Abstract: The described technology is directed towards normalizing input received from various types of device types for providing the input to user interface (UI) elements in a unified way that reflects the invoke intent of the user. Input from different device types is classified as button input, pointer input or command input, and routed to a corresponding button provider, pointer provider or command provider. Each provider includes logic for communicating input data (e.g., events) to a UI element or elements. Based upon the input events, a UI element can execute a corresponding invoke handler to take an invoke action for that particular event.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for automatically generating a mock object from a description of a real object, such as for use in testing. Mock object generation logic parses the description to determine interface(s) of the real object, which are replicated in the mock object, and to determine method(s) of the real object, which are simulated in the mock object. The mock object generation logic may generate a description of the mock object that is then compiled into the mock object for execution. Data types may be validated so that the arguments and/or return values from the mock object meet the expectations of a calling object.

Abstract: The described technology is generally directed towards integrated tools for editing and otherwise working with close-captioning captions (or subtitles), including an on-screen editing interface that allows a user to select and edit caption text directly on-screen. Caption editing can include changing positioning metadata associated with a caption, changing timing metadata associated with a caption, and/or changing text content/text style metadata of a caption. A counter is provided to assist the user with respect to how many additional characters can be added to the caption. Also provided is a search interface that locates captions within a large set of captions, such as the full set of captions for a video.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards locating and using a template for processing data item data from a general form into a client-specific form for returning in response to a client request. A client request includes a data item identifier and client-specific information. The data item's identifier is processed into a data type and/or identifier, e.g., a string. The client-specific information is used to determine a device class, device type and/or client platform software version. The template is found in a hierarchy of templates based upon the client-specific information and the data type or data ID string, e.g., the client-specific information may be used to determine a subset of template folders that is evaluated to find a file with a filename matching the string. The folders may be ordered from most-specific to least-specific, so as to locate the most specific template file that applies.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards returning less data than is available for a data item in response to a request to a data service. A virtual graph node is returned in response to client requests, in which the virtual node comprises a relatively lightweight set of information relative to the full set of information for the data item, e.g., maintained in a main (graph) node. A requesting client indicates that a virtual node is desired, and receives a response comprising the virtual node, generally processed from the main node's data into a reduced subset of the main node. The main node may be cached at the data service, and returned if and when requested.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards an image providing service, including an image processing service that composites a base image into a resultant image, e.g., by resizing an image, overlaying text and so forth based upon a purpose for that image and/or a client device class; other parameters such as design information, protection and so forth also may be specified. When a client requests an image including by specifying a purpose and size in a request to an endpoint (e.g., URL) for an image, the image processing service locates or composites a resultant image corresponding to the request, and returns the resultant image or a modified (e.g., resized) resultant image in response to the request. Clients thus obtain images based upon a desired purpose without having to do client-side image processing including image compositing.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards determining the rendering of user interface (UI) elements, referred to as views, based upon styles, in which styles comprise property values such as color value data, font data, border data, position data, and/or animation-related data applied to a view. A view object instance is returned upon request based upon an identifier that is used to select an unstyled view object and a style applied to that view object. The styles may be maintained as a fixed set of styles for a runtime session.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards scrollable user interface containers, and allows mixing snap items and smooth items in the same container. Snap point ranges that correspond to container snap items are specified, such as by pixel values or per container item to be rendered. When because of a scroll operation a snap item of the container overlaps a boundary of a viewing port (e.g., if rendered), the scroll position is adjusted based upon a snap point range limit to snap the snap item for rendering based upon the viewing port boundary.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards maintaining and using a version-based hierarchy of software resources (e.g., file system files) to return version-specific responses to clients. A client sends its version information with each data request, and gets back a response based upon that version. Version changes are made by maintaining the current version of each software code resource and overriding the current version with a previous version for clients as needed. The technology allows updates (e.g., for new devices and new software resource versions) to be supported by inserting resources into the resource hierarchy and moving resources therein based upon versioning. A system based on deltas is also contemplated, in which only parts of a file may be changed relative to a different version, instead of overriding the entire file.

Abstract: The described technology is generally directed towards combining (multiplexing) two or more pending data requests for the same data item into a single request that is sent to a data providing entity such as a back-end data service. Described is maintaining a mapping of the requests to requesting entities so that a single response to a multiplexed request having data for a requested data item may be re-associated (de-multiplexed) to each requesting entity that requested that data item. Also described is batching a plurality of requests, which may include one or more multiplexed requests, into a batch request sent to a data providing entity.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards a pre-child user interface element in a user interface tree that draws before the parent element draws, (and thus before any conventional child element of the parent draws). For example, based upon current state data such as whether the parent element has focus, the pre-child may draw a highlight or the like before (so as to be beneath) drawing the representation of the parent element, to indicate the focused state (or and/or other current state or states). The user interface tree maintains a property that it is composable because the parent user interface element code is independent of what any of its pre-child element or pre-children elements do when invoked.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards returning expanded data, beyond the data that was specifically requested, to a client, in order to reduce or eliminate likely subsequent requests for more data. Client requests for data items are processed by expansion rule logic to find an expansion rule set (e.g., file) corresponding to the identified data item. The rule set is used to expand requests for certain data items into expanded requests that return more data items than those requested. Client devices receive, cache and (often) use the cached expanded data items, which thereby reduces the overall number of requests to the data service. Expansion rules may be based upon observations (e.g., machine learned and/or manual) of request patterns, so as to reasonably predict which data item or items clients will likely next need, and return those as expanded data items in anticipation of their need.

Abstract: The technology described herein is directed towards content rights data that are associated with content (a data item) to make that content selectively available or unavailable in responses by a data service to client requests. A client includes client content rights data in association with each request, (e.g., via a token), and the data service uses that client content rights data as query parameters (constraint criteria) in making a request for a data item. Client content rights data also may be used for accessing cached data. Availability constraints may include client location, brand, channel, device class and time (commence and cease).

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards having multiple paths through streamed media content, such as a video. The content may be represented as a state machine of states, in which each state corresponds to one or more periods of one or more segments, and transitions to one or more other states. When a state is able to transition to different states, one or more criteria may be used to select one of the transition paths to a next state. Segments corresponding to unknown paths (where the transition decision is not yet available) may be selected and streamed for buffering via a multiple path buffering mechanism.

Abstract: The described technology is generally directed towards providing a visible waveform representation of an audio signal, by processing the audio signal with a polynomial (e.g., cubic) mapping function. Coefficients of the polynomial mapping function are predetermined based on constraints (e.g., slope information and desired range of the resultant curve), and whether the plotted audio waveform corresponds to sound field quantities or power quantities. Once the visible representation of the reshaped audio waveform is displayed, audio and/or video editing operations can be performed, e.g., by time-aligning other audio or video with the reshaped audio waveform, and/or modifying the reshaped audio waveform to change the underlying audio data.

Abstract: The described technology is generally directed towards detecting and propagating changes that affect information maintained in a cache. Data may be pre-cached in advance of its actual need, however such data can change, including in various different source locations. A change monitoring/signaling service detects relevant changes and publishes change events to downstream listeners, including to a cache population service that updates pre-cache data as needed in view of such data changes. Per-user-specific data also may be pre-cached, such as when a user logs into a data service.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards handling errors in an application program that allows for a taxonomy and precedence order of errors. Exception wrapping includes preserving relevant information with an exception, and consolidates a series of errors into a single dominant exception instance that is handled appropriately depending on the exception type. Also described is a centralized exception manager that outputs an interactive dialog based upon the exception type, and takes a recovery action based upon user interaction with the dialog.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards a data transformation pipeline architecture of a data service that processes generalized datasets into datasets (e.g., video data or graph nodes) customized for a particular client device. Described herein is maintaining a set of data transformation models at a data service, and upon receiving a client request for data, selecting a relevant subset of the transformation models and arranging the subset into a data transformation pipeline. In general, the pipeline of transformation models transforms the generalized data into the format and shape that each client device expects. The subset may be selected based upon device type, device class and/or software version information (and possibly state data) sent with each data request. The transformation models may be maintained in a hierarchical data store such as files in a file system to facilitate retrieval by searching the hierarchy for appropriate transformation models.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards maintaining a cache of data items, with cached data items having current value subsets and next value subsets. The cache is accessed for data item requests, to return a cache miss if a requested data item is not cached, to return data from the current value subset if not expired, to return data from the next value subset if the current value subset is expired and the next value subset is not expired, or to return a cache miss (or expired data) if both subsets are expired. Cached data items are refreshed, (e.g., periodically), when a data item's current value subset is expired by replacing the data item's current value subset with the next value subset and caching a new next value subset, or caching a new next value subset when the next value subset will expire within a threshold time.

Abstract: The described technology is directed towards an asynchronous dispatcher including control logic that manages a queue set, including to dequeue and execute work items from the queue on behalf of application code executing in a program. The dispatcher yields control to the program to allow the program and application code to be responsive with respect to user interface operations.