Developers tool for object-oriented programming

• US 5,710,926 A
• Filed: 09/03/1993
• Issued: 01/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Original Assignee: Maurer, Joseph Clark
• Inventors: Maurer, Joseph Clark
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTLER, DENNIS
• Application Number:
  US08/116,725
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 395/700, 395/155, 395/701, 395/702, 395/703, 395/704, 395/710, 395/326, 395/333, 395/334, 395/335, 395/339, 395/340, 395/347, 395/352, 395/353, 395/354, 395/973, 395/974, 395/975
• US Class Current: 717/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented

Abstract

A software developer'"'"'s tool to help write application programs for an object-oriented operating system includes a storage device holding code. The code includes a clipboard copying utility and a first code section permitting the identification of dialog boxes and event tables associated with dialog boxes, the event tables signifying events capable of taking place during running of the application program to be written. A second code section permits the copying of dialog boxes and their associated event tables by actuation of the clipboard copying utility, and creates a new object identical to the parent object, providing a unique object name for the new object, and generating an event table name for the event table associated with the new object derived from the name of the parent object such that the event table includes controls having names derived from the name of the event table. A third code section permits editing of the child event table without altering the parent event table. Sequential use of the first, second and third code sections creates a parent object and a child object having associated parent and child event tables, the child object having an event table derived from the parent event table and having the capability of running independently of the parent object.

Claims

1. A software developer'"'"'s tool to help write application programs for an object-oriented operating system comprising

a computer including a storage device holding code, said code including

a copying utility,

a first code section permitting the identification of a parent object and associated code including event tables, a parent object identifier and event table identifiers, the event tables signifying events capable of taking place during running of an application program to be written,

a second code section permitting the creation of a child object identical to the parent object, by actuation of said copying utility which creates the child object by referencing the associated code and event tables of the parent object which code pointers allowing the child object to run independently of and without affecting the parent object,

said second code section generating a unique child object identifier for the child object different from but derived from the parent object identifier and generating a unique child object event table identifier for each event table of the child object derived from the parent object identifier and associated with said child object, the object and event table identifiers providing information regarding the relationship between objects, and objects and event tables, and

an editing utility permitting editing of the child object event tables in a manner linking new events for the child object event tables to the parent object event tables,

wherein repeated sequential use of said code sections creates a chain of parent and child objects having a linked list of event tables with unedited code of the child objects referencing code of the parent.

2. A tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein the event tables include controls and the editing of a child event table may include creating a new control on said child event table with an identifier different than any other controls on said child event table.

3. A tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein said parent and child objects are dialog boxes.

4. A tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein said code is in C++ language and said event tables is a C++ class and the events within said event tables are C ++ methods.

5. A tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein an event table includes controls having identifiers derived from said identifier of said event table.

6. A tool as claimed in claim 5 wherein each of said controls and event tables are objects.

7. A tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein running said code sections writes source code for said child object such that said source code for said child object includes pointers to source code for said parent object, thereby allowing source code for said child object to run said source code for said parent.

8. A tool as claimed in claim 7 wherein running said code sections permits editing of a child object event table to cause the running of said source code for said child object to be different from the running of said source code for said parent object, without modifying said source code for said parent object.

9. A tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein the running of said second code section creates an index of said linked list of the event tables to facilitate finding and executing event handlers when the application program of said child object is run.

10. A tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein said copying utility is a clipboard copying utility.

11. A tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein running the code sections writes source code of the application program such that upon compiling the application program source code to object code, said object code for said child object includes pointers to said object code for said parent object to run said object code of said parent object when running said object code of said child object.

12. A tool as claimed in claim 11 wherein running said code sections permits editing of said child object event tables in a manner allowing the running of said object code for said child object to be different from the running of said object code for said parent object, without modifying said object code for said parent object.

13. A tool as claimed in claim 11 wherein in the compilation of the application program, said object code for said child object includes object code copied from said parent object.

14. A tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tool is included in object-oriented Pascal language.

15. A software developer'"'"'s tool to help write application programs for an object-oriented operating system comprising

a computer including a storage device holding code, said code including

a clipboard copying utility,

a first code section permitting the identification of dialog boxes having event tables associated with the dialog boxes, said event tables signifying events capable of taking place during running of application program to be written,

a second code section permitting the creation, by actuation of said clipboard copying utility, of a child dialog box having event tables associated with the child dialog box identical to the parent dialog box and derived from the parent dialog box event tables in a manner allowing the child dialog box event tables to reference the parent dialog box event tables while running independently of the parent dialog box, providing a unique object name for said child dialog box, and generating an event table name for each child dialog box event table associated with the child dialog box and derived from the name of said parent dialog box such that a child dialog box event table includes controls having names derived form the name of the parent dialog box event table, and

a third code section permitting editing of a child dialog box event table without altering the parent dialog box event table and, after repeated sequential use of said code sections, creating a chain of said parent and child dialog boxes having a linked list of event tables, the dialog box and event table names providing information regarding the relationship between dialog boxes, and dialog boxes and event tables, and

whereby the sequential use of said first, second and third code sections creates a parent dialog box and a child dialog box having associated parent and child event tables, said child dialog box having an event table derived from said parent event table and having the capability of running independently of said parent dialog box and wherein the repeated use of the second code section results in a chain of parent and child dialog boxes and a linked list of event tables.