Computer system where giving and receiving a data between programs are controlled

• US 6,195,708 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1997
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dosa Advances LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Sugimoto, Masahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberley, Alvin E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COURTENAY III, ST JOHN
• Application Number:
  US08/941,233
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 395/680-683, 709/300, 709/301, 709/302, 709/303, 709/310-332
• US Class Current: 719/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications

Abstract

A computer system which operates by means of a plurality of programs and which controls the giving and receiving of data between programs in memory, the computer system including: a data storage area for storage of data which includes data having differing data formats, such as numeric data or character strings; and a data driver which controls the giving and receiving of data between the plurality of programs and the data storage area, wherein in the case in which data is to be passed from a first program to a second program of the plurality of programs, the data driver storing data from the first program into the data storage area, and in accessing the stored data, converting it to a format specified by the second program and passing the data to the second program. In this configuration, it is possible to give and receive data between programs without either considering the differences between systems or platforms, or having to change the common interface between programs. Thus, it is possible to have and utilize free-format data between various systems and platforms.

Claims

1. A computer system which operates by means of a plurality of programs and which controls the giving and receiving of data between programs in a memory, said computer system comprising:

a data storage area included in said memory for storing data which include data having a plurality of different data formats (or data types); and

a data driver for controlling the storing of data from said plurality of programs into said data storage area and the passing of data from said data storage area to said plurality of programs,

wherein, upon receipt of a data-store request which is triggered by a first one of said plurality of programs and which is accompanied by data having its own keyword and its own data format (or data type), said data driver stores said data into said data storage area, the data accompanied by said data-store request including data array size and data value, said data driver dynamically storing data with said data array size and data value into said data storage area, said data driver comprising means for inquiring information with regard to keywords of the data stored in said data storage area,

wherein, upon receipt of a data-access request which is triggered by a second one of said plurality of programs and which is accompanied by the same keyword as that of the data stored in said data storage area and a data format (or data type) requested by said second program, said data driver converts the data format (or data type) of said data stored in said data storage area into the requested data format (or data type) and passes the converted data to said second program, and

wherein common data interfaces between ones of said plurality of programs other than said first and second programs are left unchanged.

2. A computer system which operates by means of a plurality of programs and which controls the giving and receiving of data between programs in a memory said computer system comprising;

a data storage area included in said memory for storing data which include data having a plurality of different data formats (or data types); and

a data driver for controlling the storing of data from said plurality of programs into said data storage area and the passing of data from said data storage area to said plurality of programs.

wherein upon receipt of a data-store request which is triggered by a first one of said plurality of programs and which is accompanied by data having its own keyword and its own data format (or data type), said data driver stores said data into said data storage area. the data accompanied by said data-store request including data array size and data value, and said data driver dynamically storing data with said data array size and data value into said data storage area, said data driver dynamically adding data array size and data value to data having its own keyword and overwriting the added data in said data storage area.

wherein, upon receipt of a data-access request which is triggered by a second one of said plurality of programs and which is accompanied by the same keyword as that of the data stored in said data storage area and a data format (or data type) requested by said second program, said data driver converts the data format (or data type) of said data stored in said data storage area into the requested data format (or data type) and passes the converted data to said other program, and

wherein common data interfaces between ones of said plurality of programs other than said first and second programs are left unchanged.

3. A computer system which operates by means of a plurality of programs and which controls the giving and receiving of data between programs in a memory, said computer system comprising:

a data storage area included in said memory for storing data which include data having a plurality of different data formats (or data types); and

a data driver for controlling the storing of data from said plurality of programs into said data storage area and the passing of data from said data storage area to said plurality of programs,

wherein, upon receipt of a data-store request which is triggered by a first one of said plurality of programs and which is accompanied by data having its own keyword and its own data format (or data type), said data driver stores said data into said data storage area with its data format (or data type), the data accompanied by said data-store request including data array size and data value, said data driver dynamically storing data with said data array size and data value into said data storage area, said data driver comprising means for inquiring information with regard to keywords of the data stored in said data storage area, and

wherein, upon receipt of a data-access request which is triggered by a second one of said plurality of programs and which is accompanied by the same keyword as that of the data stored in said data storage area and a data format (or data type) requested by said second program, said data driver converts the data format (or data type) of said data stored in said data storage area into the requested data format (or data type) and passes the converted data to said second program.

4. A computer system which operates by means of a plurality of programs and which controls the giving and receiving of data between programs in a memory, said computer system comprising:

a data storage area included in said memory for storing data which include data having a plurality of different data formats (or data types); and

a data driver for controlling the storing of data from said plurality of programs into said data storage area and the passing of data from said data storage area to said plurality of programs,

wherein, upon receipt of a data-store request which is triggered by a first one of said plurality of programs and which is accompanied by data having its own keyword and its own data format (or data type), said data driver stores said data into said data storage area with its data format (or data type), the data accompanied by said data-store request including data array size and data value, said data driver dynamically storing data with said data array size and data value into said data storage area, said data driver dynamically adding data array size and data value to data having its own keyword and overwriting the added data in said data storage area, and

wherein, upon receipt of a data-access request which is triggered by a second one of said plurality of programs and which is accompanied by the same keyword as that of the data stored in said data storage area and a data format (or data type) requested by said second program, said data driver converts the data format (or data type) of said data stored in said data storage area into the requested data format (or data type) and passes the converted data to said second program.