Type system

• US 20050235250A1
• Filed: 04/14/2004
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rajagopal, Ramesh, Tseng, Patrick Shyhuei
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management

Abstract

A data structure and application programming interface for creating and manipulating object model artifacts within a meta-model is provided. The data structure may include higher level abstractions of the type system to provide a set of services to implement software design tools and editors.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure for a type system, the data structure providing requested services on an artifact in the type system, the data structure comprising:

a) a base class for capturing common functionality of objects of the type system; and

b) at least one controller object, the controller object in communication with the base class, the at least one controller object validating the requested services based on a set of rules associated with a programming language.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the artifact comprises one of a namespace, a class, an interface, an enumeration, a delegate, an attribute, a field, a property, and an event.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the programming language comprises one of Visual Basic, C++, C#, and J#.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the base class determines the at least one controller object to communicate with in order to validate the requested services.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data structure further comprises:

c) a first class providing a level of abstraction between a second class and a third class, the second class and the third class searchable by the first class.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the second class and the third class comprise nested classes.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the second class and the third class include nested namespaces.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data structure further comprises:

d) a container for storing types in the type system.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the requested services comprise modifying the artifact in the type system.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the requested services comprise creating a new artifact in the type system.

11. A method of modifying an artifact for use in a type system meta-model, the method comprising:

a) receiving a request from an application programming interface to modify an artifact in the type system meta-model;

b) in response to a) issuing at least one instruction to a language specific controller object, the language specific controller object validating the request based on rules associated with a programming language; and

c) in response to a validated request from the language specific controller, modifying the artifact.

12. The method of modifying an artifact for use in a type system meta-model of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

d) transmitting a response to the application programming interface that the artifact has been modified.

13. The method of modifying an artifact for use in a type system meta-model of claim 11, wherein the artifact comprises one of a namespace, a class, an interface, an enumeration, a delegate, an attribute, a field, a property, and an event.

14. The method of modifying an artifact for use in a type system meta-model of claim 11, wherein the programming language comprises one of Visual Basic, C++, C#, and J#.

15. A method of creating an artifact for use in a type system meta-model, the method comprising:

a) receiving a request from an application programming interface to create an artifact in the type system meta-model;

b) in response to a) issuing at least one instruction to a language specific controller object, the language specific controller object validating the request based on rules associated with a programming language; and

c) in response to a validated request from the language specific controller, creating the artifact.

16. The method of creating an artifact for use in a type system meta-model of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

d) transmitting a response to the application programming interface that the artifact has been created.

17. The method of creating an artifact for use in a type system meta-model of claim 15, wherein the artifact comprises one of a namespace, a class, an interface, an enumeration, a delegate, an attribute, a field, a property, and an event.

18. The method of creating an artifact for use in a type system meta-model of claim 15, wherein the programming language comprises one of Visual Basic, C++, C#, and J#.