Method for managing dynamic relations between objects in dynamic object-oriented languages

• US 5,872,973 A
• Filed: 10/26/1995
• Issued: 02/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ViewSoft, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: ViewSoft, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Mitchell, David C., Mitchell, Dale K., Anderson, Kelly L., Osman, Andrew V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Application Number:
  US08/548,536
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 395/685, 395/710, 395/614, 395/683, 395/701, 395/702, 395/708, 364/284.4, 707/103
• US Class Current: 719/332
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548

Abstract

A method and system for creating named relations between classes in a dynamic object-oriented programming environment via mappers is disclosed. The mapping objects dynamically bind to the class interfaces of the classes being related. These connections between classes are defined within a visual environment. The relationships can be programmatically attached by name to object instances during program execution. Because these relationships are stored in a resource and are dynamically bound by name to the objects, they can be created and modified without requiring the source code of the objects being associated to be changed. This eliminates hard coded dependencies between objects that impede reuse of the objects in other contexts. The invention requires and takes full advantage of, meta-data, full dynamic binding and probing support in the objects being connected with the invention.

Claims

1. A system for dynamically linking a first object instance and a second object instance written using a dynamic object-oriented language, comprising at least one semantic link relating said first and said second objects instances through their class interfaces using the dynamic binding capabilities of said first and second objects wherein the semantic link comprises:

a third object instance that sets at least one probe on a field of the object instance, the probe causing the third object instance to perform an action on the second object instance if the field changes and

properties controlling the behavior of the third object instance, the properties

not being changed at runtime and

being stored separately from program code.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said first and second objects are the same object instance.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of semantic links and means for creating a connection comprising a named list of said plurality of links.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising a resource for storing a specification of said connection.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising means for creating and initializing said connection during program execution in accordance with said specification.

6. The system of claim 3 further comprising means for dynamically creating and destroying said connection during program execution.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said link performs transformations on information passed between said first and said second objects.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first object instance resides on a first machine and the second object instance resides on a second machine, the first machine and the second machine coupled to a computer network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the third object instance resides on a third machine, the third machine coupled to the computer network.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises setting a field in the second object instance.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises calling a function in the second object instance.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the action comprises setting a field in the second object instance and calling a function in the second object instance.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the action comprises setting a field in the second object instance and calling a function in the second object instance.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the third object instance sets a second probe on a field of the second object instance, the second probe causing the third object instance to perform an action on the first object instance if the field of the second object instance is changed.

15. A method of establishing communication between a first object instance and a second object instance, the first object and the second object written using a dynamic object-oriented language, the method comprising:

instantiating a third object instance, the third object instance having properties that

are not changed at runtime and

are stored separately from program code;

the third object instance setting a first probe on the first object; and

based on the probe, if a field changes in the first object instance, communicating with the second object instance.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein communicating with the second object instance comprises:

calling a function in the second object instance.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein calling a function comprises:

the third object instance collecting parameters from the first object via dynamic binding and

the third object instance passing the parameters to the function.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein communicating with the second object instance comprises:

updating a field in the second object instance.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein communicating with the second object instance comprises:

firing a second probe on a field of the second object instance.

20. The method of claim 15, comprising

the third object instance setting a second probe on the second object instance and

based on the second probe, if a field changes in the second object instance, communicating with the first object instance.

21. The method of claim 15, comprising:

instantiating a plurality of objects instances;

the object instances in the plurality of object instances setting probes on the first object instance; and

based on at least a probe in the plurality of probes, if a field changes in the first object instance, communicating with the second object instance.

22. The method of claim 15, comprising:

the third object instance transforming information passed between the first object instance and the second object instance.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the first object instance resides on a first machine and the second object instance resides on a second machine, the first machine and the second machine coupled to a computer network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the third object instance resides on a third machine, the third machine coupled to the computer network.

25. A method of dynamically linking a first object instance and a second object instance written using a dynamic object-oriented language, the method comprising;

instantiating a third object instance, the third object instance having properties controlling the behavior of the third object instance, the properties being stored separately from program code;

the third object instance setting a probe on a field of said first object instance, the third object instance setting the probe using a class interface of the first object instance; and

the probe causing the third object instance to perform an action an the second object instance if the field changes.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the action comprises setting a field in the second object instance.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the action comprises calling a function in the second object instance.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein calling a function comprises:

the third object instance collecting parameters from the first object instance via dynamic binding and

the third object instance passing the parameters to the function.

29. The method of claim 25, comprising

the third object instance setting a second probe on a field of the second object instance, the second probe causing the third object instance to perform an action on the first object instance if the field of the second object instance is changed.

30. The method of claim 25, comprising:

instantiating a plurality of object instances;

the object instances in the plurality of object instances setting a plurality of probes on fields in object instances from among the first object instance and the second object instance, and

probes from among the plurality of probes performing actions on object instances from among the first object instance and the second object instance if respective fields are changed.

31. The method of claim 25, comprising:

the third object instance transforming information passed between one of said first and second object instances and another of said first and second object instances.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the first object instance resides on a first machine and the second object instance resides on a second machine, the first machine and the second machine coupled to a computer network.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the third object instance resides on a third machine, the third machine coupled to the computer network.