Data processing system and method for the direct and indirect execution of uniformly structured object types

• US 4,868,745 A
• Filed: 05/30/1986
• Issued: 09/19/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Grodd, Laurence, Patton, Charles M., Wickes, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Clark, David L.
• Application Number:
  US06/868,978
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File
• US Class Current: 711/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45508 Runtime interpretation or emulation, e g. emulator loops, bytecode interpretation

Abstract

In a data processing system, uniformly structured objects are indifferently mixed in object memory with object pointers. The objects address prologues of object execution sequences in memory. The object pointers address other objects. The objects are properly evaluated whether directly or indirectly addressed. An interpreter pointer selectively points to or addresses objects or object pointers.

When an object is directly addressed by the interpreter pointer, the addressee of the object'"'"'s addressee in memory is addressed which initiates the object execution sequence.

When an object is indirectly addressed, the pointer addresses an object pointer. The object pointer addresses an object. The object'"'"'s addressee in memory is addressed which initiates the object execution process.

Claims

1. In the data processing system, means for initiating an object execution sequence comprising:

a. an object memory;

b. an object execution memory having locations therein containing prologues of object initialization sequences and execution sequences;

c. objects in said object memory, each object comprising a body of data and location adress data which is the address of a first location in said object execution memory where an object initialization sequence is recorded, each said first location also comprising memory address data which is the address of another location in said object execution memory where an object execution sequence is recorded;

d. object pointers indifferently mixed with said objects in said memory, each object pointer comprising object address data which is the address of one object in said object memory, each object pointer accessing said one object in object memory when said each object pointer is accessed;

e. addressing means for selectively accessing one object or one object pointer in said object memory; and

f. means responsive to said location address data of an accessed object, for accessing said first location to initiate said object initialization sequence and thereafter responsive to said memory address data to access said another location to initiate said object execution sequence.

2. In a data processing system, means for accessing locations in an object execution memory comprising:

a. an object memory;

b. an object execution memory;

c. objects and object pointers in said object memory, each object having a location address which is the address of a location of object execution sequences is said object execution memory, and, each object pointer having an object address;

d. addressing means for selectively accessing one object or one object pointer; and

e. means for accessing the object execution sequences in object execution memory at the location address of that one object accessed directly by said addressing means or indirectly by said one object pointer.

3. In data processing system having stored objects, means for indirectly selecting and processing a stored object, comprising:

a. a memory;

b. objects and object pointers in said memory;

c. each object including a body comprising data for processing and a prologue address;

d. prologue locations in said memory, each prologue location in memory having recorded thereat object execution instructions;

e. each object pointer having an object address which is the address for one object;

f. means for accessing one object pointer;

g. means responsive to accessing of said one object pointer for accessing the one object having the object address of said one object pointer; and

h. means responsive to accessing of said one object for accessing the prologue location in memory which is addressed by the prologue address of said one object, for processing the data in the body of said one object.

4. A data processing system, comprising:

a. an object memory area for storing objects, each object comprising a prologue address and a body of data for processing;

b. a code memory area for storing prologues of processing data for the data of each of said objects of said object memory area, said prologues of processing data including initialization sequences and processing sequences;

c. each prologue address being an address for a prologue of processing data in said code memory area;

d. means including an interpreter pointer for accessing memory locations in said object memory area for selecting one object for processing;

e. means including a current object pointer for first accessing a prologue of processing data in said code memory area addressed by the prologue address of said one object and second for accessing the body of data of said one object; and

f. means including a counter for first selecting initialization sequence data from the prologue of processing data which is accessed by said means including a current object pointer and second for selecting processing sequence data from the accessed prologue of processing data for controlling the processing of the data of said one object accessed by said means including a current object pointer.

5. The data processing system according to claim 4, comprising:

a. at least one object pointer in said object memory area comprising a recorded object address which is the address of a selected object;

b. said means including an interpreter pointer also accessing said object pointer;

c. said means including a current object pointer being responsive to said recorded object address from said object pointer when said object pointer is addressed by said interpreter pointer, for first accessing said object address of said selected object and second for accessing the body of data of said selected object.

6. In a data processing system having an object memory, objects and object pointers in said object memory, and a code memory having object execution instructions, a method of processing data in said objects, comprising:

a. selecting an object pointer to address an object;

b. employing data in said object to access object execution instructions in said code memory area for initializing object execution; and

c. thereafter accessing different object execution instructions in said code memory area for processing data in said object which is accessed.

7. In a data processing system having an object memory, objects in said object memory, and a code memory having object execution instructions, a method of processing data in said objects, comprising:

a. providing each object with a code memory address;

b. selecting an object for execution;

c. providing object redirection instructions in a first location in code memory;

d. providing data processing execution instructions at a second location in code memory;

e. utilizing said code memory address to access said first location; and

f. thereafter accessing said second location.

8. In a dat processing system having an object memory, objects in said object memory, and a code memory having object execution instructions, a method of processing data in said objects, comprising:

a. providing each object with a code memory address;

b. selecting an object for execution;

c. providing an object execution initialization sequence at a first location in code memory;

d. providing data processing execution instructions at a second location in code memory;

e. utilizing said code memory address in said object which is addressed to access said first location; and

f. thereafter accessing said second location.

9. In the data processor, means for directly or indirectly addressing and accessing objects for object execution, comprising:

a. memory means;

b. individual prologues of object execution in said memory means;

c. objects in said memory means, each object comprising a prologue address and a body of data for execution, each prologue address being an address for a prologue of object execution in said memory means;

d. object pointers in said memory means, each object pointer being differently structured than said objects, each object pointer comprising an object address which in the address of an object;

e. addressing means for selectively accessing an object or an object pointer; and

f. means responsive to accessing of an object which is directly accessed by said addressing means or which is indirectly accessed by said object pointer for accessing a prologue of object execution in said memory means, which is addressed by the prologue address of the object which is accessed.

10. In a data processor, means for directly or indirectly accessing objects for object execution, comprising:

a. an object memory;

b. an object execution memory comprising prologues of object executions;

c. objects in said object memory, each object comprising a prologue address and a body which is data for execution, each prologue address being an address for a prologue of object execution in said object execution memory;

d. object pointers in said object memory, each object pointer being differently structured than said objects, each object pointer comprising an object address which is the address of a prologue address of another object;

e. addressing means for selectively accessing a prologue address of an object or an object address of an object pointer;

f. means responsive to the direct accessing of a prologue address of an object by said addressing means for accessing a prologue of object execution in said object execution memory;

g. means responsive to the indirect accessing of a prologue address of an object by said addressing means via an object pointer for accessing a prologue of object execution in said object execution memory.