Filtering an object interface definition to determine services needed and provided
First Claim
1. In a distributed object application builder apparatus having a graphical user interface in which parts having plugs and sockets are interconnected to define distributed object application programs, said parts corresponding to components and representing distributed objects, a computer-implemented method of determining the plugs of a first part using said graphical user interface, said method comprising the steps of:
- identifying the first part by performing a selection action on the first part, said first part being represented by a graphical representation;
retrieving an interface for a first component that corresponds to the first part;
determining at least one attribute from the retrieved interface, each determined attribute having an associated attribute type;
determining at least one operation from the retrieved interface, each determined operation having an associated operation type;
retrieving a factory argument list from a factory method associated with said first component;
identifying at least one input argument from the retrieved factory argument list, each identified input argument having an associated input argument type; and
indicating visually that said at least one attribute, said at least one operation and said at least one input argument are the determined plugs of the first part.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A distributed object application builder apparatus filters an object definition to determine both information needed (plugs) and provided (sockets) by an object. Each part (a run-time instance of an object) in the builder has plugs and sockets interconnected to other parts to define a distributed object application program. At run time, actual instances of objects are substituted for the parts. A method of determining the plugs of an identified part retrieves the interface (object definition) corresponding to the part. Once retrieved, the plugs of the part are identified by determining the object-valued attributes of the retrieved interface, by determining the operations from the retrieved interface that require one object-valued argument, and by retrieving the factory argument list from the factory method for the object. These attributes and arguments constitute the plugs of the part. Sockets of a part are determined similarly. The plugs of a part are determined based upon their matching with a previously chosen socket. Similarly, if a plug is chosen first from a part, this chosen plug is matched with a socket of another part. A distributed object application program is constructed by choosing a first part, filtering its interface to determine its plugs and sockets, and then choosing and filtering the interface of a second part. Once plugs and sockets have been determined, they are connected to at least partially define a distributed object application program. The filtering takes place within a visual application builder using a graphical user interface to select and connect parts.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. In a distributed object application builder apparatus having a graphical user interface in which parts having plugs and sockets are interconnected to define distributed object application programs, said parts corresponding to components and representing distributed objects, a computer-implemented method of determining the plugs of a first part using said graphical user interface, said method comprising the steps of:
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identifying the first part by performing a selection action on the first part, said first part being represented by a graphical representation; retrieving an interface for a first component that corresponds to the first part; determining at least one attribute from the retrieved interface, each determined attribute having an associated attribute type; determining at least one operation from the retrieved interface, each determined operation having an associated operation type; retrieving a factory argument list from a factory method associated with said first component; identifying at least one input argument from the retrieved factory argument list, each identified input argument having an associated input argument type; and indicating visually that said at least one attribute, said at least one operation and said at least one input argument are the determined plugs of the first part. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. In a distributed object application builder apparatus having a graphical user interface in which parts having plugs and sockets are interconnected to define distributed object application programs, said parts corresponding to components and representing distributed objects, a computer-implemented method of determining the sockets of a first part using said graphical user interface said method comprising the steps of:
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identifying the first part by performing a selection action on the first part, said first part being represented by a graphical representation; retrieving an interface for a first component that corresponds to the first part; determining each attribute from the retrieved interface, each determined attribute having an associated attribute type; determining each operation from the retrieved interface that returns an operation result, each determined operation having an associated operation result type; and indicating visually that said determined attributes and said determined operations are the determined sockets of the first part. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. In a distributed object application builder apparatus in which parts having plugs and sockets are interconnected to define distributed object application programs, said parts corresponding to components and representing distributed objects, said components being located in a component catalog, a computer-implemented method of creating a distributed object application program comprising the steps of:
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choosing a first component from said component catalog; creating a first part corresponding to said first component; retrieving a first interface for said first component that corresponds to said first part; filtering said first interface in order to produce a list of plugs and sockets for said first part; choosing a second component from said component catalog; creating a second part corresponding to said second component; retrieving a second interface for said second component that corresponds to said second part; filtering said second interface in order to produce a list of plugs and sockets for said second part; and connecting a first plug from said first part to a first socket of said second part to form a connection in order to at least partially define said distributed object application program, whereby when said distributed object application program is executing said second part is arranged to pass information to said first part through said connection. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A computer program product comprising a computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied thereon for determining the plugs of a first part using a graphical user interface of a distributed object application builder apparatus in which parts having plugs and sockets are interconnected to define distributed object application programs, said parts corresponding to components and representing distributed objects, the computer program product comprising computer-readable program code for effecting the following steps within a computer system:
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identifying the first part by performing a selection action on the first part, said first part being represented by a graphical representation; retrieving an interface for a first component that corresponds to the first part; determining at least one attribute from the retrieved interface, each determined attribute having an associated attribute type; determining at least one operation from the retrieved interface, each determined operation having an associated operation type; retrieving a factory argument list from a factory method associated with said first component; identifying at least one input argument from the retrieved factory argument list, each identified input argument having an associated input argument type; and indicating visually that said at least one attribute, said at least one operation and said at least one input argument are the determined plugs of the first part. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A computer program product comprising a computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied thereon for determining the sockets of a first part using a graphical user interface of a distributed object application builder apparatus in which parts having plugs and sockets are interconnected to define distributed object application programs, said parts corresponding to components and representing distributed objects, the computer program product comprising computer-readable program code for effecting the following steps within a computer system:
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identifying the first part; retrieving an interface for a first component that corresponds to the first part; determining each attribute from the retrieved interface, each determined attribute having an associated attribute type; determining each operation from the retrieved interface that returns an operation result, each determined operation having an associated operation result type; and indicating said determined attributes and said determined operations as being the determined sockets of the first part. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A computer program product comprising a computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied thereon for creating a distributed object application program in a distributed object application builder apparatus in which parts having plugs and sockets are interconnected to define distributed object application programs, said parts corresponding to components and representing distributed objects, said components being located in a component catalog, the computer program product comprising computer-readable program code for effecting the following steps within a computer system:
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choosing a first component from said component catalog; creating a first part corresponding to said first component; retrieving a first interface for said first component that corresponds to said first part; filtering said first interface in order to produce a list of plugs and sockets for said first part; choosing a second component from said component catalog; creating a second part corresponding to said second component; retrieving a second interface for said second component that corresponds to said second part; filtering said second interface in order to produce a list of plugs and sockets for said second part; and connecting a first plug from said first part to a first socket of said second part to form a connection in order to at least partially define said distributed object application program, whereby when said distributed object application program is executing said second part is arranged to pass information to said first part through said connection. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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35. A computer apparatus for use in visually determining the sockets of a first part in a distributed object application builder apparatus in which parts having plugs and sockets are interconnected to define distributed object application programs, said parts corresponding to components and representing distributed objects, the computer apparatus comprising:
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a graphical user interface; a processing unit; an input/output device coupled to the processing unit; a storage device in communication with the processing unit, the storage device including, program code for identifying the first part by performing a selection action on the first part, said first pa being represented by a graphical representation, program code for retrieving an interface for a first component that corresponds to the first part, program code for determining each attribute from the retrieved interface, each determined attribute having an associated attribute type; program code for determining each operation from the retrieved interface that returns an operation result, each determined operation having an associated operation result type, and program code for indicating visually that said determined attributes and said determined operations are the determined sockets of the first part.
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Specification