Method and apparatus for accessing transaction services using object linking and embedding

• US 6,035,301 A
• Filed: 12/18/1997
• Issued: 03/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company), Migada Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tandem Computers Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Cooper, David J., Culman, Bill, Smith, Russel, Siegel, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): HOMERE, JEAN RAYMOND
• Application Number:
  US08/993,216
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707/103, 707/4, 707/202, 395/705, 395/671, 395/691
• US Class Current: 707/607
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/466 Transaction processing
• 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 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing an OLE automation interface to transactions services is provided. The method and apparatus includes an OLE/TP gateway. The OLE/TP gateway dynamically creates OLE objects that correspond to one or more transaction services. Client programs manipulate the methods and properties included in the OLE objects to perform transactions involving the transaction services. The present invention also includes a visual development environment that allows the user to visually select the type of OLE objects that the OLE/TP gateway makes available to client programs.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing an object interface to a transaction service, the apparatus comprising:

a definition for a dynamic service level object, the definition for the dynamic service level object including definitions for one or more methods and one or more properties corresponding to the transaction service, and

a gateway level object, the gateway level object configured to dynamically create a dynamic service level object using the definition for the dynamic service level object, the gateway level object configured to translate calls to the methods and properties of the dynamic service level object to corresponding manipulations of the transaction service.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the dynamic service level object includes begin transaction, commit transaction and abort transaction methods and wherein the gateway level object is configured to translate calls to the begin transaction, commit transaction and abort transaction methods to respective begin transaction, commit transaction and abort transaction operations performed by the transaction service.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the dynamic service level object includes a request property, and wherein the gateway level object is configured to send the request property to the transaction service.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the dynamic service level object includes a response property, and wherein the gateway level object is configured to retrieve the response property from the transaction service.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the definition for the dynamic service level object is included in an object library and wherein the gateway level object is configured to retrieve the definition for the dynamic service level object from the object library during creation of the dynamic service level object.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the gateway level object is an OLE object.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the dynamic service level object is an OLE object.

8. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for providing an object interface to a transaction service, the computer program product comprising;

first computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to read a definition for a dynamic service level object, the definition for the dynamic service level object including definitions for one or more methods and one or more properties corresponding to the transaction service, and

second computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer to provide a gateway level object, the gateway level object configured to dynamically create a dynamic service level object, the gateway level object configured to cause the computer to translate calls to the methods and properties of the dynamic service level object to corresponding manipulations of the transaction service.

9. A computer program product as recited in claim 8 wherein the dynamic service level object includes begin transaction, commit transaction and abort transaction methods and wherein the gateway level object is configured to cause the computer to translate calls to the begin transaction, commit transaction and abort transaction methods to respective begin transaction, commit transaction and abort transaction operations performed by the transaction service.

10. A computer program product as recited in claim 8 wherein the dynamic service level object includes a request property, and wherein the gateway level object is configured to cause the computer to send the request property to the transaction service.

11. A computer program product as recited in claim 8 wherein the dynamic service level object includes a response property, and wherein the gateway level object is configured to cause the computer to retrieve the response property from the transaction service.

12. A computer program product as recited in claim 8 wherein the definition for the dynamic service level object is included in an object library and wherein the gateway level object is configured to cause the computer to retrieve the definition for the dynamic service level object from the object library during creation of the dynamic service level object.

13. A computer program product as recited in claim 8 wherein the gateway level object is an OLE object.

14. A computer program product as recited in claim 8 wherein the dynamic service level object is an OLE object.

15. A method for providing an object interface to a transaction service, the method comprising the steps of:

reading a definition for a dynamic service level object, the definition for the dynamic service level object including definitions for one or more methods and one or more properties corresponding to the transaction service, and

creating a gateway level object, the gateway level object configured to dynamically create a dynamic service level object using the definition for the dynamic service level object, the gateway level object configured to translate calls to the methods and properties of the dynamic service level object to corresponding manipulations of the transaction service.

16. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the dynamic service level object includes begin transaction, commit transaction and abort transaction methods and wherein the method further includes the step of translating calls to the begin transaction, commit transaction and abort transaction methods to respective begin transaction, commit transaction and abort transaction operations performed by the transaction service.

17. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the dynamic service level object includes a request property, and wherein the method further includes the step of sending the request property to the transaction service.

18. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the dynamic service level object includes a response property, and wherein the method further includes the step of retrieving the response property from the transaction service.

19. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the definition for the dynamic service level object is included in an object library and wherein the method further includes the step of retrieving the definition for the dynamic service level object from the object library during creation of the dynamic service level object.

20. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the gateway level object is an OLE object.

21. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the dynamic service level object is an OLE object.