Generic application programming interface for reading information

摘要

The specification and drawings present a new method and software related product (e.g., computer readable medium, a computer, a computer memory or a laser recording disk) presented for: using a generic application programming interface (GAPI) for reading information, e.g., multi-application files (i.e., files created by two or more applications) stored in devices, e.g., computers, computer network devices/workstations, communication network devices, servers, memories (e.g., archives, backup repositories), etc.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a generic application programming interface using a network accessible computer processor, a request signal comprising one or more simultaneous request for reading one or more files, of a plurality of files, for implementing a predetermined task, said plurality of files being created using a plurality of applications and being stored in one or more devices; determining, by said processor, if said request signal, or a part of the request signal, is absent application-specific information, said generic application programming interface further configured to perform:
converting said request signal absent application-specific information, or said part of the request signal absent application-specific information, to one or more application command signals comprising said application-specific information derived from application meta data and combined responses of raw application file information corresponding to said one or more files, each signal of said one or more application command signals defining a corresponding application command for one application of said plurality of the applications, andproviding said one or more application command signals concurrently to corresponding one or more application connectors of a plurality of application connectors comprised in said generic application programming interface for concurrently reading all files, or selected files, of the one or more files to fully or partially implement said predetermined task, each application connector of said plurality of the application connectors being configured to read files created using one application of said plurality of the applications.