Systems and methods for enhancing software products

A system for enhancing software products, the system comprising:

• a host computer operating an integrated development environment (IDE), the IDE having a plurality of IDE views, the plurality of IDE views accessible by a user via a user interface of a software product running on the host computer, the software product accessible by end users over a computer network, the plurality of IDE views comprising a first IDE view, the host computer comprising:
• at least one processor;
• at least one non-transitory computer readable medium;
• and
• stored instructions translatable by the at least one processor for:
• receiving, via the user interface of the software product running on the host computer, an indication from the user to customize the first IDE view;
• responsive to the indication from the user to customize the first IDE view, displaying a set of custom components on the user interface of the software product running on the host computer, the set of custom components registered in a data store, the data store comprising assemblies installed on the host computer to be shared among software products on the host computer;
• and
• responsive to the user selecting and confirming a first custom component from the set of custom components displayed on the user interface of the software product, adding a menu item to the first IDE view, the menu item corresponding to the first custom component, the first custom component accessible by the end users of the software product over the computer network via the menu item added to the first IDE view.

A computer program product for enhancing software products, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions translatable by at least one processor of a host computer for:

• operating an integrated development environment (IDE) on the host computer, the IDE having a plurality of IDE views, the plurality of IDE views accessible by a user via a user interface of a software product running on the host computer, the software product accessible by end users over a computer network, the plurality of IDE views comprising a first IDE view;
• receiving, via the user interface of the software product running on the host computer, an indication from the user to customize the first IDE view;
• responsive to the indication from the user to customize the first IDE view, displaying a set of custom components on the user interface of the software product running on the host computer, the set of custom components registered in a data store, the data store comprising assemblies installed on the host computer to be shared among software products on the host computer;
• and
• responsive to the user selecting and confirming a first custom component from the set of custom components displayed on the user interface of the software product, adding a menu item to the first IDE view, the menu item corresponding to the first custom component, the first custom component accessible by the end users of the software product over the computer network via the menu item added to the first IDE view.