Object-oriented software system allowing live modification of an application

• US 7,168,062 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2000
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Objectbuilders Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Objectbuilders Incorporated
• Inventors: Schmitter, Robert L
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nahar; Qamrun
• Application Number:
  US09/559,224
• Time in Patent Office: 2,463 Days
• Field of Search: 717/153, 717/154, 717/155, 717/156, 717/165, 717/121, 717/120, 717/122, 717/168, 717/110, 717/113, 717/108, 717/109, 717/148
• US Class Current: 717/110
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running

Abstract

An object-oriented software system permits live modification of objects deployed in an execution environment. The system comprises an inspector configured to modify the attributes of deployed object, and a means for selecting and launching inspectors configured for modification of corresponding objects in the execution environment. The system is capable of real-time or live updating of objects in an application or execution environment. As objects of an application are deployed into the execution environment, such as by de-archiving corresponding object documents, a document server process may register such deployment in order to provide access to corresponding inspectors. Applicants modified in accordance with the present invention can be re-archived to maintain such modifications when re-deployed on any desired platform.

Claims

1. An object-oriented software system on a computer system, comprising:

an execution environment;

an application executing within the execution environment, comprising a plurality of application objects;

a first inspector object, executable within the execution environment, configurable to communicate with a method of a first application object of the application executing in the execution environment independently of the first inspector object, to modify a first attribute of the first application object;

a first inspector document, associated with the first inspector object and independent of the first application object, configurable to describe the first attribute of the first application object; and

a server configured to add the first application object, the first inspector object, and the first inspector document to the execution environment, to provide a user interface to the first inspector object, and to configure the first inspector object and the first inspector document for communication with the first application object,

wherein the application provides a single view for both end users and developers of the application.

2. The object-oriented software system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second inspector object, configurable to communicate with the first application object to change a second attribute of the first application object; and

a second inspector document, associated with the second inspector object and independent of the first application object, configurable to describe the second attribute of the first application object.

3. The object-oriented software system of claim 1,

wherein the first inspector object is further configurable to communicate with a method of a second application object executing in the execution environment independently of the first inspector object, to modify an attribute of the second application object,

wherein the first inspector document is further configurable to describe the attribute of the second application object,

wherein the first inspector document is independent of the second application object, and

wherein the server is further configured to configure the first inspector object and the first inspector document for communication with the second application object.

4. The object-oriented software system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second inspector document, associated with the first inspector object,

wherein the first inspector object is further configurable to communicate with a method of a second application object executing in the execution environment independently of the first inspector object, to modify an attribute of the second application object,

wherein the second inspector document is configurable to describe the attribute of the second application object,

wherein the second inspector document is independent of the second application object, and

wherein the server is further configured to configure the first inspector object and the second inspector document for communication with the second application object.

5. The object-oriented software system of claim 1,

wherein the server is further configured for searching and identifying each of the plurality of application objects having a common attribute selected for modification, to allow selective modification of each of the identified application objects.

6. The object-oriented software system of claim 1, wherein the first inspector object is configured to generate a display of the first attribute.

7. The object-oriented software system of claim 1, wherein the method of the first application object modifies the first attribute.

8. The object-oriented system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for archiving the first application object as modified by communication between the first inspector object and the first application object.

9. The object-oriented system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for retrieving the first application object as archived by the means for archiving.

10. The object-oriented system of claim 1, wherein the execution environment comprises a web browser.

11. The object-oriented system of claim 1, wherein the first attribute is a visual attribute of the first application object.

12. The object-oriented system of claim 1, wherein the communication between the first inspector object and the first application object modifies the first attribute to be conditionally dependent on a characteristic of the execution environment.

13. The object-oriented system of claim 1, further comprising:

an inventory of application objects executing in the execution environment, maintained by the server.

14. The object-oriented system of claim 1, the server further configured to select the first inspector object from a plurality of inspector objects managed by the server, the server selecting the first inspector object depending on the first application object and instantiating the first inspector object in the execution environment.

15. The object-oriented system of claim 1, further comprising:

a library of objects,

wherein the server is configured to select and instantiate objects from the library of objects for execution in the execution environment.

16. The object-oriented system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to maintain a history of modifications made to the first attribute.

17. An object oriented software system on a computer system, comprising:

an execution environment;

an application executing in the execution environment, comprising a plurality of application objects;

a plurality of inspector objects, each executable within the execution environment, and each configurable to communicate with a method of a corresponding application object of the plurality of application objects executing in the execution environment independently of the plurality of inspector objects, each of the plurality of inspector objects configured to request the corresponding application object to modify an attribute of the corresponding application object;

a plurality of inspector documents, each associated with one of the plurality of inspector objects and independent of the corresponding application object, each configurable to describe the attribute of the corresponding application object; and

a server configured to select and instantiate application objects, inspector objects, and inspector documents in the execution environment, to provide a user interface to the each of the inspector objects, and to configure each of the inspector objects and the inspector documents for communication with the corresponding application object,

wherein the application provides a single view for both end users and developers of the application.

18. The object-oriented system of claim 17, further comprising:

a library of objects, the server selecting the application objects, inspector objects, and inspector documents from the library of objects.

19. The object oriented system of claim 17, where the attribute is an operational attribute of the corresponding application object.

20. The object-oriented system of claim 17, wherein the server is remote to the execution environment.

21. The object-oriented system of claim 17, wherein the server communicates with the execution environment via a network communication protocol.

22. The object-oriented system of claim 17, wherein a first inspector object of the plurality of inspector objects is configured to determine attributes of a first corresponding application object.

23. A method of manipulating objects in an execution environment comprising:

executing an application in a first execution environment, the application comprising a plurality of application objects;

selecting an inspector object for modifying an attribute of an application object of the plurality of application objects;

executing the selected inspector object in the execution environment independent of the application object;

selecting an inspector document corresponding to the inspector object and configured to describe the attribute of the application object, the inspector document independent of the application object;

communicating between the inspector object and the application object using the inspector document, modifying an attribute of the application object; and

archiving the application object as modified,

wherein the application provides a single view for both end users and developers of the application.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

de-archiving the application object;

executing the de-archived application object in a second execution environment, the second execution environment independent of the first execution environment.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

storing the application object in a library of objects;

selecting the application object in the library; and

deploying the application object into the execution environment from the library.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

customizing the inspector document for the application object.

27. The method of claim 23, the step of selecting an inspector object comprising:

presenting a plurality of inspector objects to a user; and

selecting the inspector object from the list of inspector objects.

28. The method of claim 23, the step of selecting an inspector object comprising:

providing a server in communication with the execution environment;

identifying attributes of the application object by the server; and

automatically selecting an inspector object corresponding to the attributes identified by the server.

29. The method of claim 23, the step of accessing an inspector document comprising:

dynamically discovering attributes of the application object by the inspector object;

creating the inspector document corresponding to the discovered attributes, independent of the application object; and

associating the inspector object with the inspector document.

30. The method of claim 23, the step of selecting an inspector object comprising:

assembling a new inspector object; and

selecting the new inspector object as the inspector object,

wherein the step of assembling a new inspector object is performed without any additional coding.

31. An object-oriented software system on a computer system, comprising:

an execution environment;

a library of application objects;

a server, configured to selectively deploy a first application object and a second application object from the library of application objects into the execution environment, the first application object and the second application object executing in the execution environment independently of the server upon deployment by the server, the server further configured to assemble the first application object and the second application object into an application and to modify attributes of the first application object and the second application object;

an inspector object, executing independently of the first application object and the second application object and configured by the server for modification of attributes of the first application object; and

an inspector document associated with the inspector object and independent of the first application object and the second application object, the inspector document configurable to describe the attributes of the first application object,

wherein the application provides a single view to end users and developers of the application, and

wherein the first application object and the second application object have no predetermined relationship with each other.

32. The object-oriented software system of claim 31, further comprising:

wherein the server is further configured to discover attributes of the first application object, and

wherein the server is further configured to configure the inspector document to describe a first attribute of the attributes of the first application object discovered by the server, and

wherein the inspector object is configured to use the inspector document to selectively modify the first attribute.

33. The object-oriented software system of claim 31,

wherein the inspector document is associated with the inspector object and configured to describe a first attribute of the first application object,

wherein the inspector object is configured to use the inspector document to selectively modify the first attribute.