Theme aware management using fusion

A theme management system configured for rendering graphical components on a computer system having a graphical operating system running one or more applications, the theme management system comprising:

• an intercepting hook module that intercepts a render message to a target window having non-client graphical components, the render message requesting that the target window render the target window's non-client graphical components;
• a theme management module having one or more first functions capable of rendering any window's non-client graphical components using a theme;
• and
• a routing module that routes the render message to the one or more first functions of the theme manager module so that the target window's non-client graphical components are rendered using a theme having a set of theme properties.

A method of rendering a graphical control on a computer display of a computer having a graphical operating system, a first set of applications implementing theme capability, and a second set of applications not implementing theme capability, the method comprising:

• providing a first controls module having one or more first functions capable of rendering graphical controls for applications not implementing theme capability;
• providing a second controls module having one or more second functions capable of rendering graphical controls for applications implementing theme capability;
• receiving a request from an application, requesting that the application be linked to one of the first controls module and second controls module;
• determining whether the application implements theme capability;
• and
• linking the application to the second controls module if the application implements theme capability, so that the application can use the functions of the second controls module to render graphical controls with themes.

A computer program product readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process for rendering a window non-client component in a computer system having a graphical operating system, the computer process comprising:

• intercepting a non-client window message sent to a window having one or more non-client graphical components, the non-client window message requesting that the window perform an action on the one or more non-client graphical components;
• routing the non-client window message to a theme manager that manages theme properties for non-client graphical components;
• and
• performing the action on the one or more non-client graphical components.

A computer program product readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process for rendering a graphical control on a computer display of a computer having a graphical operating system, a first set of applications implementing theme capability, and a second set of applications not implementing theme capability, the computer process comprising:

• receiving a request from an application, requesting that the application be linked to one of the first controls module and second controls module;
• determining whether the application is implements theme capability;
• and
• linking the application to the second controls module if the application implements theme capability, so that the application can use the functions of the second controls module to render graphical controls with themes.