Development System and Method for Providing External Functionality

Abstract

A system of one or more computing devices includes a user interface presented to a developer. A data store stores information identifying multiple functions, each corresponding to external functionality available from third party applications. The developer selects at least one of the functions to supplement functionality of a first application. A code generation module provides a software object for incorporation into the first application. The software object includes instructions for transmitting a query wrapper to a search system. The query wrapper includes a predefined text string corresponding to one of the functions selected by the developer. The software object includes instructions for receiving and displaying a result set including multiple items, each including a name and corresponding access mechanism of an application. The software object includes instructions for, in response to user selection of a first item, actuating the access mechanism to download or open the corresponding application.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system of one or more computing devices, the system comprising:
 a user interface presented to a first application developer;   a data store configured to store information identifying a plurality of functions, wherein each of the plurality of functions corresponds to external functionality available from third party applications;   an app functionality management module, implemented by a first one or more processors, configured to receive a selection from the first application developer of at least one of the plurality of functions to supplement functionality of a first application under development by the first application developer;   a code generation module, implemented by a second one or more processors, configured to provide a first software object to the first application developer for incorporation into the first application,   wherein the first application displays a user interface element within a first state of the first application;   wherein the user interface element is associated with one of the plurality of functions selected by the first application developer to supplement the functionality of the first application; and   wherein the first software object includes instructions for, in response to user selection of the user interface element from the first state of the first application during execution of the first application:
 (a) transmitting a query wrapper to a search system, wherein the query wrapper includes a predefined text string corresponding to the one of the plurality of functions selected by the first application developer; 
 (b) receiving a result set from the search system, wherein the result set includes a plurality of items, and wherein each one of the plurality of items includes (i) a name of an application and (ii) a corresponding access mechanism configured to at least one of download the application and open the application; 
 (c) displaying at least a portion of the result set; and 
 (d) in response to user selection of a first one of the plurality of items of the result set, actuating the access mechanism to at least one of download the corresponding application and open the corresponding application; 
   an app blocking management module configured to store a blacklist, wherein the blacklist indicates applications to exclude from result sets; and   a search service communication module configured to provide the blacklist to the search system so that the search system excludes from the result set any applications indicated by the blacklist.