Integrating rules into object-oriented programming systems
US5768480A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 21, 1994 |
| Grant date | Jun 16, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 21, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06N5/046
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Techniques for integrating rules into imperative object-oriented languages such as C++. C++ is extended to permit definition of rules as members of classes. When a rule is defined as a member of a class, a preprocessor receives the declaration of the rule's class and of any other class involved in the rule and generates additional data members and member functions for the classes. The additional members of the classes permit a complete implementation of the rule. No additional rule interpreter or decision network is required. The rule definition defines collections of objects linked by interobject pointers to which the rule applies. A rule is evaluated only if there is a change in a value mentioned in the rule in an object belonging to a collection of objects for the rule. The rule's condition is a sequence of bindings and tests. The bindings define a path through a collections of objects to which the rule applies, and the path is followed during evaluation. The rules thus implement access-limited logic.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.