System, method, and program for checking dependencies of installed software components during installation or uninstallation of software

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 , wherein the dependency object is capable of including an install script to install the dependent component onto the computer, further comprising: determining whether the dependency object that includes the dependent component that is not installed in the computer includes install script; and enabling the install script after determining that the dependency object includes install script, wherein a user may select to execute the enabled install script to install the dependent component.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 , wherein the dependency object is further capable of including a universal resource locator (URL), further comprising: accessing a file at the URL when executing the install script; and installing the file from the URL on the computer.

Claim 5

The method of claim 2 , wherein the dependency object is further capable of including install information, further comprising: determining whether install script is included in the dependency object, wherein the enabling of the install script occurs after determining that the install script is included in the dependency object; and processing the install information to present the install information to a user after determining that the dependency object does not include install script.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of dependency objects are provided for indicating a plurality of dependent components on which the program to install depends, further comprising: installing the program and file sets therein after processing the dependency objects and determining that the dependent components are installed in the computer; indicating in a data structure the installed program; processing the dependency objects to determine the dependent components from which the installed program depends; and indicating in the data structure the dependent components determined from the dependency objects for the installed program.

Claim 7

The method of claim 5 , further comprising: processing a command to remove the installed program from the computer; processing the data structure to determine whether the installed program to remove is indicated as a dependent component; determining from the data structure depending programs that depend upon the dependent components to operate in at least one respect; and indicating that the installed program cannot be removed until the determined depending programs are removed.

Claim 8

The method of claim 6 , further comprising continuing with the removal of the installed program after determining that the installed program is not a dependent component for another installed program.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 , wherein the dependency object further includes an operating system field indicating the operating system on which the program will be installed, wherein the determined operating system command depends upon the operating system indicated in the operating system field, and wherein executing the operating system command further comprises passing data from the dependency object to the operating system command as parameters, dependent on the type of operating system indicated in the operating system field.

Claim 12

The system of claim 9 , wherein the dependency object is capable of including an install script to install the dependent component onto the computer, wherein the program logic further comprises: means for determining whether the dependency object that includes the dependent component that is not installed in the computer includes install script; and means for enabling the install script after determining that the dependency object includes install script, wherein a user may select to execute the enabled install script to install the dependent component.

Claim 13

The system of claim 10 , wherein the dependency object is further capable of including a universal resource locator (URL), wherein the program logic further comprises: means for accessing a file at the URL when executing the install script; and means for installing the file from the URL on the computer.

Claim 14

The system of claim 10 , wherein the dependency object is further capable of including install information, wherein the program logic further comprises: means for determining whether install script is included in the dependency component, wherein the enabling of the install script occurs after determining that the install script is included in the dependency component; and means for processing the install information to present the install information to a user after determining that the dependency component does not include install script.

Claim 15

The system of claim 9 , wherein the memory device includes a plurality of dependency objects that are provided for indicating a plurality of dependent components on which the program to install depends, wherein the program logic further comprises: means for installing the program after processing the dependency objects and determining that the dependent components are installed in the computer; means for indicating in a data structure stored in the memory device the installed program; means for processing the dependency objects to determine the dependent components from which the installed program depends; and means for indicating in the data structure the dependent components determined from the dependency objects for the installed program.

Claim 16

The system of claim 13 , wherein the program logic further comprises: means for processing a command to remove the installed program from the computer; means for processing the data structure to determine whether the installed program to remove is indicated as a dependent component; means for determining from the data structure depending programs that depend upon the dependent components to operate in at least one respect; and means for indicating to a user that the installed program cannot be removed until the determined depending programs are removed.

Claim 17

The system of claim 14 , wherein the program logic further comprises means for removing the installed program after determining that the installed program is not a dependent component for another installed program.

Claim 18

The system of claim 9 , wherein the dependency object further includes an operating system field indicating the operating system on which the program will be installed, wherein the determined operating system command depends upon the operating system indicated in the operating system field, and wherein the program logic further includes means for passing data from the dependency object to the operating system command as parameters, dependent upon the type of operating system indicated in the operating system field.

Claim 19

An article of manufacture for use in programming a computer system to install a program, the article of manufacture comprising computer useable media accessible to the computer system, wherein the computer usable media includes at least one computer program that is capable of causing the computer system to perform: providing a dependency object indicating a dependent component on which the program to install depends; processing the dependency object before installing the program; determining an operating system in which the program is being installed; determining an operating system command from a plurality of operating system commands for different operating systems that is capable of executing in the determined operating system; executing the operating system command to determine whether the dependent component indicated in the dependency object is installed in the computer; and indicating that the dependent component is not installed after determining that the dependent component is not installed.

Claim 20

An article of manufacture for use in programming a computer system to install a program, the article of manufacture comprising computer useable media accessible to the computer system, wherein the computer usable media includes at least one computer program that is capable of causing the computer system to perform: providing a dependency object indicating a dependent component on which the program to install depends; processing the dependency object before installing the program; determining an operating system in which the program is being installed; determining an operating system command from a plurality of operating system commands for different operating systems that is capable of executing in the determined operating system; executing the operating system command to determine whether the dependent component indicated in the dependency object is installed in the computer; and indicating that the dependent component is not installed after determining that the dependent component is not installed.

Claim 21

The article of manufacture of claim 17 , wherein the dependency object is capable of including an install script to install the dependent component onto the computer, further capable of causing the computer system to perform: determining whether the dependency object that includes the dependent component that is not installed in the computer includes install script; and enabling the install script after determining that the dependency object includes install script, wherein a user may select to execute the enabled install script to install the dependent component.

Claim 22

The article of manufacture of claim 18 , wherein the dependency object is further capable of including a universal resource locator (URL), further capable of causing the computer system to perform: accessing a file at the URL when executing the install script; and installing the file from the URL on the computer.

Claim 23

The article of manufacture of claim 18 , wherein the dependency object is further capable of including install information, further capable of causing the computer system to perform: determining whether install script is included in the dependency object, wherein the enabling of the install script occurs after determining that the install script is included in the dependency object; and processing the install information to present the install information to a user after determining that the dependency object does not include install script.

Claim 24

The article of manufacture of claim 17 , wherein a plurality of dependency objects are provided for indicating a plurality of dependent components on which the program to install depends, further capable of causing the computer system to perform: installing the program and file sets therein after processing the dependency object and determining that the dependent component is installed in the computer; indicating in a data structure the installed program; processing the dependency object to determine the dependent component from which the installed program depends; and indicating in the data structure the dependent component determined from the dependency objects for the installed program.

Claim 25

The article of manufacture of claim 21 , further capable of causing the computer system to perform: processing a command to remove the installed program from the computer; processing the data structure to determine whether the installed program to remove is indicated as a dependent component; determining from the data structure depending programs that depend upon the dependent components to operate in at least one respect; and indicating that the installed program cannot be removed until the determined depending programs are removed.

Claim 26

The article of manufacture of claim 22 , further capable of causing the computer system to perform continuing with the removal of the installed program after determining that the installed program is not a dependent component for another installed program.

Claim 27

The article of manufacture of claim 17 , wherein the dependency object further includes an operating system field indicating the operating system on which the program will be installed, wherein the determined operating system command depends upon the operating system indicated in the operating system field, and wherein executing the operating system command further comprises passing data from the dependency object to the operating system command as parameters, dependent on the type of operating system indicated in the operating system field.

Claim 28

A memory within a computer system for storing data for access by an installation program for installing a program onto the computer system, comprising: a dependency object stored in the memory indicating a dependent component on which the program to install depends, wherein the dependency object is processed before installing the program; and a plurality of operating system commands for different operating systems, wherein one of the operating system commands that is capable of executing in the operating system in which the program is being installed is executed to determine whether the dependent component indicated in the dependency object is installed in the computer, and wherein an indication is made that the dependent component is not installed after determining that the dependent component is not installed.

Claim 29

A memory within a computer system for storing data for access by an installation program for installing a program onto the computer system, comprising: a dependency object stored in the memory indicating a dependent component on which the program to install depends, wherein the dependency object is processed before installing the program; and a plurality of operating system commands for different operating systems, wherein one of the operating system commands that is capable of executing in the operating system in which the program is being installed is executed to determine whether the dependent component indicated in the dependency object is installed in the computer, and wherein an indication is made that the dependent component is not installed after determining that the dependent component is not installed.

Claim 30

The memory of claim 25 , wherein the dependency object further includes an install script to install the dependent component onto the computer, wherein the install script is enabled after determining that the dependency object for the dependent component is not installed on the computer, wherein a user may select to execute the enabled install script to install the dependent component.

Claim 31

The memory of claim 26 , wherein the dependency object further includes a universal resource locator (URL), wherein a file at the URL is accessed and installed on the computer when executing the install script.

Claim 32

The memory of claim 26 , wherein the dependency object is further capable of including install information, wherein the install script is enabled after determining that the install script is included in the dependency object and wherein the install information is presented to a user after determining that the dependency object does not include install script.

Claim 33

The memory of claim 25 , wherein the memory further includes a plurality of dependency objects that are provided for indicating a plurality of dependent components on which the program to install depends, wherein the memory further includes a data structure indicating installed components and dependent components on which the installed components depend, wherein after installing the program and determining that the dependent components are installed in the computer, the data structure is updated to indicate the installed program, wherein the dependency objects are processed to determine the dependent components from which the installed program depends, and wherein an indication is made in the data structure of the dependent components determined from the dependency objects for the installed program.

Claim 34

The memory of claim 29 , wherein the data structure indicates in a hierarchical relationship installed programs and at a lower hierarchical relationship to the installed program dependent components for the installed program.

Claim 35

The memory of claim 25 , wherein the dependency object further includes an operating system field indicating the operating system on which the program will be installed, wherein an operating system command depends upon the operating system indicated in the operating system field, and wherein executing the operating system command further comprises passing data from the dependency object to the operating system command as parameters, dependent on the type of operating system indicated in the operating system field.