US5732271A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Data processing system and method for processing an object oriented development environment employing property inheritance using prototypical objects
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1995-01-23
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Granted: 1998-03-24
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Expires: 2015-01-23
Abstract
Abstract A method and system which provides a prototypical object which can be copied to create a derived object. A derived object can contain attribute values or it can hold a reference to its prototypical object. If a required value is not held by the prototypical object, the present invention discloses a scheme by which the object searches up an object hierarchy to find the required attribute. In addition, each object can register an interest in a prototypical object that contains required attributes. If an attribute of a prototypical object changes, the prototypical object informs all registered objects of the change. At runtime, the prototypical object becomes a master object whose attribute values can be changed by the user, changes in master object attributes are propagated to all registered derived objects.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard Edmond Berry
- 👤 Amitabh Shukla
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 13:36
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F8/00; G06F8/30; G06F8/38; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/44; G06F9/448; G06F9/4488; G06F9/4492
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
165 words
A data processing system for processing an object oriented development environment, said system comprising:: a central processing unit for processing said object oriented development environment;; display means for displaying said object oriented development environment; an object hierarchy utilizing property inheritance, said object hierarchy associated with said object oriented development environment; one or more objects in said object hierarchy; a derived object derived from a class parent of said derived object, said derived object in said object hierarchy and having at least one attribute; means for said derived object to inherit one or more additional attributes from a second object, wherein said second object is not a class parent of said derived object, and wherein said means includes an attribute sheet associated with said second object; and attribute delegation means associated with said derived object and with said means for said derived object to inherit for retrieving one or more values of said one or more additional attributes by searching a search order for said value.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
165 words
A data processing system for processing an object oriented development environment, said system comprising:: a central processing unit for processing said object oriented development environment;; display means for displaying said object oriented development environment; an object hierarchy utilizing property inheritance, said object hierarchy associated with said object oriented development environment; one or more objects in said object hierarchy; a derived object derived from a class parent of said derived object, said derived object in said object hierarchy and having at least one attribute; means for said derived object to inherit one or more additional attributes from a second object, wherein said second object is not a class parent of said derived object, and wherein said means includes an attribute sheet associated with said second object; and attribute delegation means associated with said derived object and with said means for said derived object to inherit for retrieving one or more values of said one or more additional attributes by searching a search order for said value.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The data processing system of claim 1, wherein said search order further comprises a containment parent of said derived object, and wherein said means for said derived object to inherit further comprises means for said derived object to inherit one or more additional attributes from said containment parent.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
The data processing system of claim 1, wherein said search order further comprises a desktop, and wherein said means for said derived object to inherit further comprises means for said derived object to inherit one or more additional attributes from said desktop.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The data processing system of claim 1, further comprising object registration means for registering an interest of said derived object in said second object.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
The data processing system of claim 1, further comprising conversion means for converting an application developed with said object oriented development environment into a runtime application having master objects.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
155 words
A computer readable medium for controlling an object oriented development environment adapted for execution on a data processing system, said computer readable medium comprising: an object hierarchy utilizing property inheritance, said object hierarchy associated with said object oriented development environment; one or more objects in said object hierarchy; a derived object derived from a class parent of said derived object, said derived object in said object hierarchy and having at least one attribute; means for said derived object to inherit one or more additional attributes from a second object, wherein said second object is not a class parent of said derived object, and wherein said means includes an attribute sheet associated with said second object; and attribute delegation means associated with said derived object and with said means for said derived object to inherit for retrieving one or more values of said one or more additional attributes by searching a search order for said value.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
155 words
A computer readable medium for controlling an object oriented development environment adapted for execution on a data processing system, said computer readable medium comprising: an object hierarchy utilizing property inheritance, said object hierarchy associated with said object oriented development environment; one or more objects in said object hierarchy; a derived object derived from a class parent of said derived object, said derived object in said object hierarchy and having at least one attribute; means for said derived object to inherit one or more additional attributes from a second object, wherein said second object is not a class parent of said derived object, and wherein said means includes an attribute sheet associated with said second object; and attribute delegation means associated with said derived object and with said means for said derived object to inherit for retrieving one or more values of said one or more additional attributes by searching a search order for said value.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein said search order further comprises a containment parent of said derived object, and wherein said means for said derived object to inherit further comprises means for said derived object to inherit one or more additional attributes from said containment parent.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein said search order further comprises a desktop, and wherein said means for said derived object to inherit further comprises means for said derived object to inherit one or more additional attributes from said desktop.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising object registration means for registering an interest of said derived object in said second object.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising conversion means for converting an application developed in said object oriented development environment into a runtime application having a master object.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
120 words
A method of developing an object oriented application adapted for execution on a data processing system, comprising the steps of: creating an object hierarchy utilizing property inheritance; creating one or more objects in said object hierarchy; deriving a derived object from a class parent, said derived object having at least one attribute from said class parent; inheriting one or more additional attributes for said derived object from a second object, wherein said second object is not a class parent of said derived object, and wherein said inheriting step includes utilizing an attribute sheet associated with said derived object; and searching a search order to retrieve one or more values for said one or more additional attributes of said derived object.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
120 words
A method of developing an object oriented application adapted for execution on a data processing system, comprising the steps of: creating an object hierarchy utilizing property inheritance; creating one or more objects in said object hierarchy; deriving a derived object from a class parent, said derived object having at least one attribute from said class parent; inheriting one or more additional attributes for said derived object from a second object, wherein said second object is not a class parent of said derived object, and wherein said inheriting step includes utilizing an attribute sheet associated with said derived object; and searching a search order to retrieve one or more values for said one or more additional attributes of said derived object.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 11, wherein said search order further comprises a containment parent of said derived object, and wherein said inheriting step further comprises inheriting one or more additional attributes from said containment parent.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 11, wherein said search order further comprises a desktop, and wherein said inheriting step further comprises inheriting one or more additional attributes from said desktop.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of registering an interest of said derived object in said second object.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of converting said application developed with said object oriented development environment into a runtime application having a master object.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
51 words
The data processing system of claim 1, further comprising a user profile, wherein said user profile contains a value for each attribute of said derived object, and wherein said attribute delegation means further comprises means for retrieving a value of said one or more additional attributes by searching said user profile.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
51 words
The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising a user profile, wherein said user profile contains a value for each attribute of said derived object, and wherein said attribute delegation means further comprises means for retrieving a value of said one or more additional attributes by searching said user profile.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 11, further comprising creating a user profile, wherein said user profile contains a value for each attribute of said derived object, and wherein said searching step further comprises retrieving a value of said one or more additional attributes by searching said user profile.
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-03-23 | 2001-09-22 | 2002-03-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-03-23 | 2005-09-22 | 2006-03-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-03-23 | 2009-09-22 | 2010-03-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |