Object Oriented Programming System for Cooperative Processing Between Objects in Different Languages by Means of Object Descriptions and Message Format Mappings Between the Different Languages Based on the Object Descriptions

This invention relates to data processing systems. More particularly, this invention relates to the execution of object oriented computer programs on data processing systems.

Conventional computer programs comprise a list of instructions which are sequentially executed to manipulate data being processed. It is a time consuming, skilled and expensive task to write computer programs. In order to help reduce these problems, techniques have been developed which seek to assist in enabling the reuse of code between different computer programs. Such object oriented programming techniques divide the code and the data manipulated by that code into portions called objects. The encapsulation of both the code and data makes the objects easier to reuse in differing programs. Execution of such object oriented programs involves the sending of messages between these objects. The objects are organized into hierarchies in which child objects inherit function from their parents. This also reduces the need to write more than one piece of code to perform any given function. One or more objects from one program can be transferred for use in another program.

There are a number of different object oriented programming languages such as Smalltalk and C++ (Smalltalk is a trademark of Digitalk). These various object oriented programming languages have different properties making them suitable for varying purposes. Smalltalk is an interpreted language making it suitable for prototyping as it is easy to modify, but unsuitable as a production language as it is relatively slow in operation. Conversely, C++ is a compiled language making it unsuitable for prototyping as it is difficult to alter, but suitable as a production language as it is fast in operation. All computer languages have both advantages and disadvantages; no one computer language is the best for all purposes. It would be desirable if different parts of a computer program could be written in different languages to better match the circumstances of each portion of code with the language it uses.

With conventional non-object oriented computer programs the task of allowing a computer program in a first language to cooperatively process with a computer program in a second language would be a complex matter and would require a significant additional overhead. In contrast, object oriented computer programs have a granular or encapsulated structure in which the objects appear to be inherently isolated and independent of one another. The objects normally interact only through the exchange of messages. In theory, this feature should make cooperative inter-language processing easier.

However, in practice, the different object oriented programming languages operate in quite different ways. A message suitable for receipt by an object in one language environment cannot be understood by an object in another language environment. The problem is not one of merely translating the syntax of the message. The way different languages manage the passing of messages between objects vary considerably. One way to enable a first computer program to send a message to a second computer program would require the first computer program to go inside the second computer program to find the information it needs to generate the message. Providing a computer program in a first language capable of going inside a computer program written in another language in search of this information would be a problem of considerable magnitude, and with an accompanying significant overhead. Thus, whilst at first sight the use of object oriented programming techniques would seem to make communication between objects in different languages merely a matter of communicating a message, in practice this is a considerable oversimplification and the difficulties are substantial.

Viewed from one aspect, the invention provides a method of operating a data processing system under control of a first computer program written in a first computer language and a second object oriented computer program written in a second computer language wherein said first program sends a message to a target object of a target class in said second program to perform a target function by:

said first program calling a generic send message function with access to a predetermined description of classes of said second computer program,

said generic send message function locating said target function from within said target class by reading said description,

said generic send message function mapping said message into a format required by said second language, and

said generic send message function sending said message to said target object.

The invention allows an object oriented program to be written partly in one computer language and partly in another computer language without the degree of complexity discussed above. The invention introduces an additional layer between the two computer programs. This layer includes a description of the objects in the target computer program. At first appearance it would seem that introducing this additional layer makes the system more, not less complicated. However, the provision of this extra layer allows a language independent object model (description) to be built. The invention recognizes that the provision of this extra layer frees the sending of messages from the complications resulting from the idiosyncrasies of any particular language. The passing of messages between computer programs in different languages is thus made practical.

An example of an application of the invention is where it is desired to create a new version of a computer program by adding additional code. The existing code can remain in its production language such as C++, whilst the new code can be prototyped in a different, more suitable language such as Smalltalk. The invention also makes it possible for class hierarchies to span different languages. A child object in a first language can inherit function from a parent object in a second language. The invention allows working systems to approach more closely the object oriented ideal in which any given object is completely independent of all other objects, and can communicate with other objects by sending messages.

It is important to realize that objects within a given class of objects will share most of their characteristics. Accordingly, each object description contains data identifying instance variables unique to that object and a pointer to a description of its class. This organization helps decrease the overall size of the description.

It will be appreciated that in most practical situations it will be desired to send messages in both directions across inter-environment boundaries. Accordingly, in preferred embodiments of the invention said generic send message function has access to a description of objects of a plurality of object oriented computer programs enabling sending messages to said plurality of computer programs.

Within object oriented computer programs a frequent requirement resulting from the inheritance of function is a desire of a child class to send a message to its parent class. In the context of the present invention, that parent object may be within a computer program in a different computer language. To deal with this requirement, in preferred embodiments of the invention said second object oriented computer program includes at least one child class and at least one parent class, each description of a child class includes a pointer to a description of its parent class, and said child class locates its parent class by reading said pointer. This feature of the invention allows for direct calls to be made to a parent class using a SendSuper function.

Another consequence of inheritance is that when a message is sent to a target object, the sending object does not know whether the target object will provide the requested function or will pass the message on to its parent class. To aid efficiency, in preferred embodiments of the invention each description of a class includes a list of functions provided by that class, and if a message requesting a target function not provided by said target class is received, then said pointer to said parent class description is read and said target function searched for in a corresponding list of functions of the parent class. This feature allows the class which deals with the requested function to be identified from within the object descriptions with greater speed.

Another problem that arises is how to achieve a consistent approach to the organization of object instance variable data. To deal with this said description of classes includes data identifying length and location of instance variable data for objects within a given class of objects, such that when a new object is created length of instance variable data for that object is calculated based upon instance variable length for said new object's complete object hierarchy, storage for instance variables is allocated, and instance variable addresses are passed as a parameter in messages sent by said generic send message function to target objects.

As mentioned above message syntax needs to be catered for by the mapping performed by the generic send message function. In preferred embodiments of the invention each description of a class identifies said computer language of said class and a pointer to code for performing said mapping. Only one portion of code need be provided for mapping into each computer language.

Viewed from another aspect the invention provides a data processing system for operation under control of a first computer program written in a first computer language and a second object oriented computer program written in a second computer language having means for sending a message from said first program to a target object of a target class in said second program to perform a target function, said means for sending comprising:

means for said first program to call a generic send message function with access to a predetermined description of classes of said second computer program,

means for said generic send message function to locate said target function from within said target class by reading said description,

means for said generic send message function to map said message into a format required by said second language, and

means for said generic send message function to send said message to said target object.

FIG. 1 shows a simple class hierarchy, and

FIG. 2 shows the internal structure and class description (which includes object descriptions) behind this simple class hierarchy.

The invention provides inter-operability between different programming language environments across a number of operating system platforms. It provides this inter-operability between different programming languages in a language independent object oriented programming environment. This object oriented programming environment provides a language independent object model.

One way to demonstrate this is to describe the operation of creating two objects and sending them messages in an OS/2 Presentation Manager environment (OS/2 and Presentation Manager are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation). This will illustrate the inheritance, instance variable, and language inter-operability functions. The class structure of FIG. 1 is created by a class editor. Each class definition along with its associated tables and methods is compiled and link-edited into a DLL (Dynamic Link Library).

The first example is the creation of a C object in a hierarchy which also includes a C++ object. Object X (FIG. 2) is created which is an instance of class C.

1. The class C DLL is loaded into memory, and the definition located by sending a message to the environmental Mapping Function (EMF) stub which returns the address of the class definition. The EMF stub has two entry points (37 classname" and ".sub.-- classname" for instance and class messages respectively.

2. Since class C has a superclass B, class B is loaded into memory, and the class definition located, the address of class B's definition being saved in the class C's definition.

3. Similarly step 2 is repeated until all the superclasses in this branch of the hierarchy have been loaded and located, in this case this process tops after loading class A.

4. The length of all the instance variables in this branch of the hierarchy is calculated, in this case 4+12+8 ((a1) in FIG. 2),

5. The object storage is allocated for the instance variables and linkage to the class definition. The address of this storage is used as a generic object handle.

6. A NEW message is sent to the object which allows each class to perform initialization and specialized construction functions. The SendMsg function performs as follows:

a. The SendMsg function obtains the address of the class definition from the object handle, and calls the EMF routine pointed ((e1) in FIG. 2) to by the definition.

b. The `C` EMF stub routine receives control and the message not being a request for the address of the definition passes control to the `C` EMF common routine (e3).

c. The `C` EMF common routine scans the message table associated with this class for the New message, and not finding it calls the EMF routine pointed (c3) to by Class B's definition. The address of Class B's definition is obtained from the superclass definition pointer of Class C's definition (c1).

d. Step c. is repeated until the message is found or the top of the superclass chain is reached. If the top of the superclass chain is reached without finding the message FALSE is returned to the caller of SendMsg.

e. In this case the processing reaches C++ EMF common routine (e4) for Class A. The ++ EMF Common routine performs special processing for the New message. It calls the C++ Class constructor routine whose address is in the message table and saves the value (the C++ handle) returned in the instance variables of the generic message handler (hereafter PMPLUS). This C++ handle is used subsequently when sending messages to a C++ Method.

7. The generic handle is returned to the caller of the object create function.

The second example concerns the creation of a Smalltalk object within a hierarchy which also includes both C and C++ objects. Object Y, an instance of Class D is created. However since the class definitions of Class A and Class B were loaded in steps 2 and 3 in the preceding example these are found and reused. When the Smalltalk EMF common routine (e2) processes the New message it crates a Smalltalk object of this class in the Smalltalk environment. It does this by:

1. A check is made to see if communications are active with the Smalltalk Environment. This is done by obtaining some OS/2 named storage.

2. If this fails Smalltalk is started and communications initialized by:

a. Starting Smalltalk/VPM which in its initialization code allocates the named shared storage and places in the storage the value of the Smalltalk window handle.

b. A PMPLUS message handler object is created which adds itself to the PM Notifier and adds the PMPLUS-Smalltalk messages to be handled by Notifier.

c. Posting a semaphore to inform any waiting environments that initialization is complete.

3. Sends a message to the Smalltalk environment, using the window handle (setup in a) in the shared storage, to create the object. This message is processed as follows:

a. The PMPLUS message handler receives the create object message via Notifier.

b. Checks if the class exists.

c. Creates an instance of the class.

d. Returns an index to this class.

4. The returned index is saved in the PMPLUS instance variables.

5. Processing continues as in the first example steps 6d and 6e.

6. Returns the handle (h2) of Object Y to the caller of the create object function.

The third example illustrates the sending of a message to a C++ object. A draw message is sent to object X. The processing follows very closely the processing described in steps 6a to 6e of the first example except when processing in step 6e, the address of the C++ function is obtained from the message table. The C++ function is called using the C++ handle saved in the PMPLUS instance variables in step 6e in the first example and the parameters from the SendMsg function. The return value from the C++ Method is returned to the caller of the SendMsg function.

the fourth example illustrates the sending of a message to a Smalltalk object. An Update message is sent to Object Y.

1. The SendMsg function obtains the address of the class definition from the object handle, and calls the EMF routine pointed (e2) to by the definition.

2. The Smalltalk EMF common routine receives control and sends the message to the PMPLUS message handler in Smalltalk along with the object index saved in step 4 of the second example.

3. The PMPLUS Smalltalk message handler receives the message and checks that the index is valid and that the object will process the message.

4. If the Object will not process the message a "message not found" indication is returned (to the send message processing) and the search for the message continues up the class hierarchy as in steps 6c and 6d of the first example.

5. Otherwise the parameters are mapped to the Smalltalk environment using message parameter descriptors previously defined and included in the class definition.

6. The Smalltalk message is then executed and the return value passed back to calling function.

7. The Smalltalk method may choose to perform some processing and send the message on to its super class. It does this by using the PMPLUS SendMsgSuper function. All PMPLUS functions are defined in the Smalltalk environment in the same way as the Presentation Manager API is defined.

The SendMsgSuper processing is very similar to the SendMsg function with the exception that the search for the message begins at the superclass of the SendMsgSuper caller, in this case Class B.

The process is then as described in the third example except that the update function is called.

The fifth example describes the sending of a message to a C object. An Highlight message is sent to Object Y.

1. The SendMsg function obtains the address of the class definition from the object handle, and calls the EMF routine pointed (e2) to by the definition.

2. The message is first sent to the Smalltalk Class D as in the fourth example.

3. The message is not handled by the Smalltalk class so the message is sent to the C Language EMF common routine (e3) via Class B's definition.

4. The C Language EMF Common routine (e3) finds the highlight message in the Class Definition of Class B.

5. It calculates the address of the Class B's instance variables by adding the instance variable offset to the base address of the instance variable area.

6. The function (whose address is in the message table) is called with the object handle, the address of the instance variables and the parameters from the SendMsg call.

So far we have used the OS/2 environment to describe the operation of this invention, and how the problems of crossing environment boundaries are solved. More detailed information on OS/2 programming may be found in the book entitled `Programming the OS/2 Presentation Manager` by Charles Petzold, published by Microsoft Press (ISBN 1-55615-170-5), and on Smalltalk in the manual issued with the Smalltalk/VPM entitled `Tutorial and Programming Handbook` by Digitalk. An alternative solution for the Smalltalk Environment could be to to use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) to obtain the Smalltalk window handle, and use DDE functions for communicating the PMPLUS message handler in Smalltalk.

The solutions developed can be similarly applied to other workstation environments such as Windows, X-Windows, MOTIF, and mainframe operating systems (Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation, X-Windows is a trademark of AT&T Corporation, and MOTIF is a trademark of the Open Software foundation).