Method and apparatus for a core application programming interface

• US 6,598,093 B1
• Filed: 05/14/1998
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Jeffrey A., Saulpaugh, Thomas, Slaughter, Gregory L., Traversat, Bernard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberley, Alvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): BULLOCK JR, LEWIS ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US09/079,102
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 709/328, 709/310, 709/315, 709/316, 707/1-10, 707/103.R, 707/103.Y, 707/103, 707/103.Z
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for implementing a core application programming interface which is a part of more than one application programming interface are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a class structure in an object based system is arranged to provide application programming interfaces which enable access to a system database. The class structure includes a first set of classes that define a core application programming interface, a second set of classes that define a client application programming interface, and a third set of classes that define a server application programming interface. The second set of classes includes the first set of classes, and the third set of classes includes the second set of classes. In one embodiment, the first set of classes includes interfaces.

Claims

1. A class structure in an object based system, the class structure being arranged to provide application programming interfaces which enable access to a system database, the class structure comprising:

a first set of classes, the first set of classes being arranged to define a core application programming interface, wherein the first set of classes includes at least one public interface;

a second set of classes, the second set of classes including the first set of classes, wherein the second set of classes is arranged to define a client application programming interface associated with a client, the client being in communication with the system database; and

a third set of classes, the third set of classes including the second set of classes, wherein the third set of classes is arranged to define a server application programming interface associated with a server, the server being in communication with the system database.

2. A class structure as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least one interface includes an Entry interface.

3. A class structure as recited in claim 1 wherein the first set of classes includes at least one abstract class and at least one concrete class.

4. A class structure as recited in claim 3 wherein the at least one abstract class includes a BaseEntry class, and the at least one concrete class includes a SystemDatabase class, a Query class, and a PropertyQuery class.

5. A class structure as recited in claim 4 wherein the second set of classes includes a SystemEntry class, the SystemEntry class being a concrete class.

6. A class structure as recited in claim 5 wherein the third set of classes includes a SystemAliasEntry class and a PersistentSystemEntry class, wherein the SystemAliasEntry class and the PersistentSystemEntry class are concrete classes.

7. A class structure as recited in claim 1 wherein the core application programming interface is a public application programming interface.

8. A class structure in an object based system, the class structure being arranged to provide application programming interfaces which enable access to a system database, the system database being associated with the object based system, the class structure comprising:

a client application programming interface, the client application programming interface including a hierarchy of classes and interfaces, the client application programming interface being associated with a client that is in communication with the system database, wherein the client application programming interface is a public application programming interface, the public application programming interface including public methods and public interfaces; and

a server application programming interface, the server application programming interface including the client application programming interface, the server application programming interface being associated with a server that is in communication with the system database, the server further being in communication with the client.

9. A class structure as recited in claim 8 wherein the system database is a Java system database.

10. A class structure as recited in claim 8 wherein the server application programming interface includes at least one class that is not included in the hierarchy of classes and interfaces associated with the client application programming interface.

11. A computer program product for providing application programming interfaces in an object based computing system, the application programming interfaces being arranged to access a system database associated with the object based computing system, the computer program product comprising:

computer code that defines a first set of classes, the first set of classes being arranged to define a core application programming interface, wherein the first set of classes includes at least one public interface;

computer code that defines a second set of classes, the second set of classes being arranged to include the first set of classes, wherein the second set of classes is further arranged to define a client application programming interface associated with a client, the client being in communication with the system database;

computer code that defines a third set of classes, the third set of classes being arranged to include the second set of classes, wherein the third set of classes is further arranged to define a server application programming interface associated with a server, the server being in communication with the system database; and

a computer readable medium that stores the computer codes.

12. A computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the computer readable medium is one selected from the group consisting of a data signal embodied in a carrier wave, a computer disk, a CD-ROM, a tape, a flash memory, a system memory, and a computer hard drive.

13. A computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the at least one public interface includes an Entry interface.

14. A computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the computer code that defines the first set of classes includes computer code that defines at least one abstract class and at least one concrete class.

15. A computer program product according to claim 14 wherein the computer code that defines the at least one abstract class includes computer code that defines a BaseEntry class, and the computer code that defines the at least one concrete class includes computer code that defines a SystemDatabase class, a Query class, and a PropertyQuery class.

16. A computer program product according to claim 15 wherein the core application programming interface is a public application programming interface.

17. A computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the system database is a Java System database.