System and methods for implementing an explicit interface member in a computer programming language

• US 8,001,523 B1
• Filed: 07/05/2001
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Golde, Peter H., Hejlsberg, Anders, Sollich, Peter F., Wiltamuth, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Ted T
• Application Number:
  US09/900,123
• Time in Patent Office: 3,694 Days
• Field of Search: 717106-110, 717114-118, 717120-122
• US Class Current: 717/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse

Abstract

A system and methods are provided for implementing an explicit interface member in connection with a computer programming language. Thus, a mechanism is provided that prevents conflicts between independently developed interfaces, enables privately implemented interface members and enables specific versions of generic interfaces that are free from conflict.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

implementing in a class a first explicit interface having a first explicit interface member by explicitly specifying the relationship between the class and the first explicit interface member, the first explicit interface member being excluded from a public interface of the class;

implementing in the class a second explicit interface having a second explicit interface member, the second explicit interface member having the same signature as the first explicit interface member, the signature comprising a member name, a number of one or more parameters, and a type for each of the number of one or more parameters;

after implementing in the class the first and second explicit interfaces, compiling the class into computer-executable instructions along with a call in the class to the first explicit interface member and a call in the class to the second explicit interface member, the call comprising an identifier of an explicit interface, and a corresponding identifier of an explicit interface member;

in response to processing an instruction of the instructions corresponding to the call to the first explicit interface member, executing the call with the first explicit interface member to produce a first result;

storing the first result in a computer readable storage medium;

in response to processing a second instruction of the instructions corresponding to the call to the second explicit interface member, executing the call with the second explicit interface member to produce a second result; and

storing the second result in the computer readable storage medium.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said specifying of the relationship between the class and the first explicit interface member includes;

specifying a qualified name of the class.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said specifying of the qualified name includes;

specifying an interface name and a name of the first explicit interface member.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein implementing in the class the first explicit interface member comprises:

implementing in the class an internal interface not accessible to a consumer of said the class.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second explicit interface member has the same return type as the first explicit interface member.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second explicit interface members is included in a public interface of the class.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first explicit interface member comprises a first version of a generic interface, and the second explicit interface member comprises a second version of the generic interface.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the class is programmed according to an object-oriented programming language.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein an implementation of an explicit interface member is a method, property, event, or indexer declaration that references a fully qualified interface member name.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said the class names an interface in a base class list of the class that contains a member whose fully qualified name, type, and parameter types exactly match those of the implementation of the first explicit interface member.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein it is not possible to override the first explicit interface member wherein the first explicit interface member calls another virtual method, and wherein a class derived from the class overrides the first explicit interface member.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the class re-implements an interface of the first explicit interface member by including the interface in the base class list of the class.

13. A computer readable storage medium including processor-executable instructions, the processor-executable instructions generated from a plurality of modules written in an object-oriented programming language, the instructions when executed on the processor, cause operations comprising:

implementing in a class a first explicit interface having a first explicit interface member by explicityly specifying the relationship between the class and the first explicit interface member, the first explicit interface member mechanism being excluded from a public interface of the class;

implementing in the class a second explicit interface having a second explicit interface member, the second explicit interface member having the same signature as the first explicit interface member, the signature comprising a member name, a number of one or more parameters, and a type for each of the number of one or more parameters;

after implementing in the class the first and second explicit interfaces, compiling the class into computer-executable instructions along with a call in the class to the first explicit interface member and a call in the class to the second explicit interface member, the call comprising an identifier of an explicit interface, and a corresponding identifier of an explicit interface member;

in response to processing a first instruction of the instructions corresponding to the call to the first explicit interface member, executing the call with the first explicit interface member to produce a first result;

storing the first result in a computer readable storage medium;

in response to processing a second instruction of the instructions corresponding to the call to the second explicit interface member, executing the call with the second explicit interface member to produce a second result; and

storing the second result in the computer readable storage medium.

14. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein said specifying of the relationship between the class and the first explicit interface member includes;

specifying a qualified name of the class.

15. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 14, wherein said specifying of the qualified name includes;

specifying a interface name and a name of the first explicit interface member.

16. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein implementing in the class the first explicit interface member comprises:

implementing in the class an internal interface not accessible to a consumer of said class.

17. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the second explicit interface members is included in a public interface of the class.

18. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the second explicit interface members is included in a public interface of the class.

19. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the first explicit interface member comprises a first version of a generic interface, and the second explicit interface member comprises a second version of the generic interface.

20. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the object-oriented programming language is C.

21. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein an implementation of an explicit interface member is a method, property, event, or indexer declaration that references a fully qualified interface member name.

22. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein said the class names an interface in the base class list of the class that contains a member whose fully qualified name, type, and parameter types exactly match those of the implementation of the explicit interface member.

23. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein it is not possible to override the first explicit interface member wherein the first explicit interface member calls another virtual method, and wherein a class derived from the class overrides the first explicit interface member.

24. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the class re-implements an interface of the first explicit interface member by including the interface in the base class list of the class.

25. A system for generating an object, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor when the system is operational, the memory bearing processor-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause;

implementing in a class a first explicit interface having a first explicit interface member by explicitly specifying the relationship between the class and the first explicit interface member, the first explicit interface member being excluded from a public interface of the class;

implementing in the class a second explicit interface having a second explicit interface member, the second explicit interface member having the same signature as the first explicit interface member, the signature comprising a member name, a number of one or more parameters, and a type for each of the number of one or more parameters;

after implementing in the class the first and second explicit interfaces, compiling the class into computer-executable instructions along with a call in the class to the first explicit interface member and a call in the class to the second explicit interface member, the call comprising an identifier of an explicit interface, and a corresponding identifier of an explicit interface member;

in response to processing a first instruction of the instructions corresponding to the call to the first explicit interface member, executing the call with the first explicit interface member to produce a first result;

storing the first result in a computer readable storage medium;

in response to processing a second instruction of the instructions corresponding to the call to the second explicit interface member, executing the call with the second explicit interface member to produce a second result; and

storing the second result in the computer readable storage medium.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said specifying a relationship between the first member and the name of the interface includes;

specifying a qualified name of the class.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said specifying a qualified name includes;

specifying an interface name and a name of the first explicit interface member.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein implementing in the class the first explicit interface member comprises:

implementing in the class an internal interface that is not accessible to a consumer of said class.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the second explicit interface member has the same return type as the first explicit interface member.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the second explicit interface members is included in a public interface class.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the first explicit interface member comprises a second version of a generic interface, and the second explicit interface member comprises a second version of the generic interface.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein the class is implemented in an object-oriented programming language.

33. The system of claim 25, wherein said implemented first explicit interface member is a member selected from a group of members consisting of a method, a property, an event, and an indexer declaration that references a fully qualified interface member name.

34. The system of claim 25, wherein said class names an interface in a base class list of the class that contains a member whose fully qualified name, type, and parameter types exactly match those of the implemented first explicit interface member.

35. The system of claim 25, wherein it is not possible to override the first explicit interface member wherein the first explicit interface member calls another virtual method, and wherein a class derived from the class overrides the first explicit interface member.

36. The system of claim 25, wherein said class re-implements an interface of the first explicit interface member by including the interface in the base class list of the class.