Initiation of a program module corresponding to multiple versions

• US 20060218541A1
• Filed: 03/23/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Saito, Masanori
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/146
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44536 Selecting among different versions

Abstract

There has been expected to improve the management of version compatibility among multiple program modules that cooperatively implement a specified function. There is provided a method for a program module to perform a process instructed from an application program. To do this, the method acquires an execution instruction for a specified process from the application program. The method selects a program module for performing the process instructed for execution from a plurality of versions of program modules for performing the specified process. The method allows the selected program module to perform the specified process.

Claims

1. An intermediate processing method for a program module to perform a process instructed from an application program, comprising the steps of:

acquiring an execution instruction for a specified process from the application program;

selecting a program module for performing the process instructed for execution from a plurality of versions of program modules for performing the specified process; and

executing the selected program module to perform the specified process.

2. The intermediate processing method according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of versions of program modules include at least two versions, i.e., a given version of program module and an older version of program module, and any of or a combination of these versions is executable.

3. The intermediate processing method according to claim 1,

wherein the process issues a given inquiry about a computer peripheral device and returns a response to this inquiry.

4. The intermediate processing method according to claim 1,

wherein the program module issues an inquiry to a control program for a computer peripheral device, acquires a response from this control program, and returns a response to the application program.

5. The intermediate processing method according to claim 1,

wherein the execution instruction acquisition unit accepts specification for a computer peripheral device and the execution instruction;

and

wherein the module selection unit selects a program module associated with a specified peripheral device.

6. An intermediate processing apparatus which allows a program module to perform a process instructed from an application program, comprising:

an execution instruction acquisition unit to acquire an execution instruction for a specified process from the application program;

a module selection unit to select a program module for performing the process instructed for execution from a plurality of versions of program modules for performing the specified process; and

an execution control unit to allow the selected program module to perform the specified process.

7. An intermediate processing program product which allows a program module to perform processes instructed from an application program and allows a computer to implement:

an execution instruction acquisition program code to acquire an execution instruction for a specified process from the application program;

a module selection program code to select a program module for performing the process instructed for execution from a plurality of versions of program modules for performing the specified process; and

an execution control program code to allow the selected program module to perform the specified process.