Asynchronous load of source dependencies

• US 20080307394A1
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Marchant, Benoit
• Granted Patent: US 8,079,025 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/120
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading

Abstract

Asynchronous loading of source dependencies is disclosed. An indication is received in the course of executing a script that a source file on which a current class or function depends is not available. Execution of remaining portions of the script, if any, that do not depend on the source file, continues, or other processing tasks are performed if no such portions remain, while the source file is loaded asynchronously.

Claims

1. A method of loading source files, comprising:

receiving, in the course of executing a script, an indication that a source file on which a current class or function depends is not available; and

continuing execution of remaining portions of the script, if any, that do not depend on the source file, or continuing on to other processing tasks if no such portions remain, while the source file is loaded asynchronously.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the indication that the source file is not available comprises an indication that the source file is not available at a client.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the source file is loaded from a server.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the source file comprises a super-class or function of the current class or function.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the source file comprises a first source file and further comprising receiving, in the course of loading the first source file, an indication that the first source file depends on a second source file that is not available.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the indication that the source file is not available comprises an indication that the source file has not been retrieved from a server.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the indication that the source file is not available comprises an indication that the source file has been retrieved from a server but has not been initialized.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication that the source file has been loaded.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the indication that the source file has been loaded comprises a callback.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the callback is triggered by a load event.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the callback is sent by an import function configured to retrieve the source file.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising registering for the callback.

13. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the callback is to a method of an object or function configured to generate programmatically a definition for the current class or function.

14. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising executing a portion of the script that depends on the source file.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the portion of the script that depends on the source file comprises a method that includes programmatically in a definition of the current class or function the methods and variables of a super-class with which the source file is associated.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the script comprises a function configured to generate programmatically a definition of the current class or function.

17. A client computer system, comprising:

a communication interface; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface and configured to;

receive, in the course of executing a script, an indication that a source file on which a current class or function depends is not available; and

continue execution of remaining portions of the script, if any, that do not depend on the source file, or continuing on to other processing tasks if no such portions remain, while the source file is loaded asynchronously from a server via the communication interface.

18. A system as recited in claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to request the source file from the server.

19. A system as recited in claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to execute the script in the context of a browser software running on the client computer system.

20. A computer program product for loading source files, the computer program product being embodied on a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving, in the course of executing a script, an indication that a source file on which a current class or function depends is not available; and

continuing execution of remaining portions of the script, if any, that do not depend on the source file, or continuing on to other processing tasks if no such portions remain, while the source file is loaded asynchronously.