Method for providing stand-in objects

• US 20070039008A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Williamson, Richard, Upson, Linus, Greenfield, Jack, Willhite, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 7,539,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4488 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/449 Object-oriented method invocation or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method for providing stand-in objects, where relationships among objects are automatically resolved in an object oriented relational database model without the necessity of retrieving data from the database until it is needed. A “fault” class is defined, as well as fault objects whose data haven t yet been fetched from the database. An object that'"'"'s created for the destination of a relationship whenever an object that includes the relationship is fetched from the database. When an object is fetched that has relationships, fault objects are created to “stand-in” for the destination objects of those relationships. Fault objects transform themselves into the actual enterprise objects—and fetch their data—the first time they'"'"'re accessed. Subsequently, messages sent to the target objects are responded to by the objects themselves.

Claims

1. A method of deferring instantiation of an object in an object-oriented programming environment comprising:

creating a first object having an initial class definition;

creating a second object using a second object class definition in place of said first object; and

instantiating said first object by transforming said second object into said first object using said initial class definition.