Patent ID: 7412686

Claim:
In a computing system that includes an integrated development environment (IDE) configured for developing computing programs, the integrated development environment including one or more components that can be used for developing the computing programs, a method for providing access, from within the integrated development environment, to one or more components that are located remotely from the integrated development environment, the method comprising: providing an interface for accessing one or more remotely located component repositories, wherein the interface is configured to be launched from within the integrated development environment, wherein the interface includes options that can be used to designate the preferred method for searching a repository, wherein the interface includes a component gallery search object such that a particular repository may be designated for querying, and wherein the component gallery search object comprises a type-in line, a pull-down menu, and repository icon links; an act of accessing, with the interface, the one or more remotely located component repositories; an act of querying, with the interface, the one or more remotely located repositories, wherein said querying comprises receiving user input through the interface, obtaining additional information about one or more components, and wherein additional information includes each of metadata, reviews, and author name of the one or more components; an act of selectively identifying one or more desired components, the identified components matching the user input received through the interface during querying; an act of selecting, with the interface, from the one or more components having been identified by querying, one or more components for installation into the integrated development environment; and an act of downloading and installing the one or more components identified and selected for installation.