Patent ID: 7716664
Filing Date: 2010-05-11
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer-readable storage medium encoding a computer program that executes a computer implemented method for installing a computer software application, comprising: receiving a command to install a first computer software application; in response to the command to install the first computer software application, creating a first application folder within a file system on a computer storage medium; storing at least one software module within the first application folder, wherein the at least one software module is a portion of the first computer software application; storing metadata integrated with the first computer software application in the first application folder, wherein the metadata comprises install metadata comprising install information of the first computer software application; identifying one or more other software modules as a submodule that is a portion of computer executable instructions in the at least one software module; creating a subfolder for the submodule within the first application folder; storing the submodule in the subfolder; storing metadata integrated with the submodule in the subfolder, wherein the metadata integrated with the submodule comprises install metadata comprising install information of the submodule; receiving a command to install a second computer software application having at least one second software module similar to a software module stored with the first computer software application on the computer storage medium; creating a second application folder separate from the first application folder within the file system on the computer storage medium; storing a second software module associated with the second computer software application in the second application folder; storing metadata integrated with the second computer software application in the second application folder without changing the metadata in the first application folder such that the similar second software module is called by the second computer software application and the first application does not call the second software module as a result of the installation of the second computer software application, wherein the metadata of the second computer software application comprises install metadata comprising install information of the second computer software application; querying metadata within at least the first and second application folders and within at least one or more subfolders of the first and second application folders; returning one or more references for one or more software modules having integrated metadata that matches the query; calling at least one software module using a returned reference without connecting to an operating system registry; changing a plurality of software modules with the returned reference without changing the operating system registry; and changing the metadata integrated with the plurality of software modules without changing the operating system registry.