Mechanism and method for flexible coupling of processes in an object oriented framework

• US 6,308,314 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1998
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Reason, Simon Paul, Graser, Timothy James, Carlson, Brent Allen, Pernbeck, Torbjorn, Lindblom, Ulf Jesper Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZHEN, WEI Y
• Application Number:
  US09/162,719
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 717/1, 717/11, 703/103.Y, 707/203, 709/310
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4493 Object persistence

Abstract

In an object oriented computer system, a framework mechanism defines a mechanism that separates the ability to complete a process from the results of that process. A task is defined in the framework in terms of a sequence of processes. The framework includes a coupling mechanism for flexibly coupling any of these processes together in any suitable order to define the run-time behavior of the framework without changing the core functions of the framework. The coupling mechanism includes the definition of a processable interface and a processing interface. A particular process generally takes detail information as input and produces detail information that is used in a subsequent process. The detail information input into a process is said to be “processable”, and therefore implements the “processable” interface. The detail information output from a process is said to be “processing” detail that is output to the next process, and therefore implements the processing interface. Thus, an object that uses “shippable” detail information as input through its processable interface generates corresponding “shipping” detail information for each shippable detail, which is output to one or more subsequent processes via the processing interface. A particular processable can be associated with any processing interface that supports the processable interface. In other words, any process-related class in the framework can be coupled to any other process-related class, provided one class has a processing interface that corresponds to the processable interface of the subsequent class. In this manner, classes in the framework mechanism can be flexibly coupled together in any suitable order or fashion to accommodate a great variety of different configurations. The framework mechanism therefore provides a high degree of implementation while maintaining the ability to achieve a high degree of customization.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor;

an object oriented framework mechanism residing in the memory, the object oriented framework mechanism including;

a first abstract interface corresponding to processable behaviors for at least one process defined by the framework mechanism, wherein the first abstract interface comprises a core function of the framework mechanism;

a second abstract interface corresponding to processing behaviors for the at least one process, wherein the second abstract interface comprises a core function of the framework mechanism; and

a user interface that allows a user to extend the first abstract interface to provide an extended first interface, that allows the user to extend the second abstract interface to provide an extended second interface, and that allows the user to couple the extended first interface to the extended second interface to define at least a portion of the desired processing environment without changing a plurality of core functions of the framework mechanism.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the extended first interface and the extended second interface comprise user-defined extensions to the first and second abstract interfaces.

3. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor;

an object oriented framework mechanism residing in the memory, the object oriented framework mechanism including;

a plurality of classes;

a first abstract interface corresponding to processable behaviors for at least one process defined by the framework mechanism, wherein the first abstract interface comprises a core function of the framework mechanism;

a second abstract interface corresponding to processing behaviors for the at least one process, wherein the second abstract interface comprises a core function of the framework mechanism;

at least one first user-defined extension to the first abstract interface;

at least one second user-defined extension to the second abstract interface;

at least one of the plurality of classes implementing the at least one first user-defined extension;

at least one of the plurality of classes implementing the at least one second user-defined extension;

a user interface that allows a user to couple the user-defined extension to the second interface in one class to the user-defined extension to the first interface in a different class to define at least a portion of a desired processing environment without changing the core functions of the framework mechanism.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the user interface assures that the second interface supports the first interface by the second interface implementing the first interface.

5. A method for defining a desired processing environment using an object oriented framework mechanism, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of classes defined by the framework mechanism;

providing a first interface corresponding to processable behaviors for at least one process;

providing a second interface corresponding to processing behaviors for the at least one process;

wherein the first and second interfaces are user extensions to abstract interfaces that are core functions of the framework mechanism;

at least one of the plurality of classes implementing the first interface;

at least one of the plurality of classes implementing the second interface; and

a user using a user interface to couple a class implementing the second interface to a class implementing the first interface without changing a plurality of core fuinctions of the framework mechanism.

6. A method for a user to couple together processes defined by a plurality of classes in an object oriented framework mechanism to define a desired processing environment, the method comprising the steps of:

the framework mechanism providing a first abstract interface corresponding to processable behaviors for at least one process defined by the framework mechanism;

the framework mechanism providing a second abstract interface corresponding to processing behaviors for at least one process defined by the framework mechanism;

a user extending the first abstract interface to define a first extended interface;

a user extending the second abstract interface to define a second extended interface;

at least one of the plurality of classes implementing the first extended interface;

at least one of the plurality of classes implementing the second extended interface;

a user using a user interface to couple the at least one class implementing the second extended interface to a class implementing the first extended interface to define at least a portion of the desired processing environment without changing a plurality of core flnctions of the framework mechanism.

7. A program product comprising:

(A) an object oriented framework mechanism including;

a plurality of classes;

a first abstract interface corresponding to processable behaviors for at least one process defined by the framework mechanism;

a second abstract interface corresponding to processing behaviors for the at least one process;

at least one first user-defined extension to the first abstract interface;

at least one second user-defined extension to the second abstract interface;

at least one of the plurality of classes implementing the at least one first user-defined extension;

at least one of the plurality of classes implementing the at least one second user-defined extension;

a user interface that allows a user to couple the user-defined extension to the second interface in one class to the user-defined extension to the first interface in a different class to define at least a portion of a desired processing environment without changing a plurality of core functions of the framework mechanism; and

(B) signal bearing media bearing the framework mechanism.

8. The program product of claim 7 wherein the signal bearing media comprises recordable media.

9. The program product of claim 7 wherein the signal bearing media comprises transmission media.

10. The program product of claim 7 wherein the user interface assures that the second interface supports the first interface by the second interface implementing the first interface.