Patent · US Expired

Dynamic method resolution for native methods in a dynamic object-oriented programming language

US6067577A · kind A · utility

43Cited by
3References
36Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 30, 1996
Grant dateMay 23, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 30, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F9/449
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A variety of mechanisms are disclosed for a dynamically binding native methods in an interpreted bytecode program to functions that are contained in compiled code, such as a dynamically linked library. In one implementation, a shared function is specified by means of a naming convention that is appropriate for the bytecode interpreted program, such as a package of classes. When a native method is to be resolved during loading of a class, the name of the package is examined to see if the method resides in a shared library. If so, it is loaded using techniques that are specific to the compiled code in which the library exists. In another embodiment, a designated base class, or interface, is used to identify the method by which the shared library is to be loaded. In a third type of implementation, a given method requests a class to specify which libraries it needs to be linked to, as it is being loaded, after which the libraries are loaded and the class methods are linked to them.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.