Method and system for platform-independent file system interaction

• US 8,079,024 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2010
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ip Ot Sub Ulc
• Original Assignee: Open TEXT SA (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: White, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Hwa, Shyue Jiunn
• Application Number:
  US12/703,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20100146493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 717/140, 711/154, 711/E12.001, 719/328
• US Class Current: 717/140
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed can provide a simple, singular programmatic interface for application developers to access and manipulate ASCII and non-ASCII file specifications in a cross-platform development environment regardless of operating system encoding capabilities or of the nature of the original file specification encoding. An application development environment is configured on a computer system such that a magic class file string object is instantiated when a bit string of a first encoding is received. The bit string represents a file specification of a file containing application code written by an application developer. The magic class file string object automatically determines what target operating system is being called by a function call in the application code, automatically transcodes the bit string from the first encoding into a second encoding of the target operating system, and automatically makes a correct file system API call specific to the target operating system.

Claims

1. A method for accessing and manipulating file specifications in a cross-platform development environment, comprising:

in an application development environment on a computer system, instantiating a magic class file string object to represent a bit string;

determining a first encoding of a file name and file path associated with the magic class file string object, wherein the magic class file string object performs the determining, wherein the magic class file string object contains pieces of code programmed to make one or more automatic determinations at compile time, wherein the bit string represents a file specification of a file, wherein the file contains application code, and wherein the application code comprises a function call;

automatically determining a target operating system that is being called by the function call, wherein the magic class file string object performs the automatic determining;

automatically transcoding the file name and file path from the first encoding into a second encoding of the target operating system, wherein the magic class file string object performs the automatic transcoding; and

automatically making a file system application program interface (API) call specific to the target operating system, wherein the magic class file string object performs the automatic API call and wherein the pieces of code comprise a set of conditional logic for determining which one or more file system specific API calls are to make.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the file specifications include American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) encoded file specifications and non-ASCII encoded file specifications.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the automatically determining further comprises automatically determining the target operating system'"'"'s file system API capabilities.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding the magic class file string object to the target operating system'"'"'s file system to initiate a write to disk when the file associated with the bit string is to be written to disk.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pieces of code comprise an instruction for turning on at compile time a switch to link to a library through which all system input/output requests are processed.

6. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions translatable by a processor to perform:

in an application development environment on a computer system, instantiating a magic class file string object to represent a bit string;

determining a first encoding of a file name and file path associated with the magic class file string object, wherein the magic class file string object contains pieces of code programmed to make one or more automatic determinations at compile time, wherein the bit string represents a file specification of a file, wherein the file contains application code, and wherein the application code comprises a function call;

automatically determining a target operating system that is being called by the function call;

automatically transcoding the file name and file path from the first encoding into a second encoding of the target operating system; and

automatically making a file system application program interface (API) call specific to the target operating system, wherein the pieces of code comprise a set of conditional logic for determining which one or more file system specific API calls are to make.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the file specifications include American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) encoded file specifications and non-ASCII encoded file specifications.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the instructions are further translatable by the processor to automatically determine the target operating system'"'"'s file system API capabilities.

9. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the instructions are further translatable by the processor to forward the magic class file string object to the target operating system'"'"'s file system to initiate a write to disk when the file associated with the bit string is to be written to disk.

10. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the pieces of code comprise an instruction for turning on at compile time a switch to link to a library through which all system input/output requests are processed.

11. A system, comprising:

a computer system running an application development environment and having at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium and a processor, wherein the at least one computer readable storage medium stores instructions translatable by the processor to perform;

instantiating a magic class file string object to represent a bit string;

determining a first encoding of a file name and file path associated with the magic class file string object, wherein the magic class file string object contains pieces of code programmed to make one or more automatic determinations at compile time, wherein the bit string represents a file specification of a file, wherein the file contains application code, and wherein the application code comprises a function call;

automatically determining a target operating system that is being called by the function call;

automatically transcoding the file name and file path from the first encoding into a second encoding of the target operating system; and

automatically making a file system application program interface (API) call specific to the target operating system, wherein the pieces of code comprise a set of conditional logic for determining which one or more file system specific API calls are to make.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the file specifications include American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) encoded file specifications and non-ASCII encoded file specifications.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further translatable by the processor to automatically determine the target operating system'"'"'s file system API capabilities.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further translatable by the processor to forward the magic class file string object to the target operating system'"'"'s file system to initiate a write to disk when the file associated with the bit string is to be written to disk.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions comprise an instruction for turning on at compile time a switch to link to a library through which all system input/output requests are processed.