Abstract: The subject disclosure is directed towards a web service that maintains a set of models used to generate plans, such as vacation plans, in which the set of models includes models that are authored by crowd contributors via the service. The models include rules, constraints and/or equations, and may be text based and declarative such that any author can edit an existing model or combination of existing models into a new model. Users can access the models to generate a plan according to user parameters, view a presentation of that plan, and interact to provide new parameters to the model and/or with objects in the plan to modify the plan and view a presentation of the modified plan.

Abstract: The facilitating of output on an output device that receives output from an application that actually redefines during use. An initial output of information to be presented is caused to be rendered on the output device. Then, upon encountering that the application itself is redefined, the output is altered, and the output device updated. Furthermore, there may be other triggers that change the output on the output device including a change in allocation of output between multiple output devices, a change in users of the output device, a change in position of one or more users with respect to the output device, a change in control of one or more users with respect to the output device, a change in authorization of one or more users with respect to the output device or the information outputted. Accordingly, the output device may be updated appropriately even in a dynamic computing environment.

Abstract: Displaying application output in a manner that is not predetermined by the application, nor by the display. The computing system associated with the display accesses a set of information output by an application and to be displayed on a display. However, rather than explicit instructions on how to display being received from the application itself, the computing system instead accesses a set of one or more display rules that are associated with the set of information. The computing system then uses the set of one or more display rules to determine how to layout the set of information on the display. If the set of information were to change, the rules may be reevaluated to determine how the new information should be laid out. If the associated set of display rules were to also changed, the reevaluation would occur thereby resulting in a potentially different layout on the display.

Abstract: Mechanisms for a presentation module to perform distributed interfacing with an application across a plurality of hardware entities. The module identifies the hardware entities that are available to interface with endpoints of an application. The presentation module performs distribution of assignment of hardware entities to interact with the endpoints by, for each of at least some of the hardware entities, determining a subset of endpoints with which the corresponding hardware entities is to interface. Furthermore, the application is operated in that state to thereby detect interaction of at least some of the hardware entities with the application via at least some of the endpoints. Thus, distributed interfacing of hardware entities with an application is facilitated.

Abstract: The incremental formulating an application in response to detecting events (such as user input) in an environment. Upon detecting one or more events, it is determined from this use input that an instance of a first transformation chain class is to be joined with an instance of a second transformation chain class. In response, the instance of the first transformation class is joined with the instance of the second transformation class along one or more data flow dependencies to formulate an aggregated instance. The aggregated instance may then be operated. This process may be repeated in response to different user input to thereby increase the size of the aggregated instance as more and more transformation chain instances join into the aggregated instance at appropriate chains of dependency.

Abstract: The automatic spawning of application in response to detected content in other communications. Such application spawning has the effect of enriching the original communication with the additional functionality of applications that accomplish and supplement the original communication. Such application spawning may be automatic, and responsive to monitoring of the content of the communication. Upon detecting that the content of the communication has satisfied summoning criteria, the application is summoned on a hardware entity associated with one or more of the participants in the communication. This may be accomplished while the communication is still ongoing.

Abstract: Displaying application output in a manner that is not predetermined by the application, nor by the display. The computing system associated with the display accesses a set of information output by an application and to be displayed on a display. However, rather than explicit instructions on how to display being received from the application itself, the computing system instead accesses a set of one or more display rules that are associated with the set of information. The computing system then uses the set of one or more display rules to determine how to layout the set of information on the display. If the set of information were to change, the rules may be reevaluated to determine how the new information should be laid out. If the associated set of display rules were to also changed, the reevaluation would occur thereby resulting in a potentially different layout on the display.

Abstract: Mechanisms for rendering on an output device, such as a display. An actuator module is associated with a rendering rendered on an output device. If the actuator module is activated, the application itself is summoned and/or augmented so that application output is rendered on the output device. The application output is specific to the prior state of the rendering on the output devise. Thus, one user that activates the actuator module in one context may have a completely different experience that a user that activates the actuator module in another context, as the augmentation of the application is appropriate and matched to the current rendering context. The principles apply even across different applications. Thus, the actuator module may become a ubiquitous button that may be used by any user to enrich any application appropriate to the current context of that application.

Abstract: The automatic spawning of application in response to detected content in other communications. Such application spawning has the effect of enriching the original communication with the additional functionality of applications that accomplish and supplement the original communication. Such application spawning may be automatic, and responsive to monitoring of the content of the communication. Upon detecting that the content of the communication has satisfied summoning criteria, the application is summoned on a hardware entity associated with one or more of the participants in the communication. This may be accomplished while the communication is still ongoing.

Abstract: Mechanisms for a presentation module to perform distributed interfacing with an application across a plurality of hardware entities. The module identifies the hardware entities that are available to interface with endpoints of an application. The presentation module performs distribution of assignment of hardware entities to interact with the endpoints by, for each of at least some of the hardware entities, determining a subset of endpoints with which the corresponding hardware entities is to interface. Furthermore, the application is operated in that state to thereby detect interaction of at least some of the hardware entities with the application via at least some of the endpoints. Thus, distributed interfacing of hardware entities with an application is facilitated.

Abstract: The incremental formulating an application in response to detecting events (such as user input) in an environment. Upon detecting one or more events, it is determined from this use input that an instance of a first transformation chain class is to be joined with an instance of a second transformation chain class. In response, the instance of the first transformation class is joined with the instance of the second transformation class along one or more data flow dependencies to formulate an aggregated instance. The aggregated instance may then be operated. This process may be repeated in response to different user input to thereby increase the size of the aggregated instance as more and more transformation chain instances join into the aggregated instance at appropriate chains of dependency.

Abstract: The facilitating of output on an output device that receives output from an application that actually redefines during use. An initial output of information to be presented is caused to be rendered on the output device. Then, upon encountering that the application itself is redefined, the output is altered, and the output device updated. Furthermore, there may be other triggers that change the output on the output device including a change in allocation of output between multiple output devices, a change in users of the output device, a change in position of one or more users with respect to the output device, a change in control of one or more users with respect to the output device, a change in authorization of one or more users with respect to the output device or the information outputted. Accordingly, the output device may be updated appropriately even in a dynamic computing environment.

Abstract: The subject disclosure is directed towards a web service that maintains a set of models used to generate plans, such as vacation plans, in which the set of models includes models that are authored by crowd contributors via the service. The models include rules, constraints and/or equations, and may be text based and declarative such that any author can edit an existing model or combination of existing models into a new model. Users can access the models to generate a plan according to user parameters, view a presentation of that plan, and interact to provide new parameters to the model and/or with objects in the plan to modify the plan and view a presentation of the modified plan.

Abstract: Formulating a visual scene includes accessing shapes, each corresponding to an object that is to be visually represented. Formulating the visual scene also includes accessing a data series, which includes data points to be applied to the shapes. Formulating the visual scene also includes accessing a geometry, which includes a container, a binding definition, and an arrangement definition. The data series is visualized within the container by visually rendering each shape within the container. The binding definition defines how to apply each data point to a shape. The arrangement definition defines how to map an axis set to a coordinate system of the container, and how to lay out the shapes within dimensions of the container. Formulating the visual scene includes populating the geometry with a visual representation of the data series using the shapes, including visually rendering each shape within the container according to the binding and arrangement definitions.

Abstract: The use of visual cues associated with rendered visual items to cue a user on whether a rendered visual item has interactive capability and/or what type of interaction is possible with that visual item. The visual items may be rendered in a data driven way with each constructed using a corresponding parameterized view component. The parameter(s) are populated by data, perhaps by model variables obtained from an analytical model. The parameters then drive logic associated with the view component to thereby construct a visual item which may then be rendered. The rendering engine then renders the visual item with the visual cue. The user may then interact with the rendered visual item. Such interaction might cause some external action to occur, might change which visual items are displayed, and/or might change a value of the input parameters of one or more view components used to generate displayed visual items.

Abstract: The subject disclosure is directed towards a web service that maintains a set of models used to generate plans, such as vacation plans, in which the set of models includes models that are authored by crowd contributors via the service. The models include rules, constraints and/or equations, and may be text based and declarative such that any author can edit an existing model or combination of existing models into a new model. Users can access the models to generate a plan according to user parameters, view a presentation of that plan, and interact to provide new parameters to the model and/or with objects in the plan to modify the plan and view a presentation of the modified plan.

Abstract: Formulating a visual scene includes accessing shapes, each corresponding to an object that is to be visually represented. Formulating the visual scene also includes accessing a data series, which includes data points to be applied to the shapes. Formulating the visual scene also includes accessing a geometry, which includes a container, a binding definition, and an arrangement definition. The data series is visualized within the container by visually rendering each shape within the container. The binding definition defines how to apply each data point to a shape. The arrangement definition defines how to map an axis set to a coordinate system of the container, and how to lay out the shapes within dimensions of the container. Formulating the visual scene includes populating the geometry with a visual representation of the data series using the shapes, including visually rendering each shape within the container according to the binding and arrangement definitions.

Abstract: A renderable geometry the may be populated with shapes and data series. The geometry defines a set of dimensions to be applied to the shapes. The geometry further defines and enforces a construction of the shapes around the set of dimensions, and applies the data series to the plurality of shapes against at least one of the set of dimensions. The formulate of the geometry may be recursively performed. For instance, the geometry may be provided as a shape in a set of shapes provided to yet another geometry with another data series. The data series might be reversibly applied to one of the dimensions, allowing for complex geometries to be created with data represented in very flexibly ways.

Abstract: The incremental compiling of a recalculation user interface. As an example, the recalculation user interface may be a spreadsheet program although the principles may apply to an visualization of data sinks that are interconnected to data sources via a transformation chain. The transformation chain includes multiple declarative transformations. A dependency graph is generated through analysis of the declarative transformations of the transformation chain. As the user interacts with the recalculation user interface, the user may cause one or more changes to the transformation chain. The dependencies associated with the transformations may be identified and may be largely isolated. The compiler may then compile that one or more affected dependencies, without compiling the entire recalculation user interface.

Abstract: The use of a data stream object to enumerate elements of a data stream to thereby drive rendering of a data-driven model. The data driven model includes multiple view components that may use their own construction logic to render visual items based on data provided to their input parameter(s). The data stream may be quite large, in which case, only a portion of the data stream is enumerated by the data stream object. The enumerated elements of the data stream may be used to populate the input parameters of the view components, and or may be provided to analytics, from which input parameters of the view components may be derived. Thus, a data stream, regardless of its size, may be dealt with in the consistent manner to thereby drive the data-driven model.