Abstract: The deployment of multiple embedded operating system components provides a designer with flexibility when customizing an embedded operating system for a target computing device. The embedded operating system components provide extra features to expand the functionality of the target computing device. The ease with which the designer may select various embedded operating system components to deploy from an originating computing device to the target computing device simplifies the design process. Configuration data of a core embedded operating system and configuration data of the deployed embedded operating system components are merged and any conflicts between configuration data are automatically resolved without rebooting the target computing device.

Abstract: The deployment of multiple embedded operating system components provides a designer with flexibility when customizing an embedded operating system for a target computing device. The embedded operating system components provide extra features to expand the functionality of the target computing device. The ease with which the designer may select various embedded operating system components to deploy from an originating computing device to the target computing device simplifies the design process. Configuration data of a core embedded operating system and configuration data of the deployed embedded operating system components are merged and any conflicts between configuration data are automatically resolved without rebooting the target computing device.

Abstract: A host operating system (e.g., WinPE®) detects hardware devices connected to a computing device and stores identifiers (if any) of detected hardware devices in a datastore (e.g., the WinPE® registry). Without performing a detection process, a setup program accesses the datastore to obtain identifiers of hardware devices attached to the computing device. The setup program uses a mapping file (which maps hardware devices to drivers of a set of driver files) to determine which drivers of the set of driver files are usable by the detected hardware devices. The setup file then installs the “selected” drivers into the computing device.

Abstract: POS device statistics information is managed such that the information is available commonly without the device being claimed by one application during retrieval of statistics information. A helper class DeviceStatistics object facilitates storing of statistics information in a common statistic repository that may be hardware based or software based, for example an XML file. The helper class also facilitates retrieval and forwarding of the statistics information to a managing POS application employing a service object for the POS device. A Windows Service based statistics service is used to retrieve the statistics information from the common statistic repository and generate performance monitor counters. The performance monitor counters are provided to requesting applications.

Abstract: Automatic interoperation functionality for legacy POS service and control objects is provided. In response to a request for creating an instance for a control object that implements an interface for the POS device, a legacy interoperability subsystem determines a unique identifier associated with the control object. The legacy interoperability subsystem dynamically generates an in-memory proxy class, based on the unique identifier. Thereby, the legacy subsystem enables the POS service application and the POS device to communicate with each other without having to instantiate one or more proxy classes for each instance of the legacy control object.

Abstract: An extensible data-driven setup application is provided for installing operating systems. Instead of performing installation operations itself, the host application determines individual tasks from a configuration file. The host application then instantiates and calls modules that perform the specific installation tasks including user interface screens, setup actions, data imports, and the like as defined in the configuration file. The modules are combined in module assemblies. The configuration file and the module assemblies may be customized for different sets of setup tasks, sequences of tasks, and content.

Abstract: Customer specific catalogs based on a set of standard catalogs are described. In one aspect, a computer-readable medium includes computer-program-instructions executable by a processor. The computer-program instructions are for implementing an application programming interface (API) to design and/or maintain an electronic catalog that is based on one or more base catalogs. the API includes a create catalog interface comprising a parameter to indicate that a catalog to be created is to be the electronic catalog, the electronic catalog being a virtual catalog.

Abstract: Generating and/or managing customer specific catalogs based on a set of standard catalogs are described. In one aspect, a catalog is generated or managed in view of a catalog schema data structure. The catalog schema data structure includes a first table The first table includes first, second, and third data fields. the first data field indicates a product, category, or variant of a base catalog to include or exclude from a virtual catalog that is derived at least in part from the base catalog. The second data field specifies an inclusion or exclusion rule to apply to the base catalog, product, category, or variant identified in the first data field. The third date if field provides an object ID of the product, category or variant.

Abstract: The present invention provides Plug and Play (PnP) functionality for devices that are not supported by an operating system. In response to the installation of an unsupported device, the operating system sends the event to a device manager application residing in user mode code. Upon receiving the event, the device manager application automatically installs the supporting configuration entries and software. After the device is installed, the device is accessible from an application without requiring any programming changes. Events are exposed to the application through a through a common control library (CCL). The library is directed at providing a generic interface for accessing the devices. Using the CCL the registered applications may receive events associated with the device.