Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer data routing – Least weight routing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-04
2004-01-13
Follansbee, John (Department: 2126)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer data routing
Least weight routing
C717S103000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06678742
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 11-097780, filed Apr. 5, 1999, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an object-oriented computer system which distributes a program generated using an object-oriented language to a plurality of computers and operating the program, and a computer-readable storage medium which stores a program.
A distributed program executed by a client/server system is made of a program distributed to a client or server and executed to realize a predetermined function. An example of the distributed program is a program with a program main body provided in a server and a display section provided in a client.
Generally, when a distributed program is to be generated using an object-oriented language, an application program (to be referred to as an “application” hereinafter. An application is a program having a specific function. Processing itself in executing an application is called a process) is generated by explicitly separating a server-side program and a client-side program at the stage of application generation.
A conventional distributed program generation method will be described in detail. Conventionally, first, an application developer designs contents to be processed by a server-side program, contents to be processed by a client-side program, contents of message exchange between the server program and the client-side program, and a protocol for actually transferring the message exchange contents between the server-side program and the client-side program. In accordance with this design, the application developer develops a program.
However, the above-described development method of separately generating the server-side program and client-side program has the following problems.
As the first problem, to separately generate the server-side program and client-side program at the stage of application generation, the application developer must develop the program consciously of matters such as the operation on the server side, operation on the client side, and synchronization between them.
Thus program development requires labors and is complex in procedure.
As the second problem, to confirm the operation of the developed application, the server-side program and client-side program must be simultaneously operated.
This operation confirmation requires time and labor.
As the third problem, if an error is detected by operation confirmation, it can hardly be traced backed to a bug in the server-side program, a bug in the client-side program, an error in the operation timing between them, or a simple communication error.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an object-oriented computer system with which, in developing a distributed program using an object-oriented language, an application developer can develop the distributed program without being conscious of the discrimination between the server and the client, and a computer-readable storage medium which stores a program.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an object-oriented computer system comprising:
a server-side class library which is applied to generate a server-side object which relays a processing request from an application program on a server to a client, the server-side class library being linked to the application program and compatible with an existing library which can be linked to the application program, wherein the application program is an undistributed program being developed by an application developer;
a client-side class library which is applied to generate a client-side object which actually executes processing on the basis of the processing request relayed by the server-side object, the client-side class library inheriting the existing library; and
an object generation section which, when the server-side object is generated by applying the server-side class library and executing the application program, generates the client-side object by applying the client-side class library corresponding to the generated server-side object.
According to this arrangement, when execution of processing is requested from the application to the server-side object, execution of processing is further requested from the server-side object to the client-side object, and actual processing is executed by the client-side object.
When processing requests or various information are exchanged between the server-side object and the client-side object, the operation executed by the server can be partially executed by the client even when the application is not developed as a distributed program.
Hence, processing executed on the server side can be easily distributed.
In addition, in developing a new application which is to be operated upon being distributed, the application developer need only describe an application that operates as a stand-alone application.
The application developer need not design/develop a program being conscious of the discrimination between a server program and a client program. For this reason, the processes and labors in development can be reduced, and the operation can be prevented from becoming complex.
The operation of the object-oriented computer system according to the first aspect of the present invention can be confirmed only by confirming the operation of the application, resulting in a decrease in labors in operation confirmation.
If an error is detected in operation confirmation of the object-oriented computer system according to the first aspect of the present invention, it can easily be traced back to a bug in the application.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an object-oriented computer system, in which a server and client are connected through a network, comprising:
a server-side class library which is used to generate a server-side object that transmits a generation request of an object corresponding to the server-side object and executes relay of a processing request to the object corresponding to the server-side object, and which is linked to an application program executed by the server;
a client-side class library which is used to generate a client-side object that executes processing on the basis of the processing request relayed by the server-side object corresponding to the client-side object; and
an object generation section for receiving the generation request transmitted when the server-side object is generated, and generating the client-side object on the basis of the generation request using the client-side class library.
According to this arrangement, in addition to the effects obtained by the object-oriented computer system of the first aspect of the present invention, the server-side object which entrusts processing to the client side and the client-side object which accepts processing entrusted from the server side and executes the processing on the client side correspond in a one-to-one correspondence. Hence, management is facilitated.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the server-side class library of the first or second aspect is compatible with a predetermined library which can be linked to the application program.
This provides the following effect in addition to the effects obtained by the object-oriented computer system of the first or second aspect of the present invention.
More specifically, in the object-oriented computer system according to the present invention, a server-side class library which has an interface equivalent to an existing library linked to the application and entrusts the actual operation to the client side is provided.
In this arrangement, the operation on the server side having the application can be partially executed on the client side only by simple correction, e.g., linking the server-side class library to the application.
Hence, correction necessary for operating the stand-alone
Muramatsu Koji
Ono Yasushi
Sawada Akihisa
Cao Diem
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Follansbee John
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
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