Method and apparatus for sharing and transferring data between software programs

• US 5,457,795 A
• Filed: 06/01/1994
• Issued: 10/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Todd J. Willman
• Original Assignee: Todd J. Willman
• Inventors: Willman, Todd J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOMERE, JEAN RAYMOND
• Application Number:
  US08/252,249
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 395/650, 395/600, 395/275, 364/DIG. 1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

A system for establishing a circuit between software programs such that applicable data is automatically transferred between programs and all attributes shown on a single common circuit data interface using unique data files on the hard disk storage area of a general data processor. For a given circuit file type, a global file is used as a data holding tank for storing and displaying all attributes determined or modified by each program in the circuit. A command button is used to create a connection between all the programs in the circuit using a switch file in the local path of each program. A data file is also written that has a code to reference each local data item to the global file. This data is automatically retrieved when this data is determined or modified by the active program in the circuit and control is passed back to the single common circuit data interface. The global file then summarizes all the attributes for a particular item in one file, and makes the current file data available to any other circuit programs that are then selected. This process of sharing data between software programs allows the circuited software programs to perform as one.

Claims

1. An apparatus for sharing and transferring data between software programs residing on the hard disk storage area of a general data processor of known type so that said software programs continue to share and...transfer data without any further action required by a user comprising:

(a) a circuit software program programmed into said data processor to retrieve and display all data file attributes as they are determined or modified by said hard disk software programs on a display monitor for said data processor when a command to connect said hard disk software programs has been activated within said circuit software program,

(b) A set of data file types programmed into said data processor that enable said processor to transfer data between said hard disk software programs for a selected said data file type in said circuit software program by updating the data in said data file types as data is modified by any of said hard disk software programs, and

(c) switch files programmed into said data processor that are activated by said circuit software program to indicate that said data file types are to be loaded by said hard disk software programs when said hard disk software programs are loaded or activated as programmed to recognize said switch files and read and write all applicable data from and to said data file types using a common data file format,

(d) said circuit software program operable for the updating of all said switch files and all said data file types in local paths of each of said hard disk software programs when any said hard disk software is deactivated or unloaded so that updated data from any said hard disk software program is transferred to said data file types of all said hard disk software programs connected by said circuit software program for loading said data file types into any of the said hard disk software programs as they are loaded or activated without any further action required by a user of said hard disk software programs until a command to disconnect said switch files has been selected within said circuit software program.

2. A method for sharing and transferring data between software programs residing on the hard disk storage area of a general data processor of known type so that said software programs continue to share and transfer data without any further action required by a user comprising the steps of:

(a) retrieving and displaying all data file attributes as they are determined or modified by said hard disk software programs on a display monitor for said data processor when a command to connect said hard disk software programs has been activated within a circuit software program programmed into said data processor,

(b) transferring data between said hard disk software programs with said circuit software program by updating the data in said data file types as data is modified by any of said hard disk software programs for selected data file types programmed into said data processor,

(c) activating switch files programmed into said data processor by said circuit software program to indicate that said data file types are to be loaded by said hard disk software programs when said hard disk software programs are loaded or activated as programmed to recognize said switch files and read and write all applicable data from and to said data file types using a common data file format,

(d) updating all said switch files and all said data file types in local paths of each of said hard disk software programs when any said hard disk software is deactivated or unloaded so that updated data from any said hard disk software program is transferred to the data file types of all said hard disk software programs connected by said circuit software program, and loading said data file types into any of the hard disk software programs as they are loaded or activated without any further action required by a user of said hard disk software programs until a command to disconnect said switch files has been selected within said circuit software program.