Flexible interface for controlling streaming data in passive streaming plug-ins

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of:

• setting an input data type for an input of an object in response to a command from an application;
• setting an output data type for an output of the object in response to a command from the application;
• processing input data on the input of the object in response to a command from the application to process data on the input;
• generating output data on the output of the object in response to a command from the application to generate data on the output;
• detecting when an incomplete status flag is set;
• repeating the generating output data on the output of the object if the incomplete status flag is set;
• and
• if the incomplete status flag is set, waiting for the incomplete status flag to reset before performing the step of processing input data on the input of the object.

A computer-implemented of configuring and controlling an object for processing data, the method comprising the steps of:

• issuing from a process a command to set a data type at a data input of an object;
• issuing from a process a command to set a data type at a data output of the object;
• setting the data type for each of the data input and data output of the object in response to the commands;
• processing data presented to the input of the object in response to a command from an application to begin processing data;
• generating output data derived from the input data in response to a command from the application;
• issuing an incomplete status flag if the object is unable to generate all the output data for associated input data;
• reissuing from the process a command to generate output data upon receiving the incomplete status flag;
• and
• issuing a reset status flag upon generating all output data for the associated input data.

A computer-implemented interface for enabling applications to control modules for processing streaming media data, the interface comprising:

• a first command to set an input data format of the processing module;
• a second command to set an output data format of the processing module;
• a third command to process data on an input of the processing module;
• a fourth command to generate data on an output of the processing module;
• a fifth command to detect when an incomplete status flag is set;
• a sixth command to repeat the fourth command to generate data on the output of the processing module if the incomplete status flag is set;
• and
• if the incomplete status flag is set, a seventh command to wait for the incomplete status flag to reset before performing the third command to process data on the input of the processing module.