Method and apparatus for supporting data communication between program components
First Claim
1. In a computer system, a method for implementing an inter-component communication mechanism comprising:
- registering a container of connection points of an application with a communication manager upon instantiation of the application;
storing a registration map in the communication manager of registered containers of connection points; and
upon instantiation of the application, determining by the communication manager if the instantiated application includes one or more listeners; and
if the communication manager determines that the instantiated application includes one or more listeners;
searching through the registration map for at least one connection point having a given connection point type; and
connecting at least one listener of the instantiated application having the given connection point type with the at least one connection point resulting from the searching.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An embodiment of the invention includes a method and apparatus for enabling application components to communicate through connection points. Embodiments of the invention include a communication manger allowing application components that implement connection points and listeners to communicate without having prior knowledge of each other'"'"'s implementation. Application components implement connection point containers that register with a communication manager. Application components may broadcast events and messages to other components and request to be notified when an application component implementing a given type of connection point registers with the communication manager. Other embodiments of the invention implement proxy classes, which allows for automatic generation of connection point classes.
22 Citations
39 Claims
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1. In a computer system, a method for implementing an inter-component communication mechanism comprising:
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registering a container of connection points of an application with a communication manager upon instantiation of the application; storing a registration map in the communication manager of registered containers of connection points; and upon instantiation of the application, determining by the communication manager if the instantiated application includes one or more listeners; and if the communication manager determines that the instantiated application includes one or more listeners; searching through the registration map for at least one connection point having a given connection point type; and connecting at least one listener of the instantiated application having the given connection point type with the at least one connection point resulting from the searching. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. In a computer system, a method for implementing an inter-component communication mechanism comprising:
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registering a first component with a communication manager; issuing a request to the communication manager by the first component to be notified of other registrations; instantiating a second application component; receiving a registration request from the second application component; broadcasting the request to the first application component; linking an event listener of the first application component with a connection point of the second application component; and upon instantiation of the second application component, determining by the communication manager if the instantiated application includes one or more listeners; and if the communication manager determines that the instantiated application includes one or more listeners; searching through the registration map for at least one connection point having a given connection point type; and connecting at least one listener of the instantiated second application component having the given connection point type with the at least one connection point resulting from the searching. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. In a computer system, a method for developing a computer application enabled with a mechanism for inter-component communication comprising:
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implementing a listener interface in at least two application components; implementing a connection point class in at least one application component, wherein the connection point class implementing a connection point interface is enabled to broadcast messages to a plurality of listeners implementing the listener interface; implementing a communication manager component comprising a registration map; obtaining a connection point container containing the at least one the connection point class; implementing a plurality of methods in the connection point to communicate with the plurality of listeners; and implementing in the communication manager one or more methods that upon instantiation of an application component; determines if the instantiated application includes one or more listeners; and if the one or methods of the communication manager determines that the instantiated application includes one or more listeners; searches through the registration map for at least one connection point having a given connection point type; and connects at least one listener of the instantiated application component having the given connection point type with the at least one connection point resulting from the searching. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A computer program product comprising:
a computer usable medium for implementing an inter-component communication, the computer usable medium comprising computer readable program code configured to; register a container of connection points with a communication manager, wherein the container is implemented by an instantiated application; store a registration map in the communication manager of registered containers of connection points; upon instantiation of the application, determine by the communication manager if the instantiated application includes one or more listeners; and if the communication manager determines that the instantiated application includes one or more listeners; search through the registration map for any connection point having a given connection point type; and connect at least one listener of the instantiated application having the given connection point type with the any connection point resulting from the searching. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A computer program product comprising:
a computer usable medium for implementing an inter-component communication, the computer usable medium comprising computer readable program code configured to; register a first component with a communication manager; issue a request to the communication manager by the first component to be notified of other registrations; receive a registration request from a second application component; broadcast the request to the first application component; link an event listener of the first application component with a connection point of the second application component; and upon instantiation of the application, determining by the communication manager if the instantiated application includes one or more listeners; and if the communication manager determines that the instantiated application includes one or more listeners; searching through the registration map for at least one connection point having a given connection point type; and connecting at least one listener of the instantiated second application component having the given connection point type with the at least one connection point resulting from the searching. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A system for implementing an inter-component communication mechanism comprising:
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a means for registering a container of connection points of an application with a communication manager upon instantiation of the application; a means for storing a registration map in the communication manager of registered containers of connection points; a communication manager for determining, upon instantiation of the application, if the instantiated application includes one or more listeners; a means for searching through the registration map for at least one connection point having a given connection point type upon instantiation of the application if the instantiated application includes one or more listeners; and a means for connecting at least one listener of the instantiated application having the given connection point type with the at least one connection point resulting from the searching upon instantiation of the application if the instantiated application includes one or more listeners.
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34. In a network system having a plurality of computers, a method for implementing an inter-component communication mechanism between each of the plurality of computers comprising:
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registering a container of connection points of an application with a communication manager upon instantiation of the application; storing a registration map in the communication manager of registered containers of connection points; and upon instantiation of the application, determining by the communication manager if the instantiated application includes one or more listeners; and if the communication manager determines that the instantiated application includes one or more listeners; searching through the registration map for at least one connection point having a given connection point type; and connecting at least one listener of the instantiated application having the given connection point type with the at least one connection point resulting from the searching.
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35. An apparatus configured to implement a connection point mechanism to communication between a plurality of components in a Graphical User Interface (GUI) comprising:
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a processor; a memory medium coupled to said processor, said memory medium comprising a module configured to manage the components of a Graphical User Interface, the module comprising; a first element configured to register a container of connection points of an application with a communication manager upon instantiation of the application a second element configured to store a registration map in the communication manager of registered containers of connection points; a third element to determine, upon instantiation of the application, if the instantiated application includes one or more listeners; a fourth element configured to search through the registration map for at least one connection point having a given connection point type upon instantiation of the application if the instantiated application includes one or more listeners; and a fifth element configured to connect at least one listener of the instantiated application having the given connection point type with the at least one connection point resulting from the searching upon instantiation of the application if the instantiated application includes one or more listeners. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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38. An apparatus configured to implement a connection point mechanism to communication between a plurality of components in a Graphical User Interface (GUI) comprising:
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a processor; a memory medium coupled to said processor, said memory medium comprising a module configured to manage the components of a Graphical User Interface, the module comprising; a first element configured to register a first component with a communication manager; a second element configured to issue a request to the communication manager by the first component to be notified of other registrations; a third element configured to receive a registration request from a second application component; a fourth element configured to broadcast the request to the first application component; a fifth element configured to link an event listener of the first application component with a connection point of the second application component; a sixth element to determine, upon instantiation of the second application, if the instantiated second application includes one or more listeners; a seventh element configured to search through the registration map for at least one connection point having a given connection point type upon instantiation of the second application if the instantiated second application includes one or more listeners; and an eighth element configured to connect at least one listener of the instantiated second application having the given connection point type with the at least one connection point resulting from the searching upon instantiation of the application if the instantiated application includes one or more listeners. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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Specification