Standard API for integrated development environments
AssigneeSilicon Laboratories Inc.
InventorsTimotej Ecimovic, Jing Teng
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for embedding a tool into an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is disclosed. The system includes a special application programming interface (API) that is used to embed any tool into any IDE. The API provides a way for the tool to indicate what functions are supported by the tool. These functions may include save, print, edit and others. The API also provides a mechanism for the IDE to communicate to the tool that one of the supported functions is to be executed. Finally, the API provides a mechanism for the tool to report information to the IDE as necessary.
Claims15
An integrated software platform, disposed on a non-transitory storage medium, comprising:
- an Integrated Development Environment (IDE), comprising:
- IDE specific code;
- tool interface code;
- a chromium engine;
- and
- an IDE-side Renderer API;
- two or more tools, each comprising a tool front end that executes within the chromium engine;
- and
- a tool-side Renderer API;
- wherein each tool-side Renderer API communicates with the IDE-side Renderer API using a standard interface defined by a Renderer_api_info object defined in each respective tool-side Renderer API, wherein the Renderer_api_info object provides information needed by the IDE to interact with the respective tool, wherein the information defines functions and/or notifications that may be exchanged between the IDE and the respective tool;
- wherein the standard interface defined by the Renderer_api_info object defined in one tool-side Renderer API is different from the standard interface defined by the Renderer_api_info object defined in another tool-side Renderer API;
- and
- wherein each standard interface comprises a notification function, wherein the notification function is used by the IDE to define a notification mechanism that the respective tool is to utilize when providing status or other information to the IDE.
An Integrated Development Environment (IDE), disposed on a non-transitory storage medium, comprising:
- IDE specific code;
- tool interface code;
- a chromium engine;
- and
- an IDE-side Renderer API;
- wherein two or more tools are adapted to execute within the chromium engine;
- wherein each tool and the IDE communicate using a standard interface defined by a Renderer_api_info object defined in each respective tool, wherein the Renderer_api_info object provides information needed by the IDE to interact with the respective tool, wherein the information defines functions and/or notifications that may be exchanged between the IDE and the respective tool;
- wherein the standard interface defined by the Renderer_api_info object defined in one tool-side Renderer API is different from the standard interface defined by the Renderer_api_info object defined in another tool-side Renderer API;
- and
- wherein each standard interface comprises a notification function, wherein the notification function is used by the IDE to define a notification mechanism that the respective tool is to utilize when providing status or other information to the IDE.
A method of integrating two or more tools with an Integrated Development Environment (IDE), wherein the IDE comprises a chromium engine and each tool comprises frontend software that executes within the chromium engine, the method comprising:
- including an IDE-side Renderer API in the IDE;
- including a tool-side Renderer API in each tool;
- and
- wherein each tool-side Renderer API communicates with the IDE-side Renderer API using a standard interface defined by a Renderer_api_info object defined in the respective tool-side Renderer API, wherein the Renderer_api_info object provides information needed by the IDE to interact with the respective tool, wherein the information defines functions and/or notifications that may be exchanged between the IDE and the respective tool;
- wherein the standard interface defined by the Renderer_api_info object defined in one tool-side Renderer API is different from the standard interface defined by the Renderer_api_info object defined in another tool-side Renderer API;
- and
- wherein each standard interface comprises a notification function, wherein the notification function is used by the IDE to define a notification mechanism that the respective tool is to utilize when providing status or other information to the IDE.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.