Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for performing generational garbage collection within computer memory. According to one aspect of the present invention, a computer-implemented method for dynamically managing memory which includes a first memory section and a second memory section that is divided into a plurality of blocks each having an associated marker, includes performing a first garbage collection on the first memory section. The method also includes performing a second garbage collection on a selected one of the blocks in the second memory section. A third garbage collection is performed on the selected block in the second memory section. The third garbage collection includes determining whether the selected block includes a first object which references a second object which is not included in the selected block based at least in part on a status indicated by the marker associated with the selected block.

Abstract: Automatic statement completion is disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes an editor to provide for developing source code for a computer program, and a database containing information on entities in the source code. The system also includes a completion module invoked by the editor upon the occurrence of a predetermined event and operative to display a set of valid entities in response to a pre-determined event.

Abstract: An image formation system ASIC control system and method capable of selectively clearing only registers and other storage units, requiring initialization in response to the internal state and external state of an image formation system ASIC are provided. A plurality of reset signals Reset1-Reset3 for clearing predetermined modules 22, 24, and 26 are output from a reset signal selector 14′. To the reset signal selector 14′, an internal reset request signal is input from an internal main state machine, a first external reset request signal hw is input from a first external reset request generation source 16 formed of ASIC external hardware, and second external reset request signals sw1, sw2, and sw3 are input from a second external reset request generation source 18 formed of ASIC external software. The reset signal selector 14′ ANDs or ORs the input reset requests for outputting any of the reset signals Reset1-Reset3 only to the module corresponding to the reset signal.

Abstract: An improved system for database query processing by means of “query decomposition” intercepts database queries prior to processing by a database management system (“DBMS”). The system decomposes at least selected queries to generate multiple subqueries for application, in parallel, to the DBMS, in lieu of the intercepted query. Responses by the DBMS to the subqueries are assembled by the system to generate a final response. The system also provides improved methods and apparatus for storage and retrieval of records from a database utilizing the DBMS's cluster storage and index retrieval facilitates, in combination with a smaller-than-usual hash bucket size.

Abstract: A method and computer program extracts information from both software and non software sources. The system facilitates the traversal and filtering of the extracted information. Object oriented programming techniques are used in the implementation of the system.

Abstract: A method of monitoring the operational status of and initiating image processing device control commands on one or more image processing devices from a remote location, said image processing devices each having a control computer for controlling operation of the device, including displaying a screen representing one of said image processing devices at the remote location; posting operational status indications relating to the one of said image processing devices and/or device set-up parameters on said screen; adjusting the device set-up parameters by generating an image processing device control command from the remote location; and transmitting said command to the image processing device control computer. This method includes the ability to adjust such things as contrast, enlargement/reduction, network configuration and passwords from the remote location.

Abstract: A technique, system, and computer program for providing a visually oriented, easily navigable search facility. Templates containing field names and possible default values are stored for each available task for this user, preferably in a memory cache or disk cache. When the user enters a value or pattern into a field of the search criteria, this value or pattern is retained. When a subsequent search is requested, the retained values are checked to determine if the user already entered values for any fields of the now-current template. If so, then those values are automatically filled in for this current template. The user is allowed to override any of the filled-in values, and these overrides will also become retained values. Retained values are cleared when the user exits the search facility, or when the user explicitly requests to clear the values.

Abstract: A computer-based system for using a relational database to dynamically configure an application program easily comprises a relational database including first table means containing first data, second table means containing configuration data, and an engine coupled to the relational database for using the configuration data to configure manipulation of the first data. The engine uses the configuration data to configure the appearance of the user interface, to configure the fields being displayed, to configure the expected type of information to be received, to configure the privileges of the user, to configure the column headers, etc.

Abstract: An automated system and process for managing paper files, particularly medical records contained in file folders and the like, in a file storage system having a predetermined size or limited expansion capacity. A shelf manager system includes a computer program and database which tracks the thickness of individual file folders, the capacity of storage shelf sections, and the percentage of free space remaining in each shelf section. The thickness of each file folder is measured whenever the file folder enters or leaves the primary file storage facility. File folder thickness is computed by weighing the file on an electronic scale or other caliper-based measure device. When occupied shelf space exceeds a threshold percentage for a shelf section, file folders are purged according to the likelihood that certain files will not be requested in the future by applying purging algorithms to the individual files.

Abstract: A method and computer program product are provided for implementing skip key processing for database grouping queries involving aggregate operations using one or more indices in a computer system. First checking for a selected entry in a current group in a primary file is performed. Responsive to finding the selected entry in the current group, the set of records of the current group is ordered to provide an aggregate value in an aggregate field of the current group. Then checking for an excluded value in the aggregate field of the current group is performed. Responsive to not finding the excluded value in the aggregate field, a current entry is saved as a result for the group. Then checking for more groups in the primary file is performed. Responsive to finding more groups in the primary file, a unique key or prefix to the query index is obtained to position to a next group. When the selected entry in the next group is not found, then checking for more groups in the primary file is performed.

Abstract: A process to access an IMS transaction based computer system from a structured query language (SQL) application program without revising or migrating the transaction based system. Binary virtual table mappings are built. An SQL statement from the SQL application program is parsed. Virtual column to transaction utilization mappings are extracted from the SQL statement. A possible solution set or solution sets are generated which may be capable of satisfying the SQL statement. Thereafter, transaction costs for each potential solution set are determined. Finally, a solution set with the lowest cost to satisfy the SQL statement is executed.

Abstract: Apparatus, program products, and methods implement various intelligent contact management operations to improve the productivity of users of electronic messaging systems and the like. To perform an intelligent name lookup, for example, a subset of the users in a contact database that meet a predetermined search criteria is identified, and a favored user is selected therefrom based upon a predetermined affinity criteria. Also, the automated addition of new entries to a contact database is supported by accumulating the number of contacts between a first user and a second user, with a new entry associated with the second user added to the contact database associated with the first user in response to the number of contacts between the first and second users exceeding a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A method of data classification using a decision tree having nodes is disclosed, along with an apparatus for perming the method. Periodically or after a certain number of nodes of the tree are split, the partially built tree is pruned. During the building phase the minimum cost of subtrees rooted at leaf nodes that can still be expanded (“yet to be expanded nodes”)is computed. With the computation of the minimum subtree cost at nodes, the nodes pruned are a subset of those that would have been pruned anyway during the pruning phase, and they are pruned while the tree is still being built.

Abstract: A relational database access system and method provides a new data representation and a query technique which allows information system end users to access (query) relational databases without knowing the relational structure or the structure query language (SQL). The present invention utilizes semantically dynamic objects.

Abstract: A compactly stored word list that includes a directed graph data structure is used for word to number (W/N) and number to word (N/W) mapping. Each word accepted by the data structure is mapped to a unique corresponding number within a dense set of numbers ranging from zero to one less than the total number of acceptable words. Some common suffixes are collapsed into shared branches, which is possible because the numbers are not stored within the word list. In addition, some branches of the data structure can be skipped during mapping because of information associated with branch points. That information permits the mapping scan to continue with a next branch or with an alternative branch. That information also indicates the number of suffix endings in the next branch; this number is used to keep a count of the word endings during word to number mapping; it is also used both to determine whether to continue with the next branch and also to reduce the number being mapped during number to word mapping.

Abstract: Changed data of castout classes of a coupling facility cache are managed in order to be able to efficiently determine the age of the oldest changed data in the cache. A directory entry representing a changed datum is placed in a data structure corresponding to the castout class of the changed datum. The data structure includes an order queue ordered by timestamps and a process queue, having an ordered portion and an unordered portion. When the directory entry is to be added to the data structure, an attempt is first made to place the entry on the order queue. If the entry is not placed on the order queue within a predefined amount of time, then the entry is placed on the process queue, the order of which is maintained by background tasks. In order to return the oldest entry of the data structure, the smallest entry of the process queue is determined and that entry is then compared to the smallest entry of the order queue. The smaller of those two entries corresponds to the oldest entry for the castout class.

Abstract: Hosting windowed objects in a non-windowing environment is disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, a computerized system includes a non-windowing environment, such as that provided by Java, and a windowed object, such as an ActiveX control. The windowed object is hosted in the non-windowing environment, via, for example, an off-screen parent window such as a Win32 window.

Abstract: What-if index analysis utility provides the ability to analyze the performance of the existing configuration of a database system with respect to one or more workloads of queries and to propose a hypothetical configuration for the database system to analyze its potential impact on the performance of the database system. The utility may be used, for example, to perform an impact analysis of the set of indexes selected by an index selection tool, for example, with respect to a workload of queries and may also be used to explore what-if scenarios for the database system by analyzing the impact of hypothetical sets of indexes with respect to the execution of various workloads over projected sizes of a database. The utility may be used to perform summarizations of workloads, configurations, and the performance of workloads with respect to the existing configuration and hypothetical configurations.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for cataloging datastore characteristics and defining and generating datastore persistent objects. A computerized system includes an external non-object-oriented datastore and a class definition tool that defines a specification for the external non-object-oriented datastore, defines a specification for a datastore persistent object class using the specification for the external non-object-oriented datastore, and defines a specification for an application program that interacts with the datastore persistent object class. The class definition tool stores the datastore specification, the datastore persistent object class specification, and the application program specification in a catalog.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for using a non-object-oriented datastore as a generic persistent datastore for persistent objects. A computerized system in accordance with the principles of the present invention provides a “bridge” that interfaces between an application program and a non-object-oriented database management system to provide persistent storage for objects manipulated by the application program.