Framework for lengthy Java Swing interacting tasks

• US 7,584,478 B1
• Filed: 02/08/2005
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Kushnirskiy, Igor D., Violet, Scott R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough; Hyung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): VERDI, KIMBLEANN C
• Application Number:
  US11/054,586
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: 719311-320, 719328-332, 710/39, 710/54
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for sending data from a process to an event dispatch thread for output, where the event dispatch thread handling events may be related to a user interface. The method may include the steps of providing the process. The process and the event dispatch thread executing independent of one another and the process generating a first method call during execution of the process and a final result upon completion of execution, where the first method call includes a partial result generated by the executing process. The method may further include sending the first method call, storing the first method, including coalescing the first method call with an existing method call, retrieving the partial result from the first method call, and outputting the retrieved first method call on the event dispatch thread such that the partial result is displayed to a user.

Claims

1. A method for sending data from a process to an event dispatch thread for output, the event dispatch thread handling events related to a user interface, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the process, the process and the event dispatch thread executing independent of one another, the process generating a first method call during execution of the process and a final result upon completion of the execution of the process, wherein the first method call includes an object identifier, a method identifier, a first argument, and a partial result generated by the executing process;

sending, during execution of the process, the first method call to a memory;

storing the first method call in the memory, including coalescing the first method call with an existing second method call stored in the memory, the second method call further includes the object identifier, the method identifier, and a second argument, wherein coalescing the first method call and the second method call includes combining the first argument and the second argument;

retrieving the stored coalesced first method call from memory using the event dispatch thread, the retrieving being asynchronous with sending the first method call to the memory;

outputting the retrieved coalesced first method call as an event on the event dispatch thread such that the partial result is displayed to a user on a user interface, wherein outputting the coalesced first method call on the event dispatch thread includes calling a method identified by the method identifier for an object identified by the object identifier and providing the first and second arguments; and

providing an indicator on the user interface indicative of the progress of the execution of the process in generating the first method call and in providing the final result.

2. The method of claim 1, the process generating a second method call during execution of the process, the method further comprising the steps of:

sending, during execution of the process, the second method call to a memory;

storing the second method call in the memory;

retrieving the stored second method call from the memory;

the retrieving being asynchronous with respect to sending the second method call to the memory; and

outputting the retrieved second method call on the event dispatch thread.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein sending the first method call to the memory includes calling a Schedule method.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the first method call to the memory includes calling a Schedule method.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein outputting the retrieved coalesced first method call on the event dispatch thread includes calling a Consume method.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first method call includes state information generated by the executing process.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein sending the first method call to the memory includes calling a SetProgress method.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein sending the second method call to the memory includes calling a FirePropertyChange method.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the retrieved coalesced first method call on the event dispatch thread includes updating the user interface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the progress of the execution of the process includes the generating of the partial result and the final result.

12. A method for sending method calls from a process to an event dispatch thread for output, the event dispatch thread handling events related to a user interface, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the process, the process and the event dispatch thread executing independent of one another, the process generating a first partial result and a second partial result during execution, and a final result, the first partial result having a first argument, an object identifier, and a method identifier, and the second partial result having a second argument, the object identifier, and the method identifier;

sending, during execution of the process, the first partial result to a memory;

sending, during execution of the process, the second partial result to the memory;

coalescing the first partial result and the second partial result to produce a combined partial result, wherein coalescing the first partial result and the second partial result includes combining the first argument and the second argument;

storing the combined partial result in the memory;

retrieving the combined partial result from the memory using the event dispatch thread, the retrieving being asynchronous with sending the first and second partial results to the memory;

outputting the combined partial result as an event on the event dispatch thread, such that the combined partial result is output to a user via a user interface, wherein outputting the combined partial result on the event dispatch thread includes calling a method identified by the method identifier for an object identified by the object identifier, and providing the first and second arguments; and

providing an indicator on the user interface indicative of the progress of the execution of the process in generating the first partial result or the second partial result.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein coalescing the first partial result and the second partial result includes selecting the first argument and the second argument.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the progress of the execution of the process includes the generating of the first partial result or second partial result as well as the final result.

15. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a memory storing a call sending program for sending method calls from a process to an event dispatch thread for output, the event dispatch thread handling events related to a user interface, the process and the event dispatch thread executing independent of one another, the process generating a first method call during execution of the process and a final result upon completion of the execution of the process, wherein the first method call includes an object identifier, a method identifier, a first argument, and a partial result generated by the executing process, the call sending program;

i) sending, during execution of the process, the first method call to a queue,

ii) storing the first method call in the queue, including coalescing the first method call with an existing second method call stored in the queue, the second method call further includes the object identifier, the method identifier, and a second argument, wherein coalescing the first method call and the second method call includes combining the first argument and the second argument;

iii) retrieving the stored coalesced first method call from the queue using the event dispatch thread, the retrieving being asynchronous with sending the first method call to the queue, and

iv) outputting the retrieved coalesced first method call on the event dispatch thread such that the partial result is displayed to a user on a user interface, wherein outputting the coalesced first method call on the event dispatch thread includes calling a method identified by the method identifier for an object identified by the object identifier and providing the first and second arguments;

v) providing an indicator on the user interface indicative of the progress of the execution of the process in generating the first method call and in providing the final result; and

a processor capable of running the call sending program.

16. The data processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first method call includes state information generated by the executing process.

17. The data processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein outputting the retrieved coalesced first method call on the event dispatch thread includes updating the user interface.

18. A computer program product comprising a tangible storage medium comprising instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform a method for sending method calls from a process to an event dispatch thread for output, the event dispatch thread handling events related to a user interface, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the process, the process and the event dispatch thread executing independent of one another, the process generating a first method call during execution of the process and a final result upon completion of the execution of the process, wherein the first method call includes an object identifier, a method identifier, a first argument, and a partial result generated by the executing process;

sending, during execution of the process, the first method call to a memory;

storing the first method call in the memory, including coalescing the first method call with an existing second method call stored in the memory, the second method call further includes the object identifier, the method identifier, and a second argument, wherein coalescing the first method call and the second method call includes combining the first argument and the second argument;

retrieving the stored coalesced first method call from memory using the event dispatch thread, the retrieving being asynchronous with sending the first method call to the memory;

outputting the retrieved coalesced first method call as an event on the event dispatch thread such that the partial result is displayed to a user on a user interface, wherein outputting the coalesced first method call on the event dispatch thread includes calling a method identified by the method identifier for an object identified by the object identifier and providing the first and second arguments; and

providing an indicator on the user interface indicative of the progress of the execution of the process in generating the first method call and in providing the final result.

19. An apparatus comprising a tangible storage medium for sending method calls from a process to an event dispatch thread for output, the event dispatch thread handling events related to a user interface, the apparatus comprising:

means for providing the process, the process and the event dispatch thread executing independent of one another, the process generating a first method call during execution of the process and a final result upon completion of the execution of the process, wherein the first method call includes an object identifier, a method identifier, and a first argument, and a partial result generated by the executing process;

means for sending, during execution of the process, the first method call to a memory;

means for storing the first method call in the memory, including coalescing the first method call with an existing second method call stored in the memory, the second method call further includes the object identifier, the method identifier, and a second argument, wherein coalescing the first method call and the second method call includes combining the first argument and the second argument;

means for retrieving the stored coalesced first method call from memory using the event dispatch thread, the retrieving being asynchronous with sending the first method call to the memory;

means for outputting the retrieved coalesced first method call as an event on the event dispatch thread such that the partial result is displayed to a user on a user interface, wherein outputting the coalesced first method call on the event dispatch thread includes calling a method identified by the method identifier for an object identified by the object identifier and providing the first and second arguments; and

means for providing an indicator on the user interface indicative of the progress of the execution of the process in generating the first method call and in providing the final result.