Rules interface for implementing message rules on a mobile computing device

In a computing device, a system for filtering messages received by an inbox program to route selected messages to applications rather than directly to a message inbox, the system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• memory storing instructions which when executed by the processor perform a method comprising:
• receiving a message at an inbox program that is configured to present message data to users, the inbox program including a message storing component, the message being received over a Short Message Service (SMS) transport;
• upon receiving the message, searching a system registry for rule clients that have registered to receive messages that are received over the SMS transport, wherein each rule client registers in the system registry by adding a name of a dynamic-link library (DLL) which defines the rule client to an entry corresponding to the SMS transport in the system registry;
• upon detecting that a plurality of rule clients are registered to receive messages that are received over the SMS transport, flagging the message at the inbox program, indicating that the message should be sent to the plurality of rule clients, wherein the plurality of rule clients includes at least one rule client that requests read only access to received messages and at least one rule client that requests write access to received messages,
• calling a create message function and passing the flagged message to the message storing component;
• upon the message storing component detecting the flag, the message storing component calling a first rule client of the plurality of rule clients and providing a copy of the message to the first rule client rather than storing the message in the message inbox, wherein the first rule client is registered to receive read only access to the message;
• the first rule client processing the copy of the message such that the first rule client extracts information from the copy of the message and passes the information to an application program that is distinct from the inbox program;
• upon detecting that the first rule client is finished processing the copy of the message, discarding the copy of the message;
• after the first rule client has processed the copy of the message, providing the message to a second rule client that is registered to receive write access to the message;
• and
• receiving data from the second rule client, the data indicating whether the inbox program may provide the message to the next rule client in the plurality of rule clients or discard the message.