Automatically updated cross reference system having increased flexibility
First Claim
1. A method of maintaining cross reference information regarding a user program, said user program comprising a plurality of referencers which make references to a plurality of referencees, including a first referencer which makes a first reference to a first referencee, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining that an aspect of said first referencee has been modified;
notifying said first referencer that said aspect of said first referencee has been modified, said notifying step being performed by said first referencee; and
updating said cross reference information, said updating step being performed by said first referencer.
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Abstract
A method of maintaining cross reference information regarding a user program comprises the steps of determining that an aspect of a first referencee has been modified, notifying a first referencer that the aspect of the first referencee has been modified, and updating cross reference information. The notifying step is performed by the first referencee, and the updating step is performed by the first referencer. The cross reference information is stored in a database comprising an entry for each reference made by a referencer to a referencee. Each entry stores a unique identifiers which identify a respective referencer and referencee. The cross reference information is automatically updated through a notification procedure in which referencees are responsible for notifying referencers when an aspect of the referencee changes, and the referencers are thereafter responsible for updating the cross reference information. The present invention provides increased flexibility in terms of the types of cross reference information which is maintained and the types of actions which a user is allowed to take without losing cross reference information. For example, the cross reference system is able to manage references to a referencee before the referencee is created and after the referencee is deleted.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of maintaining cross reference information regarding a user program, said user program comprising a plurality of referencers which make references to a plurality of referencees, including a first referencer which makes a first reference to a first referencee, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining that an aspect of said first referencee has been modified; notifying said first referencer that said aspect of said first referencee has been modified, said notifying step being performed by said first referencee; and updating said cross reference information, said updating step being performed by said first referencer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A cross reference system for maintaining cross reference information regarding a user program in an object-oriented programming environment, the cross reference system comprising:
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a referencee object; a referencer object, said referencer object making a reference to said referencee object; a database, said database maintaining cross reference information regarding said reference from said referencer object to said referencee object. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A cross reference system for maintaining information regarding references in a user program, the cross reference system comprising:
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A. a plurality of referencees including first and second referencees, 1. said first referencee being assigned a first unique identifier, and 2. said second referencee being assigned a second unique identifier; B. a plurality of referencers including first and second referencers, 1. said first referencer being assigned a third unique identifier, and said first referencer making a first reference to said first referencee, 2. said second referencer being assigned a fourth unique identifier, and said second referencer making a second reference to said second referencee; and C. a database, said database including a plurality of entries including first and second entries, 1. said first entry corresponding to said first reference, said first entry including a first field which contains said first unique identifier and a second field which contains said third unique identifier, and - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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21. said second entry corresponding to said second reference, said second entry including a first field which contains said second unique identifier and a second field which contains said fourth unique identifier.
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25. A method of maintaining information regarding references in a user program, the method comprising the steps of:
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A. making a reference to a non-existent referencee, said step (A) being performed a referencer; B. creating a temporary referencee; C. maintaining cross reference information regarding said reference based on said temporary referencee; D. creating a new referencee which corresponds to said non-existent referencee by converting said temporary referencee into said new referencee; and F. maintaining cross reference information regarding said reference based on said new referencee after said new referencee is created. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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26. A cross reference system for assisting programming of a control program for an industrial control system, said cross reference system providing information regarding references in said control program to facilitate program editing, said cross reference system comprising:
A. a plurality of referencees including first and second referencees,
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27. said first referencee being assigned a first unique identifier, and said first referencee comprising a subroutine, andsaid second referencee being assigned a second unique identifier, and said second referencee comprising a plurality of subcomponents;
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B. a plurality of referencers including first, second and third referencers, 1. said first referencer being assigned a third unique identifier, said first referencer making a first reference to said first referencee, and said first referencer comprising a subroutine call to said subroutine, 2. said second referencer being assigned a fourth unique identifier, said second referencer making a second reference to said second referencee, and said second referencer referencing one of said plurality of subcomponents of said referencee, 3. said third referencer being assigned a fifth unique identifier, and said third referencer making a third reference to a non-existent referencee; and C. a database, said database including a plurality of entries including first, second and third entries, 1. said first entry corresponding to said first reference, said first entry including a first field which contains said first unique identifier, said first entry including a second field which contains said third unique identifier, and said first entry including a third field which contains information regarding whether said first reference is destructive, 2. said second entry corresponding to said second reference, said second entry including a first field which contains said second unique identifier, said second entry including a second field which contains said fourth unique identifier, and said second entry including a third field which contains information regarding whether said third reference is destructive, and said second entry containing a fourth field containing information which indicates which one of said plurality of subcomponents of said referencee object is referenced by said referencer object, and 3. said third entry corresponding to said third reference, said third entry including a first field which contains said fifth unique identifier and a second field which contains a sixth unique identifier, said sixth unique identifier corresponding to a temporary referencee established to maintain cross reference information for said non-existent referencee; and wherein said first referencee is responsible for notifying said first referencer when an aspect of said first referencee changes, and wherein said first referencer is responsible for updating said database after being notified by said first referencee that said aspect of said first referencee has changed; wherein said second referencee is responsible for notifying said second referencer when an aspect of said second referencee changes, and wherein said second referencer is responsible for updating said database after being notified by said second referencee that said aspect of said second referencee has changed; and wherein said database is automatically updated each time said aspect of said first referencee changes and each time said aspect of said second referencee changes.
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Specification