Data interfaces

• US 7,779,397 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Beckman, Brian C., Vick, Paul A., Meijer, Henricus Johannes Maria, Silver, Amanda
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nahar; Qamrun
• Application Number:
  US11/214,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20070094647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,814 Days
• Field of Search: 717/140, 717/136, 717/137, 717141-143
• US Class Current: 717/140
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/437 Type checking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/44 Encoding

Abstract

A computer-implemented system for accessing data stored in a computer-readable format comprises a data source indicator that identifies least one datum of a data source to be typed. The system also includes a type definition component that defines a strongly typed view of the at least one datum. Methods of using the system are also provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for accessing data stored in a computer-readable format, comprising:

a processor;

system memory;

a data source indicator that identifies least one datum of a data source to be typed;

a type definition component that defines a strongly typed view of the at least one datum; and

a generic data interface that is imposed on at least a plurality of different arbitrary data types, each arbitrary data type being added to the generic data interface by defining each of the plurality of different arbitrary data types in terms of a fixed, special or reflection interface, interface, a special wherein adding the arbitrary data types comprises converting from the generic interface to the arbitrary type according to the corresponding fixed, special or reflection interface, and wherein the generic data interface comprises at least an early-bound layer that informs how to access properties in a generic manner and a late-bound layer that informs how to access the strongly typed view of the at least one datum.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one datum is untyped.

3. The computer-implemented system of claim 2, further comprising a wrapper module that includes the data source indicator and the type definition component to couple the data source indicator with the type definition component.

4. The computer-implemented system of claim 3, further comprising a type conversion module that uses the wrapper module to strongly type the at least one untyped datum.

5. The computer-implemented system of claim 4, wherein the wrapper module provides a default implementation to strongly type the at least one untyped datum.

6. The computer-implemented system of claim 4, wherein the wrapper module provides a user-supplied implementation to strongly type the at least one untyped datum.

7. The computer-implemented system of claim 5, wherein the wrapper module is compositional.

8. The computer-implemented system of claim 6, wherein the wrapper module is compositional.

9. At a computer system including a processor and system memory, a computer-executable method for providing a strongly-typed view of an untyped datum, comprising:

creating a first interface component that obtains the untyped datum from an underlying data source; and

creating a second interface component that accesses the first interface component to assign a predefined type to the untyped datum, wherein the second interface component comprises a generic data interface that is imposed on the untyped datum, each untyped datum being added to the generic data interface by defining the untyped datum in terms of a fixed, special or reflection interface, wherein adding the untyped datum comprises converting from the generic interface to the untyped datum according to the corresponding fixed, special or reflection interface, and wherein the generic data interface comprises at least an early-bound layer that informs how to access properties in a generic manner and a late-bound layer that informs how to access the strongly typed view of the untyped datum.

10. The computer-executable method of claim 9, wherein creating a second interface component includes creating a member of the second interface component that defines a cast of a second, different datum to a desired type.

11. The computer-executable method of claim 10, further comprising using the second interface component to strongly type the untyped datum.

12. The computer-executable method of claim 11, wherein using the second interface component to strongly type the untyped datum includes compiling source code that refers to the untyped datum.

13. The computer-executable method of claim 12, wherein compiling source code includes erasing a type associated with the second interface component.

14. The computer-executable method of claim 9, wherein creating a second interface component includes at least one of supplying a default implementation for strongly typing the untyped datum and supplying a user-created implementation for strongly typing the untyped datum.

15. A computer-implemented system including a processor and system memory for providing a strongly-typed view of an untyped datum, comprising:

creating a first interface component that obtains the untyped datum from an underlying data source; and

creating a second interface component that accesses the first interface component to assign a predefined type to the untyped datum, wherein the second interface component comprises a generic data interface that is imposed on the untyped datum, each untyped datum being added to the generic data interface by defining the untyped datum in terms of a fixed, special or reflection interface, wherein adding the untyped datum comprises converting from the generic interface to the untyped datum according to the corresponding fixed, special or reflection interface, and wherein the generic data interface comprises at least an early-bound layer that informs how to access properties in a generic manner and a late-bound layer that informs how to access the strongly typed view of the untyped datum.

16. The computer-implemented system of claim 15, wherein creating the second interface component includes creating a member of the second interface component that defines a cast of a second, different datum to a desired type.

17. The computer-implemented system of claim 16, further comprising using the second interface component to strongly type the untyped datum.

18. The computer-implemented system of claim 17, wherein using the second interface component to strongly type the untyped datum includes compiling source code that refers to the untyped datum.

19. The computer-implemented system of claim 18, wherein compiling source code includes erasing a type associated with the second interface component.

20. The computer-implemented system of claim 15, wherein creating a second interface component includes at least one of supplying a default implementation for strongly typing the untyped datum and supplying a user-created implementation for strongly typing the untyped datum.