Object replacement method, system and computer program product

• US 9,052,923 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2012
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: El-Kersh, Ehab
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Daxin
• Application Number:
  US13/487,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20120240102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4488 Object-oriented

Abstract

Replacing an object in an object oriented model in a computer system, by interrogating the model to retrieve information defining the relationships between the object to be replaced and other components of the model is described. These relationship definitions are then used to configure the replacement object within the model so as to assume corresponding relationships with the other components. There may be established as a part of the model functions to detect changes to the relationships between objects belonging to the model, and recording the changes in a registry. This registry is then interrogated to retrieve relationship definitions necessary to replace an object.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of amending an object oriented model comprising the steps of:

adding a registry listener to each object of the group of objects in the object oriented model, wherein each respective object inherits support for adding the registry listener and for notifying the registry listener about changes to relationships between the respective object and other objects of the group of objects;

responsive to the registry listener receiving a notification of changes to a relationship between the object and other objects in a group of objects, updating a registry to reflect changes to the relationship between the object and the other object group objects, wherein the registry comprises a referencing object and a referenced object for the object, and wherein updating the registry comprises steps of;

identifying a first object to be added to the group of objects in the object oriented model;

identifying a second object of the group of objects to be replaced by the first object;

the computer using the registry to retrieve a first set of one or more relationships between the second object and other object of the group of objects; and

the computer using the first set of one or more relationships to configure the first object of the group of objects in the object oriented model so as to assume a second set of one or more relationships corresponding to the first set of one or more relationships with the other objects of the group of objects.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein each object of the group of objects in the object oriented model also inherits support for relationship information about each object references, attributes, and superclasses; and

wherein the first set of one or more relationships retrieved between the second object and other objects of the group of objects is relationship information about the second object references, attributes, and superclasses.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising the further steps of:

the computer detecting changes to relationships between the respective object and other objects of the group of objects; and

the computer notifying the registry listener about the detected changes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said steps of the computer detecting changes to relationships between the respective object and other objects of the group of objects are realized by means of object cross references, reflection or meta information.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of using the registry comprises:

querying the registry using the second object to get dependent objects that depend upon the second object and dependee objects that the second object refers to.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the registry further comprises an object reference that the second object uses when referring to a given one of the dependee objects.

5. A method, executed by a hardware processor, comprising the steps of:

notifying an inherited registry listener of changes to relationships between objects belonging to a model;

recording said changes received by the inherited registry listener in a registry by updating the registry to reflect the changes to the relationships between the objects, wherein the registry comprises a referencing object and a referenced object for the objects; and

providing relationship definitions concerning one or more of said objects upon interrogation, of the registry, wherein the provided relationship definitions reflect the changes.

6. A system for amending an object oriented model comprising:

a computer processor for executing instructions;

a memory coupled to the computer processor for storing said instructions that are operable, when executed by the computer processor, to perform steps of;

adding a registry listener to each object of the group of objects in the object oriented model, wherein each respective object inherits support for adding the registry listener and for notifying the registry listener about changes to relationships between the respective object and other objects of the group of objects;

updating a registry to reflect changes to the relationship between the object and the other object group objects in response to the registry listener receiving a notification of changes to a relationship between the object and other objects in a group of objects, wherein the registry comprises a referencing object and a referenced object for the object, and wherein updating the registry comprises steps of;

identifying a first object to be added to the group of objects in the object oriented model;

identifying a second object of the group of objects to be replaced by the first object;

using the registry to retrieve a first set of one or more relationships between the second object and other object of the group of objects; and

using the first set of one or more relationships to configure the first object of the group of objects in the object oriented model so as to assume a second set of one or more relationships corresponding to the first set of one or more relationships with the other objects of the group of objects.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

wherein each object of the group of objects in the object oriented model also inherits support for relationship information about each object references, attributes, and superclasses; and

wherein the first set of one or more relationships retrieved between the second object and other objects of the group of objects is relationship information about the second object references, attributes, and superclasses.

8. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

detecting changes to relationships between the respective object and other objects of the group of objects; and

notifying the registry listener about the detected changes.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said detecting changes to relationships between the respective object and other objects of the group of objects are realized by means of object cross references, reflection or meta information.

16. The system of claim 6, wherein the step of using the registry comprises:

querying the registry using the second object to get dependent objects that depend upon the second object and dependee objects that the second object refers to.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the registry further comprises an object reference that the second object uses when referring to a given one of the dependee objects.

10. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer instructions, said instructions which when loaded on a computer system implement a method of amending an object oriented model, said method comprising the steps of:

adding a registry listener to each object of the group of objects in the object oriented model, wherein each respective object inherits support for adding the registry listener and for notifying the registry listener about changes to relationships between the respective object and other objects of the group of objects;

responsive to the registry listener receiving a notification of changes to a relationship between the object and other objects in a group of objects, updating the registry to reflect changes to the relationship between the object and the other object group objects, wherein the registry comprises a referencing object and a referenced object for the object, and wherein updating the registry comprises steps of;

identifying a first object to be added to the group of objects in the object oriented model;

identifying a second object of the group of objects to be replaced by the first object;

using the registry to retrieve a first set of one or more relationships between the second object and other object of the group of objects; and

using the first set of one or more relationships to configure the first object of the group of objects in the object oriented model so as to assume a second set of one or more relationships corresponding to the first set of one or more relationships with the other objects of the group of objects.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 the method further comprising:

wherein each object of the group of objects in the object oriented model also inherits support for relationship information about each object references, attributes, and superclasses; and

wherein the first set of one or more relationships retrieved between the second object and other objects of the group of objects is relationship information about the second object references, attributes, and superclasses.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein said method comprises the further steps of detecting changes to the relationship relationships between objects belonging to said model, the respective object and other objects of the group of objects;

and

notifying the registry listener about the detected changes recording said changes in a registry, and wherein at said step of interrogating the model, it is said registry which provides said relationship definitions.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein said steps of detecting changes to relationships between the respective object and other objects of the group of objects are realized by means of object cross references, reflection or meta information.