Computer system with context switch and program development therefor
US6003063A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 28, 1996 |
| Grant date | Dec 14, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 28, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/453
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
When a first application program raises an error condition, a context switch, in one embodiment, transfers control to one of several Help programs, as selected automatically without user or system operator intervention. Such a first application program operates on a computer system that includes a file system, a data structure in memory, and a processor that executes in sequence an operating system, the first application program, a constructor, and a second application program, for example, a Help program. For each candidate Help program, the constructor looks for prerequisite files in the file system. If a candidate Help program's prerequisites are met, the constructor sets a link value in the data structure that directs a subsequent call from the first application program to the Help program selected by the constructor. In a second embodiment, a general method of developing the first application program for context switching incorporates the step of including, in the first application program, a transfer of control to a destination program identified by a constructor, wherein the constructor, precluding manual direction by an operator, identifies the destination program from seve…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.