Associating a file type with an application in a network storage service

Abstract

Techniques are described for associating file types with application in a network storage service. A user environment manager at the storage service receives a file identifier for a specific requested file from a user operating a computing device and obtains a file format type identifier associated with the file identifier from a data store for the file. The user environment manager determines a default application to open the specific requested file in response to matching an application ID (app ID) from a default “Open with” list contained in a user preferences store with a list of app IDs for installed applications that support the file format type. Once determined, the user environment manager opens the specific requested file from the data store utilizing the default application. In some implementations, the user environment manager presents a list of applications capable of opening a requested file. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A storage service operating on a computer-implemented server operatively coupled to a communication network, the storage service comprising:
 a software application store including software application descriptions, each software application description having app ID, application title, and supported file types, the software application descriptions being associated with either the storage service provider or a third-party developer;   a user data store, including:
 files associated with users, respective flies within the user data store having a file identifier, a file type identifier, and data which is binary encoded in accordance with a file type, 
 a list of app IDs identifying user installed software applications from the software application store, for a user; and 
 file access user preferences specifying default applications to open files, including app IDs of particular user installed software applications; and 
   the service being operative to:
 receive a file identifier for a specific requested file at the storage service over the communication network from a user operating a computing device; 
 obtain the file type identifier from the user data store for the file associated with the received file identifier; 
 query the software application store with the obtained file type identifier to determine a list of app IDs for software applications that support the obtained file type; 
 determine an application to open the specific requested file in response to matching an app ID contained in the file access user preferences with the selected list of app IDs for software applications that support the file type; and 
 open the specific requested file from the user data store utilizing the determined application to open the specific requested file. 
   
     
     
         2 . A storage service according to  claim 1  and operative to select a system default built-in application in response to the querying operation in the software application database not finding a software application. 
     
     
         3 . A storage service according to  claim 1  and comprising a user environment manager operative to receive a file creation request at the storage service over the communication network from a user operating a client device, the file creation request including a specific file type, the user environment manager also operatively configured to determine an application to create a file with the specific file type by (i) querying the software application database with the received specific file type to select client IDs of software applications with the supported file type, and (ii) selecting a software application with a client ID designated in the user selected file access preference from the user data store that matches one of the selected client IDs, the user environment manager also operatively configured to generate display information for the computing device in response to creating a file with the specific file type with the selected software application. 
     
     
         4 . A storage service operating on a computer-implemented server operatively coupled to a communication network, the storage service comprising:
 a software application store comprising metadata about software applications, the metadata for each software application including, application identifier (app ID), application title, application description, and supported Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) types, the software application being associated with either the storage service provider or a third-party developer;   a data store comprising files associated with users, each file within the data store having a file identifier, a MIME-type Identifier, and data binary encoded in accordance with a MIME-type,   an installed applications list of app IDs identifying installed software applications from the software application store for a particular user;   a user preferences store comprising app IDs of particular user installed software applications to be used by default to open files;   a user interface operatively configured to:
 receive a file identifier for a specific requested file at the storage service over the communication network from the particular user operating a computing device; 
 obtain the MIME-type identifier from the data store for the file associated with the received file identifier; 
 query the software application store with the installed applications list of app IDs and the obtained MIME-type identifier to select a list of app IDs for installed software applications that support the obtained MIME-type; 
 determine a default application to open the specific requested file in response to matching an app ID contained in the user preferences store with the selected list of app IDs for installed software applications that support the MIME-type; and 
 open the specific requested file from the data store utilizing the determined default application to open the specific requested file. 
   
     
     
         5 . A storage service according to  claim 4  wherein the user interface is operatively configured to select a universal default application capable of previewing files with any MIME-type in response to the querying operation in the software application database not selecting another installed software application that supports the MIME-type. 
     
     
         6 . A storage service according to  claim 4  wherein the user interface is operatively configured to request a selection of a particular installed application to open the specific requested file in response to: (i) querying the software application store with the installed applications list and the obtained MIME-type identifier to select a list of app IDs and application titles for installed software applications that support the obtained MIME type, (ii) sending the selected list of app IDs and application titles for installed software applications that support the MIME-type over the communications network to the user operated computing device so that the computing device can display the selected list of application titles for installed software applications to the user on a display of the computing device, the user interface also being configured to open the specific requested file from the data store utilizing the user-selected particular installed application to open the specific requested file. 
     
     
         7 . A storage service according to  claim 4  wherein the user preferences store comprises an ordered list of app IDs of particular user installed software applications to be used by default to open files, and wherein the user interface is operatively configured to determine a default application to open the specific requested file in response to: (i) obtaining an ordered list of app IDs contained in the user preferences store which match with the selected list of app IDs for installed software applications that support the MIME type and (ii) selecting a last app ID in the obtained ordered list of at least two app IDs as the determined default application to open the specific requested file. 
     
     
         8 . A storage service according to  claim 4  wherein the user preferences store comprises a mapping of each particular MIME-type to one app ID of a user installed software application to be used by default to open files of that particular MIME-type, and wherein the user interface is operatively configured to determine the default application to open the specific requested file in response to querying the user preferences store mapping of MIME-types to app IDs with the obtained MIME-type identifier to select the one app ID of a user installed software application to be used by default to open files of that particular MIME-type. 
     
     
         9 . A storage service according to  claim 4  wherein the user interface is operatively configured to:
 receive a file creation request at the storage service over the communication network from the user operating the computing device, the file creation request including a specific MIME-type, 
 determine an application to create a file with the specific MIME-type by querying the software application store with the installed applications list and the received specific MIME-type to select an app ID for an installed software application that supports the received specific MIME-type; and 
 create a file in the data store associated with the user utilizing the determined application to create a file with the specific MIME-type. 
 
     
     
         10 . A storage service according to  claim 9  wherein the user interface is operatively configured to request a selection of a particular installed application to create a file with the specific MIME-type in response to a query to the software application store with the installed applications list and the received specific MIME-type resulting in a list of more than one app ID for installed software applications that support the received specific MIME-type, the user interface being operatively configured to: (i) query the software application store with the installed applications list and the received specific MIME-type to select a list of app IDs and application titles for installed software applications that support the received specific MIME type, and (ii) send the list of app IDs and application titles for installed software applications that support the received specific MIME-type over the communications network to the user operated computing device so that the computing device can display the list of app titles for installed software applications to the user on a display of the computing device. 
     
     
         11 . A storage service according to  claim 9  wherein the user interface is operatively configured to create a file in the data store associated with the user utilizing the user-selected particular installed application to create a file with the specific MIME-type. 
     
     
         12 . A method that facilitates opening, with a default software application, a specific requested file stored by a storage service operating on one or more servers, the method comprising:
 receiving a file identifier for the specific requested file at the storage service over a communication network from a computing device operated by a particular user;   obtaining a MIME-type identifier from a data store hosted by the storage service for the specific requested file associated with the received file identifier;   obtaining an installed applications list of application identifiers (app IDs) from an installed applications store hosted by the storage service, the installed applications list identifying software applications for the particular user which are installed in a web-based user storage environment hosted by the storage service for the particular user;   querying a software application store with the installed applications list and the obtained MIME-type identifier to select a list of app IDs for installed software applications that support the obtained MIME-type, the software application store comprising metadata about software applications, the metadata for each software application including, app ID, application title, application description, and supported Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) types, the software application being associated with either the storage service provider or a third-party developer;   determining a default application to open the specific requested file in response to matching an app ID from a user preferences store hosted by the storage service containing app IDs of particular user installed software applications to be used by default to open files with the selected list of app IDs for installed software applications that support the MIME-type; and   opening the specific requested file from the data store utilizing the determined default application to open the specific requested file in the web-based user storage environment hosted by the storage service for the particular user.   
     
     
         13 . A computer-readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed by a computer server, causes the computer server to perform operations that facilitate opening, with a default software application, a specific requested file stored by a storage service operating on the server, the operations comprising:
 receiving a file identifier for the specific requested file at the storage service over a communication network from a computing device operated by a particular user;   obtaining a file type identifier from a data store hosted by the storage service for the specific requested file associated with the received file identifier;   obtaining an installed applications list of application identifiers (app IDs) from an installed applications store hosted by the storage service, the installed applications list identifying software applications for the particular user which are installed in a web-based user storage environment hosted by the storage service for the particular user;   querying a software application store with the installed applications list and the obtained file type identifier to select a list of app IDs for installed software applications that support the obtained file type, the software application store comprising metadata about software applications, the metadata for each software application including, app ID, application title, application description, and supported file types, the software application being associated with either the storage service provider or a third-party developer;   provide to a user a list of applications capable of opening the specific requested file; and   opening the specific requested file from the data store utilizing the user-selected application.   
     
     
         14 . A computer-readable storage media according to  claim 13  wherein the file type is a MIME type. 
     
     
         15 . A method of operating a network based file storage and network based application system in which respective users are able to store files and work on files with system provided applications without needing locally installed software, the method comprising:
 receiving a third-party application and registration information about the third-party application;   mapping the application to file types;   making the application available to users to install;   in response to a file open request from a user, opening a file with a user selected default application if the user has selected a default application, and opening the file with a system provided default application if the user has not selected a default application; and   in response to a file “Open with” request from a user, presenting the user with a list of installed third-party and system provided applications and opening the file with an application selected by the user from the list.   
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein the mapping comprises mapping the application to file types using MIME types. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 15  and comprising maintaining respective lists of installed applications for respective users. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein applications that have not been installed by a user do not appear in response to an “Open with” request from a user. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein the mapping comprises mapping file extensions representing third-party applications to file types. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein the mapping comprises mapping file extensions, representing third-party applications, to file types, the respective file extensions being data included inside files that the respective third-party applications create.