Selective user coupling for shared object oriented computer syst

Details Selective user coupling for shared object oriented computer syst Selective user coupling for shared object oriented computer syst

1992-12-30

1997-03-25

Black, Thomas G.

Boots, shoes, and leggings

364DIG1, 3642841, 3642304, G06F 15163

Patent

active

056153368

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an object based computer system.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Object based computer systems facilitate multi-tasking and multi-user operations where common data files may be accessed concurrently by different tasks operated from the same terminal or operated by different users employing respective terminals. A windows environment is generally employed in conjunction with an object based system to enable windows to be allocated to respective concurrent tasks. There follows an overview of an object based system in a windows environment which will help define terms used herein.
An OBJECT is a combination of data and method code which is normally stored on disk. An object may be INACTIVE, when it is identified simply as a disk file, or ACTIVE, when it has a PROCESS, or executable file, associated with it. When active, at least parts of the object are held in the computer RAM and the object is defined by the state of the associated process rather than by its file.
Objects can be LINKED to other objects so that changes in one are reflected in the object or objects with which it is linked by virtue of MESSAGES which are passed between the linked objects. The system is controlled by an OBJECT MANAGER which is an application running in the windows environment and which controls activation and deactivation of objects, and the passage of messages between objects.
An object is sometimes a CONTAINER which contains as notional parts other objects. Examples of container objects in a distributed office system are a desktop, folder and a document. A VARIABLE DIMENSION DATA OBJECT (VDO) is a data store of which the values of elements may be viewed and changed directly by a user.
Object based systems have suffered the disadvantage common to multi-tasking or multi-user systems sharing data files. This is that although, with careful record-locking procedures, different tasks or users can, in concurrent sessions, alter data in the same data file (or object) each alteration and display is effectively carried out independently. The users do not have immediate cross-references and updating to changes made by other users to the data file at the same time.
We have devised a solution to this problem which depends on splitting an object between a SEMANTIC part (which defines the state of the object) and a PRESENTATION part (for presenting to a user the state of the object). Indeed, conceptually one can think of there being separate semantic objects and presentation objects. In addition, when using a windows user interface, there are windows for viewing objects and facilitating multi-tasking. In this specification, the presentation part or presentation object is something which is utilised by a window and forms part of the window for the time in which the window is viewing the object in question and generally a distinction between the window and the presentation part or object will not be made.
Semantic objects have data stored in a particular storage domain. A storage domain may be regarded as closely equivalent to a storage medium such as a hard disc or floppy disc in the sense that all objects in a given storage domain are on-line together or are off-line together. Consequently, a single machine may support a plurality of storage domains.
The present invention could be applied in a single computer having one or more storage domains but is primarily concerned with an object based system having a plurality of user stations. Such a system may be provided by a single central processing device having a plurality of user stations coupled to it, or it may be provided by a distributed processing network consisting of a number of independent processing units each having a respective station associated with it. In the system of the present invention an object has an implicit presentation, which will look the same however viewed.
It is possible to open one or more windows on each object. The windows manage the display and input/output (lexical) interaction in the system. The user of multiple w

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