Constructor based object initialization with overrides
First Claim
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1. A method for initializing a first object in an object oriented class hierarchy, comprising the steps of:
- defining a plurality of coexisting alternative initialization methods as dynamically resolved methods by a respective ancestor class object of a plurality of ancestor class objects of a first class object in the hierarchy;
selecting a set of ancestor class objects whose alternative initialization methods are invocable by the first class object;
dynamically selecting between the alternative initialization methods at runtime by the first class object;
overriding the selected initialization method in the selected set of ancestor class objects by the first class object; and
invoking a selected overridden initialization method on an instance of the first class object to initialize the first object.
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Abstract
An initializer which is a dynamically resolved method for initializing an object in a multiple inheritance object oriented system is introduced. The initializer is introduced in an ancestor class and can be inherited and overridden by subclasses. An overridden initializer can be invoked on an instance of a subclass to initialize an object in the system.
29 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for initializing a first object in an object oriented class hierarchy, comprising the steps of:
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defining a plurality of coexisting alternative initialization methods as dynamically resolved methods by a respective ancestor class object of a plurality of ancestor class objects of a first class object in the hierarchy; selecting a set of ancestor class objects whose alternative initialization methods are invocable by the first class object; dynamically selecting between the alternative initialization methods at runtime by the first class object; overriding the selected initialization method in the selected set of ancestor class objects by the first class object; and invoking a selected overridden initialization method on an instance of the first class object to initialize the first object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for initializing a first object in an object oriented class hierarchy, comprising:
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a memory for storing a plurality of class objects in the hierarchy; a processor for executing methods associated with the plurality of class objects; a plurality of coexisting alternative initialization methods defined as dynamically resolved methods in a plurality of ancestor class objects of a first class object in the hierarchy, wherein at least one ancestor class object defines more than one coexisting alternative initialization method; an array for selecting a set of ancestor class objects whose initialization methods are invocable by the first class object; means for dynamically selecting among the alternative initialization methods of the set of ancestor class objects at runtime by the first class object; means for overriding the selected alternative initialization method in the first class object; and means for invoking the selected overridden initialization method on an instance of the first class object to initialize the first object. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15)
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13. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for initializing a first object in an object oriented class hierarchy, comprising:
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means for defining a plurality of coexisting initialization alternatives as dynamically resolved methods by one class object in the hierarchy; means for dynamically selecting one of the initialization alternatives at runtime by a subclass object in the hierarchy which inherits from the class object; means for overriding at least one of the initialization methods in the subclass object in the hierarchy; and means for invoking the overridden method to initialize the first object. - View Dependent Claims (14, 16, 17)
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Specification