an attribute defined in the host-environment object.  
   
   
       14 . The system as set forth in  claim 12  wherein the host-environment object comprises a representation of a browser or a window in which the content is hosted.  
   
   
       15 . The system as set forth in  claim 11  wherein the selected hosting environment comprises at least one of a browser environment and a window environment.  
   
   
       16 . At least one computer-readable medium having at least one instruction associated with content stored thereon, which when executed by at least one processing system, enables the content to be hosted in a selected hosting environment, the at least one medium comprising: 
 at least one host-environment interaction instruction that identifies at least one desired interaction involving the content and any one of a plurality of hosting environments without providing at least one interaction implementation detail that is specific to any one of the plurality of hosting environments including the selected hosting environment; and    at least one reference instruction that references at least one host-environment abstraction instruction which invokes at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction that is specific to the selected hosting environment for implementing the at least one desired interaction.    
   
   
       17 . The medium as set forth in  claim 16  wherein the at least one host-environment interaction instruction comprises at least one of programmatic and declarative markup language content.  
   
   
       18 . The medium as set forth in  claim 16  wherein the at least one host-environment interaction instruction comprises extensible application markup language (XAML) content.  
   
   
       19 . The medium as set forth in  claim 16  wherein the selected hosting environment comprises at least one of a browser environment and a window environment.  
   
   
       20 . A method for enabling content to be hosted in a selected hosting environment, the method comprising: 
 identifying at least one desired interaction involving the content and any one of a plurality of hosting environments without providing at least one interaction implementation detail that is specific to any one of the plurality of hosting environments including the selected hosting environment; and    referencing at least one host-environment abstraction instruction which invokes at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction that is specific to the selected hosting environment for implementing the at least one desired interaction.    
   
   
       21 . The method as set forth in  claim 20  further comprising: 
 identifying the at least one desired interaction using at least one of programmatic and declarative markup language content.    
   
   
       22 . The method as set forth in  claim 20  further comprising: 
 identifying the at least one desired interaction using extensible application markup language (XAML) content.    
   
   
       23 . The method as set forth in  claim 20  wherein the selected hosting environment comprises at least one of a browser environment and a window environment.  
   
   
       24 . A system for enabling content to be hosted in a selected hosting environment, the system comprising: 
 a host-environment interaction system that identifies at least one desired interaction involving the content and any one of a plurality of hosting environments without providing at least one interaction implementation detail that is specific to any one of the plurality of hosting environments including the selected hosting environment; and    a host-environment instruction system that references at least one host-environment abstraction instruction which invokes at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction that is specific to the selected hosting environment for implementing the at least one desired interaction.    
   
   
       25 . The system as set forth in  claim 24  wherein the host-environment interaction system uses at least one of programmatic and declarative markup language content to identify the at least one desired interaction.  
   
   
       26 . The system as set forth in  claim 24  wherein the host-environment interaction system uses extensible application markup language (XAML) content to identify the at least one desired interaction.  
   
   
       27 . The system as set forth in  claim 24  wherein the selected hosting environment comprises at least one of a browser environment and a window environment.  
   
   
       28 . At least one computer-readable medium having at least one instruction associated with content stored thereon, which when executed by at least one processing system, enables the content to be hosted in a selected hosting environment, the at least one medium comprising: 
 at least one host-environment interaction instruction that identifies at least one desired interaction involving the content and any one of a plurality of hosting environments without providing at least one interaction implementation detail that is specific to any one of the plurality of hosting environments including the selected hosting environment; and    at least one host-environment abstraction instruction that invokes at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction that is specific to the selected hosting environment on behalf of the at least one host-environment interaction instruction for implementing the at least one desired interaction.    
   
   
       29 . The medium as set forth in  claim 28  wherein the at least one host-environment abstraction instruction comprises at least one reference to the at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction that is on a host-environment object associated with the selected hosting environment.  
   
   
       30 . The medium as set forth in  claim 29  wherein the host-environment object comprises a representation of a browser or a window in which the content is hosted.  
   
   
       31 . The medium as set forth in  claim 28  wherein the selected hosting environment comprises at least one of a browser environment and a window environment.  
   
   
       32 . A method for enabling content to be hosted in a selected hosting environment, the method comprising: 
 identifying at least one desired interaction involving the content and any one of a plurality of hosting environments without providing at least one interaction implementation detail that is specific to any one of the plurality of hosting environments including the selected hosting environment; and    invoking at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction that is specific to the selected hosting environment on behalf of at least one host-environment interaction instruction that identifies the at least one desired interaction for implementing the at least one desired interaction.    
   
   
       33 . The method as set forth in  claim 32  wherein invoking the at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction further comprises: 
 referencing the at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction that is on a host-environment object associated with the selected hosting environment.    
   
   
       34 . The method as set forth in  claim 33  wherein the host-environment object comprises a representation of a browser or a window in which the content is hosted.  
   
   
       35 . The method as set forth in  claim 32  wherein the selected hosting environment comprises at least one of a browser environment and a window environment.  
   
   
       36 . A system for enabling content to be hosted in a selected hosting environment, the system comprising: 
 a host-environment interaction system that identifies at least one desired interaction involving the content and any one of a plurality of hosting environments without providing at least one interaction implementation detail that is specific to any one of the plurality of hosting environments including the selected hosting environment; and    a host-environment abstraction system that invokes at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction that is specific to the selected hosting environment on behalf of the host-environment interaction system for implementing the at least one desired interaction.    
   
   
       37 . The system as set forth in  claim 36  wherein the host-environment abstraction system references the at least one host-environment interaction implementation instruction that is on a host-environment object associated with the selected hosting environment.  
   
   
       38 . The system as set forth in  claim 37  wherein the host-environment object comprises a representation of a browser or a window in which the content is hosted.  
   
   
       39 . The system as set forth in  claim 36  wherein the selected hosting environment comprises at least one of a browser environment and a window environment.