Providing user interface elements in an application that change in response to content

A system for dynamically modifying a user interface of an application, in response to changes in content accessible through the user interface, comprising:

• (a) a memory in which a plurality of machine instructions are stored, including machine instructions for the application;
• (b) a display on which text and graphics are displayed to a user;
• and
• (c) a processor coupled to the memory and to the display, said processor executing the machine instructions to carry out a plurality of functions, including:
• (i) enumerating sources of content that are to be accessible through the user interface when the application is executed;
• (ii) enumerating content processors associated with categories of different sources of content to obtain the data included in the different sources of content;
• (iii) in response to data included in each different source of content that should be accessible through the user interface as a result of the changes in content, automatically changing the user interface to include any control elements needed to access the sources of content through the user interface without requiring manual intervention by the user to change the user interface;
• (iv) building a control element hierarchy for the control elements for the sources of content within the user interface that will be displayed on the display to the user of the application;
• and
• (v) displaying the control elements within the user interface, in accord with the control element hierarchy, so that the control elements are provided in the user interface for accessing a content of each source of content currently available in the application.

A method for localizing different content for different versions of an application, without requiring that a different user interface be employed to access the content provided for each different version of the application, comprising the steps of:

• (a) enumerating all sources of content that are accessible by a version of the application when said version of the application is run;
• (b) enumerating content processors associated with categories of different sources of content to obtain the data included in the different sources of content;
• (c) in response to data included in each different source of content that should be accessible through the user interface as a result of changes in content, automatically changing the user interface to include any control elements needed to access the sources of content through the user interface without requiring manual intervention by a user to change the user interface;
• (d) building a control element hierarchy for control elements within the user interface that will be displayed to the user of the version of the application;
• and
• (e) displaying the control elements within the user interface, in accord with the control element hierarchy, so that the control elements are provided in the user interface for accessing the content accessible by the version of the application.

A system for localizing different content for different versions of an application, without requiring that a different user interface employed to access the content be provided for each different version of the application, comprising:

• (a) a memory in which a plurality of machine instructions are stored, including machine instructions for the version of the application;
• (b) a display on which text and graphics are displayed to a user;
• and
• (c) a processor coupled to the memory and to the display, said processor executing the machine instructions to carry out a plurality of functions, including:
• (i) enumerating all sources of content that are accessible by the version of the application when the version of the application is run by the processor;
• (ii) enumerating content processors associated with categories of different sources of content to obtain the data included in the different sources of content;
• (iii) in response to data included in each different source of content that should be accessible through the user interface as a result of changes in content, automatically changing the user interface to include any control elements needed to access the sources of content through the user interface without requiring manual intervention by a user to change the user interface;
• (iv) building a control element hierarchy for control elements within the user interface that will be displayed to the user of the version of the application;
• and
• (v) displaying the control elements within the user interface, in accord with the control element hierarchy, so that the control elements are provided in the user interface for accessing the content accessible by the version of the application, and so that the user interface is modified as needed in response to the sources of content that are enumerated.

A method for dynamically changing a user interface in response to changes in content accessed through the user interface, comprising the steps of:

• (a) determining different sources of content that are available to be accessed through the user interface;
• (b) enumerating content processors associated with categories of the different sources of content, to obtain the data included in the different sources of content;
• (c) in response to data included in each different source of content that should be accessible through the interface as a result of the changes in content, automatically changing the user interface to include any control elements needed to access the sources of content through the user interface without requiring manual intervention by a user to change the user interface;
• (d) displaying the user interface as thus changed;
• and
• (e) enabling a user to selectively access any of the different sources of content, by activating a corresponding control element included in the user interface.

A system for dynamically changing a user interface in response to changes in content accessed through the user interface, comprising:

• (a) a memory in which a plurality of machine instructions are stored, including machine instructions for the application;
• (b) a display on which text and graphics are displayed to a user;
• and
• (c) a processor coupled to the memory and to the display, said processor executing the machine instructions to carry out a plurality of functions, including:
• (i) determining different sources of content that are available to be accessed through the user interface;
• (ii) enumerating content processors associated with categories of the different sources of content, to obtain the data included in the different sources of content;
• (iii) in response to data included in each different source of content that should be accessible through the interface as a result of the changes in content, automatically changing the user interface to include any control elements needed to access the sources of content through the user interface without requiring manual intervention by a user to change the user interface;
• (iv) displaying the user interface as thus changed, on the display;
• and
• (v) enabling a user to selectively access any of the different sources of content, by activating a corresponding control element included in the user interface.