Application Settings Module Uniform Access via Schema Keypaths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Software developers face the challenge of accessing diverse structured information on mobile and personal computing devices, which requires learning and using multiple programming interfaces due to different types of settings data being stored in various locations and formats, leading to impracticality and skill requirements for accessing settings.
Innovation Solution
An application settings module provides a uniform access mechanism using keypaths and a schema that configures mappings between consumer and provider interfaces, allowing developers to access settings through a unified interface, simplifying access to diverse structured information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple programming interfaces are used to access different types of settings data, then access to diverse structured information is achieved, but developer complexity and skill requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal programming interface that can access multiple types of settings data (application settings, device settings, network settings, etc.) through a single unified API. This eliminates the need for developers to learn and maintain multiple separate interfaces, while still providing access to diverse structured information across different storage locations and formats
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (the unified programming interface) that sits between the developer and the diverse settings data sources. This intermediary handles the complexity of accessing different data types, storage locations, and formats, translating diverse underlying structures into a consistent interface that developers interact with
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple programming interfaces are used for different settings types, then comprehensive settings access is enabled, but code maintenance burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate programming interfaces into a single unified interface. Instead of maintaining separate code paths for different settings types, the unified interface consolidates all access logic into one standardized API, reducing code duplication and simplifying maintenance while maintaining comprehensive settings access capability
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple interface types are implemented, then access to various storage locations is achieved, but learning curve for developers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The unified programming interface provides universal access to multiple storage locations (application-specific storage, system-wide storage, network storage, etc.) through a single consistent API. Developers no longer need to learn different interfaces for different storage types, as the unified interface abstracts away the storage location complexity while maintaining full access capability
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various examples for an application settings module that provides uniform access to diverse types of data, such as mobile device settings. A client device, such as a mobile device, can be configured through execution of program instructions to access a schema file comprising a definition of a plurality of keypaths, where individual ones of the plurality of keypaths uniquely correspond to one of a plurality of device settings and the keypaths are defined in the schema file in association with a plurality of methods. The client device can identify a function invoked using one of the keypaths to read or write a corresponding one of the device settings, whether stored locally or remote, and, in response to the function being invoked, execute a portion of the methods corresponding to the one of the keypaths in the schema file and return a result to a requesting process.