Method, system and data structures for computer software application development and execution

• US 6,125,442 A
• Filed: 12/12/1997
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maves International Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Maves International Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Bennett, James, Clarke, Matthew, Maves, Walter, McGuirk, Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): CALDWELL, PATRICIA G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H.
• Application Number:
  US08/990,181
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 345/302, 707/515, 712/223, 712/226, 712/227
• US Class Current: 712/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/31 Programming languages or programming paradigms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

A method, system and data structures for software development and execution includes a Run Time Event Manager and a set of Models. A Model is a type of data structure that contains no code but an ordered set of references to other Models, to Methods, or other Objects. Models are made accessible to the Run Time Event Manager by registering them upon satisfaction of a set of conditions. In one embodiment of the invention, the Run Time Events Manager is a fetch-execute loop implemented in code that, upon each loop, operates upon one of a set of Models, checks external I/O conditions and, subject to such conditions, may process different or Variant Models, rather than standard or Paradigm Models associated with default conditions. Also, an Elastic Database may be implemented according to the invention that permits dynamically extensible database functionality.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for running applications software, the system having a processor, a memory, and a storage medium, the system comprising:

a plurality of Models stored in the storage medium, the Models each containing data including references to one or more Objects; and

a Run Time Events Manager adapted for loading into memory from the storage medium a selected one of the plurality of Models, reading the data of the selected Model, and when a reference to an Object is read, invoking and executing the Object,

wherein the Models are part of a set of Models created according to a registration process wherein a Model is registered only if the Model does not contain a reference to a Method that can invoke another Method, and wherein the Run Time Events Manager can access only Models that have been registered according to the registration process.

4. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, in which the Models comprise:

a. a first type of Model that forms a Paradigm; and

b. a second type of Model that is a Variant of the Paradigm model.

5. The computer-implemented system of claim 4, in which Variant Models have one or more associated conditions that must be satisfied for the Variant Model to be processed by the Run Time Events Manager.

6. The computer-implemented system of claim 5, in which the Run Time Events Manager is further adapted for:

a. checking, when a paradigm Model has been invoked, the presence of a Variant model for that paradigm Model;

b. if a variant Model is present, retrieving that Model;

c. checking whether the conditions for the retrieved Variant Model exist; and

d. if the conditions for the retrieved Variant Model exist, processing the Variant Model.

7. The computer-implemented system of claim 6, in which the Run Time Events Manager is adapted for repeating steps b-d until no further Variant Models associated with a paradigm Model, and for which Variant Models the associated conditions exist.

8. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, in which the Run Time Events Manager is adapted for processing actions external to the Models after processing each Object in a Model.

2. A computer-implemented method for operating a database system comprising the steps of:

a. loading a Base Record having one or more fields from a Base File;

b. checking a Variation Set run-time map for the presence of a Variation Set corresponding to the Base File; and

c. if a Variation Set is present, retrieving data from the Variation Set.

3. The computer-implemented method for operating a database system of claim 2, wherein the step of retrieving data from the Variation Set further comprises the steps of:

checking whether conditions for the Variation Set exist; and

if the conditions for the retrieved Variation Set exist and are met, retrieving the data from the Variation Set which applies to the Base Record.

9. A computer-implemented database system, the system having a processor, a memory, and a storage medium, the system comprising:

a Base File stored in the storage medium, the Base File containing a plurality of base records, each Base Record having one or more fields;

at least one Variation Set stored in the storage medium corresponding to the Base File; and

the system programmed to implement a Variation Set run-time map adapted for determining which Variation Set applies to a particular Base Record.

10. The computer-implemented database system of claim 9, in which the Variation Set has one or more associated conditions that must be satisfied for the Variation Set to apply to a particular Base Record.

11. The computer-implemented database system of claim 10, in which the Variation Set run-time map includes a Condition Field List, a Condition Group List, and a Variation Group List.