Methods and apparatus for exposing members of an object class through class signature interfaces
US5842220A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 2, 1997 |
| Grant date | Nov 24, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 2, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S707/99944
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A class signature interface exposes members of an object class in an object oriented software system by exposing access information to the member. The class signature interface has application for use with object models that require client objects to utilize the functionality of server objects through interfaces, such as required by the Component Object Model (COM). Class signature interfaces expose interfaces supported by the object class to provide time constant access to the interfaces of the object class. The class signature interfaces also expose attributes and methods, defined directly on the class level. The class signature interface has further application for use in an object oriented software system to add additional class members to an object class without adding the class members to a separate interface. The class signature interfaces are implicitly generated in an interface definition language (IDL) compiler, or a user specifies the class signature interfaces through the IDL syntax, and the IDL compiler generates the class signature interfaces in accordance with the IDL syntax specified.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.