Patent ID: 8635633

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a memory having stored therein: a first program configured to request a newly connected device to the image forming apparatus to operate, an application platform including at least one blank interface and plural layers, and at least one additional second program; and a processor coupled to the memory and including an applying part configured to apply the at least one additional second program, capable of being dynamically added to the first program, to the at least one blank interface, wherein the at least one blank interface having an implementation that is blank is provided to each of the plural layers, wherein the applying part is configured to apply plural of the at least one additional second programs to the at least one blank interface provided to a corresponding layer of the plural layers, wherein one of the plural at least one additional second programs of a super-ordinate layer of the plural layers is configured to call the at least one blank interface of a subordinate layer of the plural layers, and wherein a location to which the at least one additional second program is to be added to the first program is set with the at least one blank interface and a process included in the at least one additional second program is called via the at least one blank interface in response to a request from the first program.