Multitasking computer system for integrating the operation of different application programs which manipulate data objects of different types

• US 5,421,012 A
• Filed: 05/20/1993
• Issued: 05/30/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Wang Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Surppenant, Carolyn E., Soucie, Marc S., Pham, Ly-Huong T., Stern, Laura O., Khoyi, Dana
• Primary Examiner(s): Lall, Parshotam S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELLIS, RICHARD L
• Application Number:
  US08/066,688
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 395/650, 395/800
• US Class Current: 718/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/76 Adapting program code to run in a different environment; Porting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

An object based data processing system including an extensible set of object types and a corresponding set of "object managers" wherein each object manager is a program for operating with the data stored in a corresponding type of object. The object managers in general support at least a standard set of operations. Any program can effect performance of these standard operations on objects of any type by making an "invocation" request. In response to an invocation request, object management services (which are available to all object managers) identifies and invokes an object manager that is suitable for performing the requested operation on the specified type of data. A mechanism is provided for linking data from one object into another object. A object catalog includes both information about objects and about links between objects. Data interchange services are provided for communicating data between objects of different types, using a set of standard data interchange formats. A matchmaker facility permits two processes that are to cooperate in a data interchange operation identify each other and to identify data formats they have in common. A facility is provided for managing shared data "resources". Customized versions of resources can be created and co-exist with standard resources. A resource retrieval function determines whether a customized or a standard resource is to be returned in response to each request for a resource.

Claims

1. A method of operating a digital computing system to perform desired data processing operations, said computing system including a programmable processor, a main memory for storing active programs and data, a mass storage memory for storing inactive programs and data, and a display device for visually displaying images in response to processing operations, the method comprising, in combination, the steps of:

storing in the mass storage memory a plurality of application programs, each of the application programs being executable independently of each other by said processor, and any given one of the application programs including means for performing one or more generic operations specified by standard requests on corresponding typed data objects stored in the mass storage memory each of said corresponding typed data objects having an associated type classification which indicates an internal structure and interpretation of the data contained in said corresponding typed data objects defined by said given application program,

storing in said mass storage memory a database containing entries which, given a specified operation and a specified object type classification, designate a particular one of said application programs that includes means for performing said specified operation on typed data objects having said specified type classification, and

storing in said mass storage memory a set of application integration service programs which comprise, in combination,

a multitasking application manager program for running selected ones of said application programs concurrently as peer processes in response to program invocation requests from a user or from an already running application program, and

a library of common subroutines selectively and individually callable by running application programs, said library including

one or more invocation subroutines callable from a first running application program which performs operations on a first data object, said invocation subroutines including means for receiving a request from said first running application program to perform a designated operation on a second data object having a designated object classification, said invocation subroutines further including means responsive to said request for obtaining from said database the identity of a selected second application program including means for performing said designated operation on objects having said designated type classification, and said invocation subroutine further including means for transmitting an invocation request to run said second application program and for transmitting to said second application program a request to perform said designated operation on said second data object.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein said library of common subroutines further includes data interchange means for establishing a communication link between said first and second running application programs and for transmitting information via said link, wherein said first running application program includes means for visually displaying data located within said first data object, wherein said second application program includes means for modifying data located within said second data object, and wherein said selected second application program further includes means for translating data in said second data object into a displayable entity and for transmitting said displayable entity to said first running application program via said link, and wherein said first running application program includes means for displaying said displayable entity and said first data object together in integrated form on said display device.

3. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein said data interchange means further includes means responsive to one of said first and second running application programs for:

copying data located in said second data object into said first data object, or alternatively

moving data located in said second data object into said first data object by first copying said data into said first data object and then deleting said data in said second data object.

4. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein said common subroutines are dynamically linked at runtime to said first and second running application programs.

5. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein one of the generic operations performable by said second application program is a print operation performed in response to a standard print request from said first running application program.

6. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein one of the generic operations performable by said second application program is a delete operation performed in response to a standard delete request from said first running application program which said second application performs by deleting a specified data object and the communication link to said first running application program.

7. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein one of the generic operations performable by said second application program is a create operation performed in response to a standard create request from said first running application program, said second application program performing said create operation by creating a new data object and establishing a communication link to said first application program for the transmission of information contained in said new data object.

8. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein one of the generic operations performable by said second application program is a copy operation performed in response to a standard copy request from said first running application program, said second application program performing said copy operation by copying a specified existing data object and, if requested by said first application program, establishing a communication link to said first application program for the transmission of information contained in said new data object.

9. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein one of the generic operations performable by said second application program is an update operation performed in response to a standard update request from said first running application program, said second application program performing said update operation by transmitting information contained in a specified data object to said first running application program via said communication link.

10. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein said data interchange means further comprise, in combination, means for receiving from said first running application program a first list of data interchange formats acceptable by said application program, and for receiving from said selected second application program a second list of data interchange formats available from said selected second application program said first and second lists being organized in order of increasing information loss, matching means for comparing said lists to identify the common interchange format exhibiting the least information loss, and means responsive to said matching means for transferring data represented in accordance with said common interchange format from said second data object to said first data object via said link.

11. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein said first running application program further includes means for recording a link marker within said first data object to indicate the location of linked data relative to data in said first data object, said linked data remaining within said second data object.

12. The method set forth in claim 11 wherein said first application program further includes means for reading said first data object to identify said link marker and means for interpreting said link marker to call said one or more invocation subroutines to transmit an invocation request to run said selected second application program.

13. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein one of the generic operations performable by said second application program is an edit operation performed in response to a standard edit request from said first running application program, and wherein said data interchange means includes link update means responsive to the modification of data by said selected second application program to enable said modification to be displayed on said display device.

14. The method set forth in claim 13 wherein said link update means includes means for establishing at least manual and dynamic link update states such that, when said update means is in said manual update state, said modification is transmitted over said link only upon a user request, and when said update means is in said dynamic link update state, said modification is transmitted over said link each time said second data object is modified.

15. The method set forth in claim 13 wherein said link update means includes means for establishing a first time update state in which information contained in said second data object is transmitted over said link to said first running application program each time the user manipulates said first data object by means of said first running application program.

16. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein one of the generic operations performable by said second application program is a default operation performed in response to a default operation request from said first running application program.

17. In a data processing system including a programmable processor, a mass storage memory subsystem for storing information including a plurality of independently stored inactive application programs executable by said processor and a plurality of independently stored data objects each comprising one or more files of typed data, each of said data objects being manipulatable by at least one of said application programs, and a display device for displaying information to a user, a mechanism for extensibly integrating the operation of pre-existing application programs and the data objects manipulated by said pre-existing programs with newly installed application programs and data objects without modifying the pre-existing application programs, said integrating mechanism comprising, in combination:

an application manager program stored in said memory subsystem for concurrently executing selected ones of said application programs, each given one of said application programs including, in combination,

request processing means for accepting one or more operation requests selected from an established set of generic operation requests, said requests being accepted by said given application program in accordance with a uniform protocol common to all of said plurality of application programs,

object data processing means responsive to said requests for performing corresponding generic operations on typed data objects stored in said memory subsystem, said typed data objects being internally organized in accordance with and conforming to an internal data format defined by said given application program and specified by an object type designation,

a system database stored in said memory subsystem comprising a plurality of entries each containing;

a particular object type designation,

an identification of a particular one of said generic operations, and

an identification of an application program having object processing means for performing said particular generic operation on objects having an internal data format specified by said particular object type designation,

a library of application integration service routines stored in said memory subsystem, each of said routines being dynamically linked to said application programs when said application programs are executed, said service routines comprising;

invocation service means responsive to an invocation request from a first executing application program acting as a consumer for invoking the concurrent execution of a selected second application program acting as a server, said invocation service means comprising;

means responsive to said invocation request for obtaining the identification of said second program from said system database in response to the specification of a given one of said generic operations and a given object type designation,

means for communicating the identification of said second application program to said application manager program to invoke the execution of said second application program acting as a server, and

means for transmitting to said executing second program a request to perform said given one of said generic operations on a source data object which is internally organized in accordance with a format specified by said given object type designation, and

data interchange service routines executable by said processor comprising;

means for establishing a communications link between said first program and said second program,

means responsive to a first request from said first application program for copying sharable data from said source data object into a destination data object manipulated by said first program, and

means responsive to a second request from said first program for accessing sharable linked data in said source data object without copying said sharable data into said destination data object, and

means responsive to update requests from said second program for dynamically communicating, to said first program, modifications to said sharable data resulting from the execution of said second program.

18. A data processing system as set forth in claim 17 wherein said first program includes a routine executable by said processor for recording a link marker in the body of the typed data object manipulated by said first program, said first program including a routine executable by said processor for generating said request to one of said invocation services routines to reinvoke the execution of said second program to perform a requested operation with respect to the data object associated with said link marker.

19. The method set forth in claim 18 wherein one of the generic operations performable by said second application program is an edit operation performed in response to a standard edit request from said first running application program, and wherein said data interchange means includes link update means responsive to the modification of data by said selected second application program to enable said modification to be displayed on said display device.

20. The method set forth in claim 18 wherein one of the generic operations performable by said second application program is a default operation performed in response to a default operation request from said first running application program.

21. The method set forth in claim 18 wherein one of the generic operations performable by said second application program is a print operation performed in response to a standard print request from said first running application program.

22. The method set forth in claim 18 wherein one of the generic operations performable by said second application program is a delete operation performed in response to a standard delete request from said first running application program which said second application performs by deleting a specified data object and the communication link to said first running application program.

23. The method set forth in claim 18 wherein one of the generic operations performable by said second application program is a create operation performed in response to a standard create request from said first running application program, said second application program performing said create operation by creating a new data object and establishing a communication link to said first application program for the transmission of information contained in said new data object.

24. The method set forth in claim 18 wherein one of the generic operations performable by said second application program is a copy operation performed in response to a standard copy request from said first running application program, said second application program performing said copy operation by copying a specified existing data object and, if requested by said first application program, establishing a communication link to said first application program for the transmission of information contained in said new data object.

25. The method set forth in claim 18 wherein one of the generic operations performable by said second application program is an update operation performed in response to a standard update request from said first running application program, said second application program performing said update operation by transmitting information contained in a specified data object to said first running application program via said communication link.

26. The method set forth in claim 25 wherein said means responsive to update requests includes means for establishing at least manual and dynamic link update states such that, when said update means is in said manual update state said modifications are transmitted over said link only upon a user request, and when said update means is in said dynamic link update state said modifications are transmitted over said link each time said second data object is modified.

27. The method set forth in claim 26 wherein said means responsive to update requests further includes means for establishing a first time update state in which information contained in said second data object is transmitted over said link to said first running application each time the user manipulates said first data object by means of said first running application program.

28. A data processing system as set forth in claim 18 wherein said data object associated with said link marker is stored separately from the data object containing said link marker, said separately stored data object being linked to said first program via said communications connection.

29. A data processing system as set forth in claim 18 wherein said first program and said second programs are each capable of communicating data over said communication connection in a native format and in one or more additional generalized data exchange formats containing less information than said native format, and wherein said application integration service routines further include matchmaker routines executable by said processor to provide:

means for obtaining from the first program a list of available first program formats arranged in order of decreasing information content,

means for obtaining from the second program a list of available second program formats arranged in order of decreasing information content,

means for comparing the first program format list and the second program format list to identify the common format having the greatest information content, and

means for initiating communication over said connection in accordance with the format thus identified.

30. A data processing system for performing a set of generic operations specified by corresponding standard requests on data represented as typed objects, the system comprising:

(A) a plurality of object managers for performing operations with respect to objects, each object manager including

(a) means for performing at least one operation with respect to at least one corresponding type of object, the means for performing at least one operation being responsive to a request to perform an operation of the at least one operation with respect to an identified object of the corresponding type for performing the requested operation with respect to the identified object,

(b) means for identifying in a first, corresponding type of object a reference to a second object,

(c) means responsive to the identification of a reference to a second object for generating a request for an operation with respect to the second object, each request including an identification of the second object and an operation to be performed with respect to the second object,

(B) means for receiving from a requesting object manager an identification of a second object and an identification of an operation to be performed with respect to the second object,

(C) means for using the received object and operation identifications to identify an object manager that includes means for performing the identified operation on objects of the type of the identified second object,

(D) means for invoking the identified object manager, and

(E) means for communicating to the identified object manager one of said standard requests to perform the corresponding one of said generic operations on the identified second object, wherein an object manager can both request invocation of other object managers and can itself be invoked by other object managers.

31. A data processing system as set forth in claim 30 wherein said set of generic operations include:

(A) an edit operation for modifying said second object in response to user requests accepted by said identified object manager, and

(B) an update operation for communicating modifications made to said second object to said requesting object manager.

32. A data processing system as set forth in claim 31 wherein said set of generic operations further includes:

(A) a print operation for printing data contained in said second object;

(B) a create operation for creating a new data object manipulatable by said identified object manager; and

(C) a copy operation for creating a new data object containing data copied from said second object.

33. A data processing system as set forth in claim 30 further including:

(A) means for establishing manual and dynamic update states in response to a selection made by a user,

(B) means operable in said manual update state for communicating modifications made to said second object to said requesting object manager in response to an update request from the user, and

(C) means operable in said dynamic update state for automatically communicating modifications made to said second object to said requesting object manager whenever the user modifies said second object by means of said identified object manager.

34. A data processing system comprising, in combination:

a processor,

input means for accepting input data and commands from a system user,

a monitor for visually displaying the results of processing operations to the system user,

a mass storage memory for storing inactive programs and data in one or more media volumes,

a main memory for storing active programs and data,

file access means for manipulating data stored in said mass storage memory in the form of typed data objects each comprising one or more files of typed data, each given one of said data objects containing data having an internal structure which is designated by an object type identifier,

a plurality of application programs each stored in said mass storage memory, each being identified by a file name, and each including instructions for performing at least one of a set of standard operations on typed data objects having an internal structure designated by a particular one of said object type identifiers,

a system database stored in said mass storage memory, said database containing entries which associate a given object type identifier and a particular one of said standard operations with the file name of an application program that includes means for performing said particular operation on objects designated by said given object type identifier, and

application integration services programs stored in said mass storage memory, including;

a multitasking application manager for spawning the execution of a consumer application program as a running consumer process,

invocation routines for accepting an invocation request from said consumer process, said invocation request specifying a needed one of said standard operations and a specified object type identifier which designates the type of the object upon which said needed operation is to be performed,

a routine responsive to said invocation request for accessing said system database to determine the file name of a server application program,

said multitasking application manager including a routine for spawning the execution of said server application program as a running server process which executes concurrently with and independently of said consumer process, and

a routine for directing said server process to perform said needed standard operation on a source data object designated by said specified object type identifier.

35. A data processing system as set forth in claim 34 wherein said routine for directing said server process to perform said needed standard operation on said source data object designated by said specified object type identifier includes:

a routine for deriving said specified object type identifier from link information stored within a destination data object being manipulated by said consumer process.

36. A data processing system as set forth in claim 35 further including a mechanism for displaying an integrated image presentation on said monitor which simultaneously represents data contained in both said source and said destination data objects, wherein:

said server program includes routines for producing displayable linked data representative of data in said source data object,

said application management and services programs further includes data interchange routines for transferring said linked displayable data for storage within a file forming part of said destination object, and

said consumer application program includes routines for displaying data representative of data from said destination object simultaneously with the display of said linked data to form said integrated image presentation.

37. A data processing system as set forth in claim 36 wherein said routine for directing said server process to perform said needed standard operation on said source data object further includes a routine for deriving from said link information a source file name of a file in said mass storage system which records at least a part of said source data object, and a routine for communicating said source file name to said server process.

38. A data processing system as set forth in claim 37 wherein:

said routine for directing said server process to perform said needed standard operation on said source data object further includes;

a routine for deriving from said link information stored with said destination data object a specification designating shared data which forms a portion only of said source data object, and

a routine for communicating said specification to said server process; and

wherein said server application program further includes a routine for creating and interpreting said specification to identify said shared data with said source data object.

39. A data processing system as set forth in claim 38 wherein:

said server program includes a routine for creating said specification designating a portion of the data in said source data object as shared data,

said application integration services programs further include a routine for storing said specification as part of said link information in said destination data object,

said routine for directing said server process to perform said needed standard operation on said source object further includes a routine for deriving an object identifier and a previously stored specification from said link information and communicating said object identifier and said previously stored specification to said server process, and wherein

said server program further includes a routine responsive to said object identifier and said previously stored specification for accessing the source data object identified by said object identifier and for identifying said shared data within said source data object.

40. A data processing system as set forth in claim 39 wherein:

said consumer application program includes a routine for manipulating displayable data which is internally organized in any one of a first set of interchange formats of differing information content,

said server application program includes a routine for producing and organizing said shared data in any one of a second set of interchange formats of differing information content, and wherein

said system includes a routine for accepting and comparing said first and said second sets of formats to identify a transfer format having the greatest information content that can both be produced by said server program and accepted by said consumer program, and wherein

said consumer application displaying a representation of said shared data in said transfer format if such a transfer format is identified, and for displaying an icon to represent said shared data when said transfer format is not identified.

41. A data processing system as set forth in claim 40 further comprising a mechanism for controlling the sharing of data in said source data object with data in said destination data object, including:

a selection routine in said server application responsive to said input means for identifying a user-selected portion of the data contained in said source object as shared data;

a routine in said server application for producing a link specification identifying said shared data,

a routine in said server application for producing said displayable linked data representative of said shared data,

a system routine for storing said link specification and said displayable linked data with said destination object, and

a system routine for periodically updating said displayable linked data including means for causing said server application to produce a new version of said displayable linked data from the shared data identified by said link specification and for transferring said new version of said linked displayable data for storage in said destination object.

42. A data processing system as set forth in claim 41 including a update mode control routine for establishing user-selectable manual update and dynamic update operating modes, including:

a first routine operative in said manual update mode for updating said displayable linked data only in response to a request from the system user supplied via said input means, and

a second routine operative in said dynamic update mode for automatically updating said displayable linked data whenever predetermined processing events occur.

43. A data processing system as set forth in claim 42 wherein said predetermined processing events include:

(1) the start of operations on said destination object by said consumer process, and

(2) the modification of data in said source object by said server process.

44. A data processing system as set forth in claim 36 wherein said link information further specifies the location of said linked data relative to data within said destination data object.

45. A data processing system as set forth in claim 44 wherein said link information consists of a link marker embedded at a relevant location in a file of data contained within said destination data object.

46. A data processing system as set forth in claim 44 wherein said link information includes the object type identifier which designates said source data object.

47. A data processing system as set forth in claim 36 wherein:

said consumer application program includes a routine for manipulating displayable data which is internally organized in any one of a first set of interchange formats of differing information content,

said server application program includes a routine for producing and organizing said linked data in any one of a second set of interchange formats of differing information content, and wherein

said system includes one or more routines for comparing said first and second sets of interchange formats and for requesting said server application program to produce said displayable linked data in accordance with that particular format which is a member of both said first and second sets and which has the greatest information content relative to other members of both said first and second sets, thereby providing the most accurate representation of said source object within the capabilities of said server and consumer application programs.

48. In combination:

a computer system comprising a processor, an input device for accepting data and requests from a user of said system, a monitor for displaying information to said user in response to the operation of said processor, and a mass storage system for storing inactive programs and data in files designated by file names, said programs and data including;

a plurality of typed data objects, each of said typed data objects being stored as one or more files in said mass storage system;

a plurality of application programs, each of said application programs being stored as one or more files in said mass storage system, and each given one of said application programs including means for performing one or more of a set of standard operations on typed data objects that contain data structured in a predetermined manner identified by a type code;

a multitasking application management program for spawning the execution of selected ones said application programs as independent and concurrently running application processes, and

a set of application integration service routines linked to and callable from said running application processes, said routines including;

means for receiving a request for services from a consumer application program

running as a consumer process, said consumer process manipulating data in a destination data object, said request including a specification of a desired standard operation and a specified type code,

means including a system database for translating said specified type code and said specification of said desired operation into the file name of a needed application program which includes means for performing a specified operation on typed data objects containing data structured in a manner identified by said specified type code;

means for invoking said application management program to spawn the execution of said needed application program as a server application process,

means for directing said server application process to perform said desired operation on a source data object containing data structured in a manner identified by said specified type code,

means for establishing a data interchange connection for transferring data from said source data object to said destination data object,

means for receiving a link specification from said server application process and for transmitting said link specification from said server application via said data interchange connection for storage in said destination object, said link specification containing information which designates all or part of the data contained in said source data object as shared data, and

means for storing a link marker in said destination data object, said link marker containing information indicative of said specified type code and the file name of said source data object,

whereby said consumer application program can thereafter re-establish said data interchange connection between said source data object and said consumer data object by employing said link marker to obtain said specified type code and the file name of said source data object.

49. A data processing system as set forth in claim 48 wherein:

said consumer application includes means for generating image data displayable on said monitor as a first visual image representative of data contained in said destination object,

said server application includes means for generating further image data displayable on said monitor as a second visual image representative of data contained in said source object, and

said application integration service routines include means for transferring said further image data via said data interchange connection for storage in said destination data object to enable said consumer process to display said first and second visual images in one integrated presentation.

50. A data processing system as set forth in claim 49 further including means for periodically updating said further image data including means for causing said server application to produce a new version of said further image data representative of data in said source object and for transmitting said new version to said destination object via said data interchange connection.

51. A data processing system as set forth in claim 50 wherein:

said consumer application program includes means for manipulating image data which is internally organized in a first set of interchange formats of differing information content,

said server application program includes means for generating said further image data which is internally organized in a second set of interchange formats of differing information content, and further includes means for transmitting to said application service routines a listing of said second set of interchange formats organized in order of their information content to enable the particular format which is common to both said first and second sets which has the largest information content to be identified, and

means for thereafter transmitting a request to said server application to generate said image data in accordance with said particular format to represent data in said source object.