Patent ID: 8488135

Claim:
An image forming apparatus configured to run a plurality of applications having different activation conditions, comprising: a memory for storing shared information, type-specific information including items which are unique to application types, and application-specific information including items which are unique to the applications; an item acquiring unit configured to acquire from the memory an item to be displayed on a setting screen for making a setting to an application; a screen providing unit configured to generate and display the setting screen using the shared information and the type-specific information which has been acquired by the item acquiring unit, the type-specific information being a first type of settable information when there is one process for one of the applications and the type-specific information being a second type of settable information when there is one process for two or more of the applications; and a determination unit configured to determined the programming development type of the application so, when that programming development language is a first language, the item acquired is an item that is specific to the first language and the screen providing unit generates and displays a setting area in the setting screen that is specific to the first language, when the programming development language is second language, the item acquired is an item that is specific to the second language, and the screen providing unit generates and displays a setting area in the setting screen that is specific to the second language, and the setting area that is specific to the first language is different than the setting area that is specific to the second language, the screen providing unit generates the setting screen in response to an it acquired from a file that contains one or more items that are unique for each application activation condition, wherein the first type of settable information is a functional key assignment, and the second type of settable information is automatic activation.