Patent ID: 7634578

Claim:
A method for dynamically implementing node-to-node pipelines which allow different versions of an application and different versions of an add-in to the application to be connected using a protocol without requiring an adapter for every possible combination of versions of the application and add-in, the method comprising: specifying at least one parameter for establishing a node-to-node pipeline implementation for connecting a version of an application with a version of an add-in using a protocol, wherein the node-to-node pipeline comprises a set of code modules including at least one of each of the following: an application programming interfaces (API) for communicating with the application, an application API adapter through which the application API communicates with a protocol, wherein the application API adapter is specific to the version of the application and the protocol to allow the version of the application to communicate with the add-in using the protocol, the protocol for communicating data between the application and the add-in, an add-in API adapter through with an add-in API communicates with the protocol, wherein the add-in API adapter is specific to the version of the add-in and the protocol to allow the version of the add-in to communicate with the application using the protocol, and the add-in API for communicating with the add-in; wherein multiple versions of the application API adapter and the add-in API adapter and one or more protocols are registered into a service wherein each version of the application API or add-in API adapter is configured to communicate with a corresponding version of the application API or add-in API respectively as well as one of the one or more protocols; and accessing the service to implement the node-to-node pipeline by assembling the set of code modules based on the specified at least one parameter in a predetermined order, wherein the service uses the at least one parameter to select a version of the application API adapter and a version of the add-in API adapter as well as one of the one or more protocols such that data may be communicated between the application and the add-in using the assembled pipeline.