Management of reference object lifetimes in object oriented programs
US6182107A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 3, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jan 30, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 3, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F12/0261
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An object oriented system manages the life of objects referenced by other objects in the computer memory. A compiler compiles the various classes that are to be included in the object oriented program to be run on the computer. Some classes are the counted object class type that provides a count of the number of objects referencing a target counted object. Other classes are the uncounted object class type that does not provide a count of the number of objects referencing a target uncounted object. A counter wrapper class is included, whose instantiated object provides a count of the number of objects referencing a target uncounted object when the counter wrapper object is associated with the target uncounted object. A means is provided to determine whether a new target object is from the uncounted object class and, if so, that selectively causes the counter wrapper object to be associated with the new target object. The detection means may be a compiler program that performs the detection while the object oriented program is being compiled. Alternately, the detection means may be a universal class whose instantiated object performs the detection during the running of the compiled p…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.