Dynamic Entity Inference for Developer Integration of Entity-Based External Functionality

Abstract

A system includes a data store storing information identifying multiple functions and corresponding unique identifiers. Each of the functions corresponds to external functionality available from third party applications. The system receives a selection from an application developer of a function to supplement functionality of an application under development. The system provides a software object to the application developer for incorporation into a state of the application. The software object includes instructions for extracting text from the state and preparing a query wrapper including the corresponding unique identifier of the function and the extracted text. The instructions receive a result set, including an item that includes an identifier of a target application and an access mechanism for a specified state of the target application. The instructions display the item and, in response to user selection of the item, actuate the access mechanism to open the target application to the specified state.

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 that stores information identifying a plurality of functions and corresponding unique identifiers, wherein each of the plurality of functions corresponds to external functionality available from third party applications;   an application functionality management module, implemented by a first one or more processors, that receives a selection from the first application developer of a first function of the plurality of functions to supplement functionality of a first application under development by the first application developer; and   a code generation module, implemented by a second one or more processors, that provides a software development kit (SDK) library to the first application developer for incorporation into at least a first screen of the first application, wherein the first screen includes a first user interface element associated with a first entity, and wherein the SDK library includes instructions for:
 in response to user selection of the first user interface element, extracting text from the first screen and preparing a query wrapper including (i) the corresponding unique identifier of the first function and (ii) the extracted text; 
 transmitting the query wrapper to a search system; 
 receiving a result set from the search system, wherein the result set includes a plurality of items, and wherein a first item of the plurality of items includes (i) an identifier of a target application and (ii) an access mechanism for a specified screen of the target application; 
 displaying the plurality of items; and 
 in response to user selection of the first item, actuating the access mechanism to open the target application to the specified screen.