Controlling application features

Abstract

A facility is provided for controlling application features. In various embodiments, the facility assembles an indication of features, starts a controlled application, and provides the assembled indication of features to the controlled application so that the controlled application can disable a feature of the controlled application. The facility can include a controlling application that is adapted for assembling a set of tokens that identify features by adding or removing tokens when a user of the controlling application selects a command associated with the controlling application, and a controlled application that, when invoked by the controlling application and provided the assembled set of tokens, controls a feature of the controlled application based on the assembled set of tokens.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method performed by a computing system for modifying, by a controlling application, features of a controlled application, the method comprising:
 collecting indications of features of the controlled application;   identifying features of the controlled application to be modified based on one or more of: observed past interactions of a user and the user's network credentials;   altering the collected indications of features of the controlled application to specify the identified features of the controlled application to be modified; and   providing, to the controlled application, one or more indications of the identified features of the controlled application to be modified, wherein the controlled application is configured to modify at least one feature of the controlled application based on the provided one or more indications.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the controlled application is an integrated development environment. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the providing includes identifying an application that starts an integrated development environment so that the integrated development environment can customize itself. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising sending a command to a process in which the controlled application executes, wherein the controlled application is configured to modify the at least one feature of the controlled application based on the command. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the command is to load a project for the controlled application. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the command is to insert code into a code editor of the controlled application. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21  wherein altering the collected indications of features of the controlled application comprises generating source code for display in a code editor of the controlled application. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the controlled application is configured to modify at least one feature of the controlled application by emitting the generated source code in the code editor when the controlled application starts. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the controlling application has a provider component for communicating with the controlled application. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the controlled application is configured to modify the at least one feature of the controlled application by disabling the at least one feature of the controlled application. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the identified at least one feature of the controlled application corresponds to: toolbars, window visibility, or color settings. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 21  wherein identifying features of the controlled application to be modified is further based on a determination of whether a particular function of the controlled application is irrelevant based on a predicted state of the system after the system complies with the a user command. 
     
     
         33 . A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations for modifying, by a controlling application, features of a controlled application, the operations comprising:
 collecting indications of features of the controlled application;   identifying features of the controlled application to be modified based on one or more of: observed past interactions of a user and the user's network credentials;   altering the collected indications of features of the controlled application to specify the identified features of the controlled application to be modified; and   providing, to the controlled application, one or more indications of the identified features of the controlled application to be modified, wherein the controlled application is configured to modify at least one feature of the controlled application based on the provided one or more indications.   
     
     
         34 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 33  wherein the providing includes identifying an application that starts an integrated development environment so that the integrated development environment can customize itself. 
     
     
         35 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 33  wherein altering the collected indications of features of the controlled application comprises generating source code for display in a code editor of the controlled application. 
     
     
         36 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 35  wherein the controlled application is configured to modify at least one feature of the controlled application by emitting the generated source code in the code editor when the controlled application starts. 
     
     
         37 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 33  wherein the controlled application is configured to modify the at least one feature of the controlled application by disabling the at least one feature of the controlled application. 
     
     
         38 . A system for modifying, by a controlling application, features of a controlled application, the system comprising:
 a memory;   one or more processors; and   an application modifier that, using the memory and one or more processors:
 collects indications of features of the controlled application; 
 identifies features of the controlled application to be modified based on one or more of: observed past interactions of a user and the user's network credentials; 
 alters the collected indications of features of the controlled application to specify the identified features of the controlled application to be modified; and 
 provides, to the controlled application, one or more indications of the identified features of the controlled application to be modified, wherein the controlled application is configured to modify at least one feature of the controlled application based on the provided one or more indications. 
   
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38  wherein:
 altering the collected indications of features of the controlled application comprises generating source code for display in a code editor of the controlled application; and 
 the controlled application is configured to modify at least one feature of the controlled application by emitting the generated source code in the code editor when the controlled application starts. 
 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 38  wherein identifying features of the controlled application to be modified is further based on a determination of whether a particular function of the controlled application is irrelevant based on a predicted state of the system after the system complies with the a user command.