Application program interfaces and structures in a resource limited operating system

• US 20050108218A1
• Filed: 11/11/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Mark, Mathur, Sharad, Johnson, Bruce, Hullender, Gregory, Ginsberg, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/985,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20050108218A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A set of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) for a resource-limited environment are disclosed. The APIs provide a mechanism for a computer application to interface with various components and modules of an operating system for a resource-limited environment. The APIs further provide a mechanism to interface with input/output devices commonly found in embedded systems running in a resource-limited environment.

Claims

1. In a computing system that includes an application for creating and maintaining databases in a limited resource environment, a method for allowing the application to interface with database components that enable the creation and maintenance of the databases, the method comprising:

providing a set of application program interfaces that are associated with the database components, said application program interfaces including;

an interface for creating a database that receives, from the application, a pointer to a null-terminated string specifying a name for a database, a type identifier for the database, and one to four sort orders active in the database, and that thereafter creates a database and returns a value comprising an object identifier of the newly created database to the application; and

an interface for deleting a database that receives, from the application, an object identifier of a database to be deleted, and that thereafter returns a true value if the database is successfully deleted and that returns a false value if the database is not successfully deleted.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the application program interfaces further comprise:

an interface for opening a database that receives, from the application, a pointer to the object identifier of a particular database to open, a pointer to the name of the particular database, and a property identifier indicating a sort order in which the particular database is to be traversed, wherein the interface for opening returns, to the application, a handle to the particular database if the particular database is successfully opened.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the application program interfaces further comprise:

an interface for deleting records of a database that receives, from the application, a handle to a database for which a record is to be deleted, wherein the database must be opened prior to the record being deleted and wherein the interface for deleting provides a true value if the record is successfully deleted and a false value if the record is not successfully deleted;

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the application program interfaces further comprise:

an interface for setting database parameters including name, type and sort-order determinations.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the application program interfaces further comprise:

an interface for reading records in a database that receives, from the application, a handle to an open database, a pointer to an array of property identifiers, an address of a pointer to a buffer that receives requested properties, a pointer to a variable that contains a size of the buffer to which the record is copied, and wherein the interface for reading returns an object identifier of the record that is read to the buffer.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the application program interfaces further comprise:

an interface for seeking a database that receives from the application a handle to an open database in which to seek and a type of seek operation to perform and wherein the interface for seeking returns an object identifier of a record on which a seek function ends.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the application program interfaces further comprise:

an interface for writing properties to a database record that receives a handle to an open database, an object identifier to a record to which given properties are to be written, a number of properties in an array of properties, and a pointer to an array that specify a property value to be written, wherein the interface for writing properties returns the object identifier of the record when the properties are written and a zero value when the writing of the properties fails.

8. A computer program product for use in a computing system that includes an application for creating and maintaining databases in a limited resource environment and for implementing a method for allowing the application to interface with database components that enable the creation and maintenance of the databases, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions comprising:

an interface for creating a database that receives, from the application, a pointer to a null-terminated string specifying a name for a database, a type identifier for the database, and one to four sort orders active in the database, and that thereafter creates a database and returns a value comprising an object identifier of the newly created database to the application;

an interface for deleting a database that receives, from the application, an object identifier of a database to be deleted, and that thereafter returns a true value if the database is successfully deleted and that returns a false value if the database is not successfully deleted;

an interface for opening a database that receives, from the application, a pointer to the object identifier of a particular database to open, a pointer to the name of the particular database, and a property identifier indicating a sort order in which the particular database is to be traversed, wherein the interface for opening returns, to the application, a handle to the particular database if the particular database is successfully opened;

an interface for deleting records of a database that receives, from the application, a handle to a database for which a record is to be deleted, wherein the database must be opened prior to the record being deleted and wherein the interface for deleting provides a true value if the record is successfully deleted and a false value if the record is not successfully deleted;

an interface for setting database parameters including name, type and sort-order determinations;

an interface for reading records in a database that receives, from the application, a handle to an open database, a pointer to an array of property identifiers, an address of a pointer to a buffer that receives requested properties, a pointer to a variable that contains a size of the buffer to which the record is copied, and wherein the interface for reading returns an object identifier of the record that is read to the buffer;

an interface for seeking a database that receives from the application a handle to an open database in which to seek and a type of seek operation to perform and wherein the interface for seeking returns an object identifier of a record on which a seek function ends; and

an interface for writing properties to a database record that receives a handle to an open database, an object identifier to a record to which given properties are to be written, a number of properties in an array of properties, and a pointer to an array that specify a property value to be written, wherein the interface for writing properties returns the object identifier of the record when the properties are written and a zero value when the writing of the properties fails.

9. In a computing system that includes an application for creating and maintaining databases in a limited resource environment, a method for allowing the application to interface with database components that enable the creation and maintenance of the databases, method comprising:

creating a database and returning a value comprising an object identifier of the newly created database to an application upon receiving, from the application, a pointer to a null-terminated string specifying a name for a database, a type identifier for the database, and one to four sort orders active in the database; and

deleting a database and returning a value of true to the application when the database is successfully deleted and in response to receiving, from the application, an object identifier of a database to be deleted.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

opening a database and returning to the application, a handle to the particular database upon receiving, from the application, a pointer to the object identifier of a particular database to open, a pointer to the name of the particular database, and a property identifier indicating a sort order in which the particular database is to be traversed.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

deleting a record of a database and returning, to the application, a value of true when the record is deleted in response to receiving, from the application, a handle to a database for which the record is to be deleted.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

returning an object identifier of a record that is being read from a database to the application, upon receiving, from the application, a handle to an open database, a pointer to an array of property identifiers, an address of a pointer to a buffer that receives requested properties, and a pointer to a variable that contains a size of the buffer to which the record is copied.

13. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

returning an object identifier of a record on which a seek function ends in response to receiving a handle to an open database in which to seek and a type of seek operation to perform.

14. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

returning an object identifier of a record to which properties are written and a zero value when the properties fail to be written to a record in response to receiving a handle to an open database, an object identifier to a record to which given properties are to be written, a number of properties in an array of properties, and a pointer to an array that specify a property value to be written.

15. A computer program product for use in a computing system that includes an application for creating and maintaining databases in a limited resource environment and for implementing a method for allowing the application to interface with database components that enable the creation and maintenance of the databases, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for implementing the method comprising:

creating a database and returning a value comprising an object identifier of the newly created database to an application upon receiving, from the application, a pointer to a null-terminated string specifying a name for a database, a type identifier for the database, and one to four sort orders active in the database; and

deleting a database and returning a value of true to the application when the database is successfully deleted and in response to receiving, from the application, an object identifier of a database to be deleted.

16. A computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

opening a database and returning to the application, a handle to the particular database upon receiving, from the application, a pointer to the object identifier of a particular database to open, a pointer to the name of the particular database, and a property identifier indicating a sort order in which the particular database is to be traversed.

17. A computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

deleting a record of a database and returning, to the application, a value of true when the record is deleted in response to receiving, from the application, a handle to a database for which the record is to be deleted.

18. A computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

returning an object identifier of a record that is being read from a database to the application, upon receiving, from the application, a handle to an open database, a pointer to an array of property identifiers, an address of a pointer to a buffer that receives requested properties, and a pointer to a variable that contains a size of the buffer to which the record is copied.

19. A computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

returning an object identifier of a record on which a seek function ends in response to receiving a handle to an open database in which to seek and a type of seek operation to perform.

20. A computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

returning an object identifier of a record to which properties are written and a zero value when the properties fail to be written to a record in response to receiving a handle to an open database, an object identifier to a record to which given properties are to be written, a number of properties in an array of properties, and a pointer to an array that specify a property value to be written.