Framework for managing components

A method comprising:

• receiving input at a framework identifying a component of one or more embeddable reusable software components, the framework specifying a framework state model and implementing one or more framework interfaces to manage the components, the framework state model including multiple model states and multiple model state transitions, each model state transition being a state transition from a model state to a model state, each component implementing a respective component state model that is a projection of the framework state model, each component implementing one or more of the framework interfaces;
• determining a current state of the identified component using the framework interface;
• determining available state transitions for the current state, the available state transitions being one or more of the model state transitions for the current state that are implemented by the component;
• and
• triggering one of the available state transitions based on input received by the framework, wherein the operations required to perform the triggered state transition are implemented by the component.

A computer program product, tangibly embodied on an information carrier, comprising instructions operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform the operations of:

• receiving input at a framework identifying a component of one or more embeddable reusable software components, the framework specifying a framework state model and implementing one or more framework interfaces to manage the components, the framework state model including multiple model states and multiple model state transitions, each model state transition being a state transition from a model state to a model state, each component implementing a respective component state model that is a projection of the framework state model, each component implementing one or more of the framework interfaces;
• determining a current state of the identified component using the framework interface;
• determining available state transitions for the current state, the available state transitions being one or more of the model state transitions for the current state that are implemented by the component;
• and
• triggering one of the available state transitions based on input received by the framework, wherein the operations required to perform the triggered state transition are implemented by the component.