Methods and apparatus for building, customizing and using software abstractions of external entities

• US 7,516,447 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Marvin, Kyle W., Chavez, Roderick A., Bau, David III
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang; Insun
• Application Number:
  US10/233,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20030167358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,412 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/41, 719/328, 717136-143, 717/116, 717/162, 717/165, 717/166, 717/167
• US Class Current: 717/140
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/461 Bridge
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

An entity is abstracted through implementation of a proxy object of the present invention, including functions for a software application to programmatically interact with the entity at runtime, as well as optional compile and design time implementation classes to support the development and customization of declarative proxy object definitions. In one embodiment, builder and resource interfaces are provided to assist in the creation of the implementation classes. In one embodiment, an extension interface is also provided to facilitate extension of an implementation of the proxy object. Software applications including programmatic usage of proxy object functions are compiled into object codes with proxy objects and meta data files. The compiled object codes are executed using a runtime engine, which includes proxy context objects to facilitate interaction on an instance basis, and an asynchronous event router to route asynchronous events for the entity.

Claims

1. A compile-time environment comprising:

a processor; and

a compiler coupled to and operated by the processor, the compiler to parse a software application in source form, including parsing logic to discern and comprehend a proxy object declaration, and in response, gather (1) one or more declarative annotations from the software application, the declarative annotations including proxy object settings of a proxy object, and (2) a proxy object definition defining the proxy object, the proxy object abstracting an external entity, and the proxy object is to be generated to assist the software application in interacting with the entity, the proxy object definition identifying at least an implementation of the proxy object to be generated and the implementation of the proxy object having one or more functions to assist the software application in programmatically interacting with the entity, and generate the software application in executable form and the proxy object, based at least in part on the result of said parsing and said gathering, the proxy object settings, the proxy object definition, and the implementation of the proxy object, wherein the compiler generates a first interface function for the proxy object for each added non-built-in function of the implementation of the proxy object, with each first interface function invoking an invoke function to effectuate interaction with the entity for the corresponding added non-built-in function and includes with the generated proxy object one or more interface callback functions to receive reporting of asynchronous events from an asynchronous event router for the entity.

2. The compile-time environment of claim 1, wherein

the proxy object settings of the declarative annotations have one or more configurable properties of the implementation of the proxy object.

3. The compile-time environment of claim 1, wherein the compiler includes with the executable form of the software application, proxy initialization code to instantiate the proxy object, during execution of the software application.

4. The compile-time environment of claim 3, wherein the proxy initialization code is equipped to assign an instance of the proxy object to a variable identified by the proxy object declaration, and register the proxy object to receive notifications of the asynchronous events of the entity.

5. The compile-time environment of claim 3, wherein the compiler includes with the executable form of the software application, the proxy initialization code, in a manner, to ensure the proxy initialization code is executed prior to any programmatic usage of the one or more functions of the implementation of the proxy object by the software application to interact with the entity.

6. The compile-time environment of claim 1, wherein the compiler includes with the generated proxy object one or more second interface functions to receive programmatically invocations of built-in functions of the implementation of the proxy object.

7. The compile-time environment of claim 6, wherein the compiler generates one or more third interface functions for the proxy object for each built-in function of the implementation of the proxy object, with each third interface function invoking the corresponding built-in function to interact with the entity.

8. The compile-time environment of claim 1, wherein the invoke function is equipped to access companion meta data of the proxy object, including meta data describing each added non-built-in function to comprehend the interaction between the software application and the entity, on which the invoke function is to effectuate.

9. The compile-time environment of claim 1, wherein the compiler includes with the generated proxy object, the invoke function to effectuate interaction with the entity for each added non-built-in function of an implementation of the proxy object declaration.

10. The compile-time environment of claim 1, wherein the compiler further generates a companion meta data of the proxy object describing selected aspects of the proxy object.

11. The compile-time environment of claim 1, wherein the compiler further generates a proxy object factory based on the proxy object for enabling n-way interactions between the software application and the entity.

12. The compile-time environment of claim 1, wherein the compiler generates one interface callback function for the proxy object for each built-in callback of an implementation of the proxy object, with each interface callback function invoking the corresponding built-in callback function for the reported asynchronous events to be handled by the corresponding built-in callback.

13. The compile-time environment of claim 1, wherein the compiler generates one interface callback function for the proxy object for each added non-built-in callback of an implementation of the proxy object declaration, with each interface callback function invoking a corresponding event handler of the software application for the reported asynchronous events to be handled by the corresponding event handler of the software application.

14. A runtime environment comprising:

a processor;

a loader operated by the processor and to load a software application in executable form for execution, the software application including proxy initialization codes that are included to generate instantiation of a proxy object, the proxy object abstracting an external entity, and wherein an implementation of the proxy object includes one or more functions the software application programmatically employ to interact with the entity and an invoke function to effectuate interaction with the entity through added one or more non-built-in functions of the implementation of the proxy object; and

an asynchronous event router operated by the processor and to report asynchronous events to the software application for the entity, through the proxy object, wherein the asynchronous event router is equipped to listen for the asynchronous events generated by the entity and to report detected asynchronous events by the entity to selected ones of interface callback functions of the proxy object.

15. The runtime environment of claim 14, wherein the proxy object includes one or more interface functions to receive programmatically invocations of the one or more functions of the implementation of the proxy object.

16. The runtime environment of claim 14, wherein the proxy object has a companion meta data describing selected aspects of the proxy object including settings for configurable properties of the implementation of the proxy object.

17. The runtime environment of claim 14, wherein the proxy object has a proxy object factory based on the proxy object to enable n-way interactions between the software application and the entity.

18. The runtime environment of claim 14, wherein the selected ones of interface callback functions comprise an interface callback function for a built-in callback of a default implementation of the proxy object, with the interface callback function invoking a corresponding built-in callback function for the reported asynchronous events to be handled by the corresponding built-in callback.

19. The runtime environment of claim 14, wherein the selected ones of interface callback functions comprise an interface callback function for an added non-built-in callback of the implementation of the proxy object, with the interface callback function invoking a corresponding event handler of the software application for the reported asynchronous events to be handled by the corresponding event handler of the software application.

20. A software compilation method comprising:

parsing, by a compiler, a software application in source form, including discerning and comprehending a proxy object declaration;

gathering, by the compiler, (1) one or more declarative annotations from the software application, the declarative annotations including proxy object settings of a proxy object, and (2) a proxy object definition defining the proxy object, the proxy object abstracting an external entity, and the proxy object is to be generated to assist the software application in interacting with the entity, the proxy object definition identifying at least an implementation of a proxy object to be generated and the implementation of the proxy object having one or more functions to assist the software application in programmatically interacting with the entity; and

generating, by the compiler, the software application in executable form and the proxy object, based at least in part on the result of said parsing and said gathering, the proxy object settings, the proxy object definition, and an implementation of the proxy object, wherein said generating comprises generating a first interface function for the proxy object for each added non-built-in function of the implementation of the proxy object, with each first interface function invoking an invoke function to effectuate interaction with the entity for the corresponding added non-built-in function and inclusion with the generated proxy object one or more interface callback functions to receive reporting of asynchronous events generated by the entity from an asynchronous event router for the entity.

21. The software compilation method of claim 20, wherein

the proxy object settings of the declarative annotations have one or more configurable properties of the implementation of the proxy object.

22. The software compilation method of claim 20, wherein said generating comprises inclusion with the executable form of the software application, proxy initialization code to instantiate the proxy object, during execution of the software application.

23. The software compilation method of claim 22, wherein the proxy initialization code is equipped to assign an instance of the proxy object to a variable identified by the proxy object declaration, and register the proxy object to receive notifications of the asynchronous events of the entity.

24. The software compilation method of claim 22, wherein said generating further comprises inclusion with the executable form of the software application, the proxy initialization code, in a manner, to allow the proxy initialization code to be executed prior to any programmatic usage of the one or more functions of the proxy object by the software application to interact with the entity.

25. The software compilation method of claim 20, wherein said generating comprises inclusion with the generated proxy object one or more second interface functions to receive programmatically invocations of built-in functions of the implementation of the proxy object.

26. The software compilation method of claim 25, wherein said generating comprises generating one or more third interface functions for the proxy object for each built-in function of the implementation of the proxy object, with each third interface function invoking the corresponding built-in function to interact with the entity.

27. The software compilation method of claim 20, wherein the invoke function is equipped to access companion meta data of the proxy object, including meta data describing each added non-built-in function, to comprehend the interaction between the software application and the entity, on which the invoke function is to effectuate.

28. The software compilation method of claim 20, wherein said generating comprises generating companion meta data of the proxy object describing selected aspects of the proxy object.

29. The software compilation method of claim 20, wherein said generating comprises generating a proxy object factory based on the proxy object to enable n-way interactions between the software application and the entity.

30. The software compilation method of claim 20, wherein said generating comprises generating one interface callback function for the proxy object for each built-in callback of the implementation of the proxy object, with each interface callback function invoking the corresponding built-in callback function for the reported asynchronous events to be handled by the corresponding built-in callback.

31. The software compilation method of claim 20, wherein said generating comprises generating one interface callback function for the proxy object for each added non-built-in callback of the implementation of the proxy object, with each interface callback function invoking a corresponding event handler of the software application for the reported asynchronous events to be handled by the corresponding event handler of the software application.

32. An execution method comprising:

loading a software application in executable form for execution, including execution of the software application at an included proxy initialization code of the software application in the executable form to instantiate a proxy object, the proxy object abstracting an external entity, and wherein an implementation of the proxy object has one or more functions to assist the software application to programmatically employ to interact with the entity and an invoke function to effectuate interaction with the entity through each added non-built-in function of the implementation of the proxy object; and

reporting asynchronous events to the software application for the entity, through the proxy object, wherein an asynchronous event router listens for the asynchronous events generated by the entity and reports detected asynchronous events by the entity to selected ones of interface callback functions of the proxy object.

33. The execution method of claim 32, wherein the method further comprises proxy invocation code of the software application in the executable form invoking one or more interface functions of the proxy object to generate programmatic invocations of the one or more functions of an implementation of the proxy object.

34. The execution method of claim 32, wherein the method further comprises the proxy object accessing companion meta data that describe selected aspects of the proxy object.

35. The execution method of claim 32, wherein the method further comprises generating a proxy object factory based on the proxy object enabling an n-way interaction between the software application and the entity.

36. The execution method of claim 32, wherein the method further comprises an interface callback function of the proxy object for a built-in callback of the implementation of the proxy object, with the interface callback function invoking a corresponding built-in callback function for the reported asynchronous events to be handled by the corresponding built-in callback.

37. The execution method of claim 36, wherein the method further comprises an interface callback function for an added non-built-in callback of the implementation of the proxy object invoking a corresponding event handler of the software application for the reported asynchronous events to be handled by the corresponding event handler of the software application.