Runtime polymorphism

• US 20040216132A1
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Snover, Jeffrey P., Rowlett, Jonathan M., Travison, Daniel T. Jr., Messec, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,861,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/315
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/449 Object-oriented method invocation or resolution

Abstract

Runtime polymorphism may be enabled with metadata that is usable for casting objects to casted objects. In an exemplary media implementation, processor-executable instructions cause operations including: discover at least one type of an object while in a runtime environment; and create a casted object from the object by casting the object to the casted object using metadata. An exemplary computing device implementation includes: one or more processors; and one or more media in operative communication therewith, the one or more media including: an object of a first type; metadata that is capable of being used to cast unknown objects in a runtime environment; and processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform an action including: casting the object of the first type to a casted object of a second type using the metadata in the runtime environment, the first type differing from the second type.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more media in operative communication with the one or more processors, the one or more media including;

an object of a first type;

metadata that is capable of being used to cast unknown objects in a runtime environment; and

processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform an action comprising;

casting the object of the first type to a casted object of a second type using the metadata in the runtime environment, the first type differing from the second type.

2. The computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata describes the casting of objects of arbitrary types to objects of the second type.

3. The computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more media further include the casted object of the second type.

4. The computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform further actions comprising:

entering the runtime environment; and

discovering the first type of the object after entering the runtime environment.

5. The computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata comprises a runtime casting description having a plurality of mapping descriptions.

6. One or more processor-accessible media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing device to execute operations comprising:

discover at least one type of an object while in a runtime environment; and

create a casted object from the object by casting the object to the casted object using metadata.

7. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 6, comprising the processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the computing device to execute a further operation comprising:

enter the runtime environment prior to execution of the discover operation.

8. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 6, wherein the create operation further comprises an operation to:

create the casted object having a first type by casting from the object of the at least one type, the at least one type being of a second type, and the first type differing from the second type.

9. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 6, wherein the create operation further comprises an operation to:

interpret the metadata in the runtime environment.

10. One or more processor-accessible media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing device to perform actions comprising:

retrieving at least one mapping description from a runtime casting description, the at least one mapping description defining a feature-level mapping to create a casted object; and

implementing a feature casting operation in accordance with the at least one mapping description.

11. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 10, wherein the action of implementing comprises:

implementing the feature casting operation in a runtime environment.

12. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 10, wherein the action of implementing comprises:

mapping a casted feature for the casted object in accordance with the at least one mapping description.

13. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 12, wherein the casted feature comprises a property and the action of mapping comprises:

mapping the property as a newly declared feature of the casted object.

14. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 12, wherein the casted feature comprises a method and the action of mapping comprises:

mapping the method as a newly declared feature of the casted object.

15. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 10, wherein the action of implementing comprises:

filtering at least one feature of an object in accordance with the at least one mapping description.

16. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 15, wherein the at least one feature comprises a property and the action of filtering comprises:

filtering the property of the object such that the property is not cast to the casted object.

17. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 15, wherein the at least one feature comprises a method and the action of filtering comprises:

filtering the method of the object such that the method is not cast to the casted object.

18. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 10, wherein the action of implementing comprises:

mapping at least one predetermined feature of an object in accordance with the at least one mapping description.

19. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 18, wherein the action of mapping comprises:

reflecting a property of the object to a casted property of the casted object.

20. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 18, wherein the action of mapping comprises:

transforming a property of the object to a casted property of the casted object.

21. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 18, wherein the action of mapping comprises:

renaming a property of the object to a casted property of the casted object.

22. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 18, wherein the action of mapping comprises:

mapping a casted property to the casted object as a function of at least one property of the object.

23. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 18, wherein the action of mapping comprises:

reflecting a method of the object to a casted method of the casted object.

24. A computing device comprising:

an object having a plurality of features;

a casted object having a plurality of casted features; and

a runtime casting description having a plurality of mapping descriptions, each mapping description of at least a portion of the plurality of mapping descriptions adapted to define a mapping of one or more features of the plurality of features of the object to at least one casted feature of the plurality of casted features of the casted object.

25. The computing device as recited in claim 24, wherein the at least a portion of the plurality of mapping descriptions includes at least one of a property reflection mapping, a transformation mapping, a renaming mapping, a function mapping, and a method reflection mapping.

26. The computing device as recited in claim 24, wherein each mapping description of another portion of the plurality of mapping descriptions is adapted to define a filter mapping of one or more features of the plurality of features of the object such that the one or more features are not cast to the casted object.

27. The computing device as recited in claim 24, wherein each mapping description of another portion of the plurality of mapping descriptions is adapted to define a declaration mapping for at least one casted feature of the plurality of casted features of the casted object.

28. The computing device as recited in claim 24, wherein at least one mapping description of the plurality of mapping descriptions includes one or more default parameters to accommodate an absence of an expected predetermined feature from among the plurality of features of the object.

29. The computing device as recited in claim 28, wherein the at least one mapping description that includes the one or more default parameters is adapted to define a mapping using the one or more default parameters to create at least one casted feature of the plurality of casted features of the casted object.

30. One or more processor-accessible media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing device to perform actions comprising:

retrieving a mapping description for a predetermined feature from a runtime casting description;

ascertaining whether the predetermined feature is present in an object to be cast; and

if not, determining one or more default parameters that are related to the predetermined feature from the runtime casting description.

31. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 30, wherein the action of determining comprises:

determining the one or more default parameters that are related to the predetermined feature from the mapping description of the runtime casting description.

32. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 30, comprising the processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the computing device to perform a further action comprising:

using the one or more default parameters to create a casted feature in a casted object.

33. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 30, comprising the processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the computing device to perform a further action comprising:

if the predetermined feature is ascertained to be present in the object to be cast in the action of ascertaining, casting the predetermined feature of the object to a casted feature of a casted object in accordance with the mapping description of the runtime casting description.

34. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 30, comprising the processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the computing device to perform a further action comprising:

entering a runtime environment prior to the action of retrieving.

35. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more media in operative communication with the one or more processors, the one or more media including;

a first object of a first type;

a second object of a second type; and

metadata defining a casting process that is capable of polymorphing the first object of the first type to a first casted object of a third type and the second object of the second type to a second casted object of the third type.

36. The computing device as recited in claim 35, wherein the metadata comprises a runtime casting description including a plurality of mapping descriptions defining a plurality of individual feature casting operations that may be implemented in a runtime environment.

37. The computing device as recited in claim 35, wherein the one or more media further include the first casted object of the third type and the second casted object of the third type.

38. The computing device as recited in claim 35, wherein the one or more media further include an application that is associated with the first object and the second object;

and wherein the application includes processor-executable instructions that are adapted to interpret the metadata and to perform polymorphing operations based on the defined casting process.

39. The computing device as recited in claim 35, wherein the one or more media further include (i) a first application that is associated with the first object and the second object and (ii) a second application that includes processor-executable instructions that are adapted to interpret the metadata and to perform polymorphing operations based on the defined casting process.

40. The computing device as recited in claim 39, wherein the second application comprises a service library.

41. The computing device as recited in claim 39, wherein the second application is adapted to perform the polymorphing of (i) the first object of the first type to the first casted object of the third type and (ii) the second object of the second type to the second casted object of the third type.

42. The computing device as recited in claim 39, wherein the first application is adapted to request that the second application perform the polymorphing of (i) the first object of the first type to the first casted object of the third type and (ii) the second object of the second type to the second casted object of the third type.

43. One or more processor-accessible media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing device to perform actions comprising:

casting a first object of a first type to a first casted object of a third type using a runtime casting description; and

casting a second object of a second type to a second casted object of the third type using the runtime casting description.

44. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 43, wherein:

the action of casting a first object comprises the action of establishing bindings between the first object and the first casted object; and

the action of casting a second object comprises the action of establishing bindings between the second object and the second casted object;

wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, direct the computing device to perform a further action comprising;

maintaining the bindings established by the casting actions.

45. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 44, wherein at least a portion of the processor-executable instructions comprise at least part of a reusable service library component.

46. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 43, wherein the first object is derived from a first base object and the second object is derived from a second base object, the first base object and the second base object of different class types.

47. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 43, wherein the actions of casting a first object and casting a second object are performed by an application.

48. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 47, wherein the application comprises at least part of a service library.

49. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 47, comprising the processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the computing device to perform a further action comprising:

providing, by another application, the first object and the second object to the application.

50. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 47, comprising the processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the computing device to perform a further action comprising:

calling, by another application, the application to precipitate performance of the casting actions.

51. One or more processor-accessible media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing device to perform actions comprising:

casting a first object of a first type to a first casted object of a third type using a runtime casting description;

casting a second object of a second type to a second casted object of the third type using the runtime casting description; and

applying one or more algorithms to the first casted object and to the second casted object.

52. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 51, wherein the action of applying further comprises:

detecting a change in the second casted object; and

propagating the change to the first casted object.

53. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 52, comprising the processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the computing device to perform a further action comprising:

modifying the first object responsive to the change propagated to the first casted object in the propagating action.

54. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 53, comprising the processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the computing device to perform further actions comprising:

accepting a change in the second object; and

propagating the change in the second object to the second casted object as the change detected in the second casted object in the action of detecting.

55. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 54, wherein the processor-executable instructions include:

a first casting object that performs the actions of;

casting a first object; and

modifying the first object;

a second casting object that performs the actions of;

casting a second object;

accepting a change; and

propagating the change in the second object;

algorithmic coding that performs the action of;

applying one or more algorithms;

detecting a change; and

propagating the change to the first casted object.

56. A computing device comprising:

metadata that is capable of being interpreted to cast objects to casted objects;

a first object;

a second object;

a first casted object created from the first object using the metadata;

a second casted object created from the second object using the metadata; and

algorithmic code that is adapted to manage the first object and the second object via the first casted object and the second casted object.

57. The computing device as recited in claim 56, wherein the first object and the first casted object together comprise a programmatic object representation.

58. The computing device as recited in claim 57, wherein the programmatic object representation comprises an enhanced casting object.

59. The computing device as recited in claim 56, wherein the metadata comprises a runtime casting description that defines polymorphism with feature-level mappings.

60. The computing device as recited in claim 56, wherein the algorithmic code comprises one or more rules that are run against the first casted object and against the second casted object to detect changes in one casted object and to propagate the detected changes to the other casted object.

61. The computing device as recited in claim 56, wherein the first object comprises an application object, the second object comprises a view object, and the algorithmic code comprises one or more rules that, at least partially, maintain consistency between the application object and the view object.

62. An arrangement for runtime polypmorphism, the arrangement comprising:

retrieval means for retrieving at least one mapping description from a runtime casting description, the at least one mapping description defining a feature-level mapping for creation of a casted object; and

implementation means for implementing a feature casting operation in accordance with the at least one mapping description.

63. The arrangement as recited in claim 62, wherein the implementation means comprises:

declaration means for mapping a casted feature to the casted object in accordance with the at least one mapping description.

64. The arrangement as recited in claim 62, wherein the implementation means comprises:

filtering means for filtering at least one feature of an object in accordance with the at least one mapping description.

65. The arrangement as recited in claim 62, wherein the implementation means comprises:

feature casting means for mapping one or more predetermined features of an object to at least one casted feature for the casted object in accordance with the at least one mapping description.

66. The arrangement as recited in claim 62, wherein the arrangement comprises a computing device.

67. The arrangement as recited in claim 62, wherein the arrangement comprises one or more processor-accessible media.

68. An arrangement for runtime polypmorphism, the arrangement comprising:

declaration means for mapping a casted feature to a casted object in accordance with at least one first mapping description; and

feature casting means for mapping at least one predetermined feature of an object to the casted object in accordance with at least one second mapping description.

69. The arrangement as recited in claim 68, wherein the arrangement further comprises:

filtering means for filtering at least one feature of the.

70. The arrangement as recited in claim 69, wherein the filtering means comprises at least one of:

property filtering means for filtering at least one property of the object in accordance with at least one third mapping description; and

method filtering means for filtering at least one method of the object in accordance with the at least one third mapping description.

71. The arrangement as recited in claim 68, wherein the declaration means comprises at least one of:

property declaration means for declaring a casted property for the casted object in accordance with the at least one first mapping description; and

method declaration means for declaring a casted method for the casted object in accordance with the at least one first mapping description.

72. The arrangement as recited in claim 68, wherein the feature casting means comprises at least one of:

reflection means for reflecting at least one predetermined property of the object into the casted object in accordance with the at least one second mapping description;

reflection means for reflecting at least one predetermined method of the object into the casted object in accordance with the at least one second mapping description;

transformation means for transforming at least one predetermined property of the object for the casted object in accordance with the at least one second mapping description;

renaming means for renaming at least one predetermined property of the object for the casted object in accordance with the at least one second mapping description; and

function means for mapping at least one predetermined property of the object into the casted object in accordance with a function defined in the at least one second mapping description.

73. The arrangement as recited in claim 68, wherein the arrangement comprises a computing device.

74. The arrangement as recited in claim 68, wherein the arrangement comprises a runtime casting description means for defining a casting operation of an object to a casted object at a feature-level.

75. The arrangement as recited in claim 68, wherein the arrangement comprises one or more processor-accessible media.

76. One or more processor-accessible media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing device to perform actions comprising:

casting a first feature of a first object to a first casted feature of a casted object; and

casting a second feature of a second object to a second casted feature of the casted object.

77. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 76, wherein the action of:

casting a first feature comprises casting the first feature of the first object to the first casted feature of the casted object using a runtime casting description; and

casting a second feature comprises casting the second feature of the second object to the second casted feature of the casted object using the runtime casting description.

78. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 76, wherein the action of:

casting a first feature comprises casting the first feature of the first object to the first casted feature of the casted object using a first mapping description; and

casting a second feature comprises casting the second feature of the second object to the second casted feature of the casted object using a second mapping description.

79. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 76, comprising the processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the computing device to perform further actions comprising:

maintaining at least one first runtime binding between the first feature of the first object and the first casted feature of the casted object; and

maintaining at least one second runtime binding between the second feature of the second object and the second casted feature of the casted object.

80. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 76, comprising the processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the computing device to perform a further action comprising:

casting a third feature of the second object to the second casted feature of the casted object.

81. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 76, comprising the processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the computing device to perform a further action comprising:

casting a third feature of a third object to the second casted feature of the casted object.

82. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 81, wherein the action of:

casting a second feature comprises casting the second feature of the second object to the second casted feature of the casted object using a function mapping description; and

casting a third feature comprises casting the third feature of the third object to the second casted feature of the casted object using the function mapping description.

83. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more media in operative communication with the one or more processors, the one or more media including;

a first object having a first feature;

a second object having a second feature;

a first mapping description defining a first feature casting operation for creating a first casted feature for a casted object from the first feature of the first object; and

a second mapping description defining a second feature casting operation for creating a second casted feature for the casted object from the second feature of the second object.

84. The computing device as recited in claim 83, wherein the computing device is adapted to maintain runtime bindings (i) for the first feature casting operation between the first feature of the first object and the first casted feature of the casted object and (ii) for the second feature casting operation between the second feature of the second object and the second casted feature of the casted object.

85. The computing device as recited in claim 83, wherein the one or more media further include:

a third object having a third feature;

wherein the second mapping description defining the second feature casting operation is further for creating the second casted feature for the casted object from the third feature of the third object.

86. The computing device as recited in claim 83, wherein the one or more media further include:

a third object having a third feature;

a third mapping description defining a third feature casting operation for creating a third casted feature for the casted object from the third feature of the third object; and

the casted object.