Abstract: Mapping a source identifier in a source identifier space to a target identifier in a target identifier space using a hash-based computation that is stable over time with respect to a change in the number of target identifiers. A data item identifiable by a source identifier is associated with some type of computational resource that is represented by a target object identifiable by one or more target identifiers. The set of target objects is dynamically variable. After hashing the source identifier to produce an index position of an entry in a table, a target identifier is retrieved from the table entry. Each entry in the table is related to a single target identifier based on a nearness computation that depends upon the table index position of the table entry and a target identifier for the related target.

Abstract: Provided is a Web Services Response Template (WSRT) that addresses the problems of efficiency and robustness to change in Web Services response by allowing a requestor to explicitly specify, in a response template what information is to be returned by the request. A requestor of a web service gets just the information it needs; different requestors of the same operation may get different information; and a responder sends the requestor only what is asked for so there is no problem when new information becomes available. WSRTs are specifically designed to allow the type of control needed in program-to-program (P2P) communication, while being very efficiently and simply processed by a web service. Thus, WSRTs address difficulties that arise in typical distributed, P2P communication without adding much overhead or complexity to either a service requester or a service provider.

Abstract: A method for serving a web page uses eXtensible Markup Language (XML) server pages. The first time a page is accessed, a given flat file is parsed into an XML Document Object Model (DOM), and required tag libraries are loaded. The DOM tree is then traversed, preferably in a depth-first, inside-out manner to locate custom tags. Upon locating a custom tag, if the tag is registered as a Java object, the object is loaded. A process method is then called on the object, passing the custom tag's tree node. The Java object then examines the custom tag and replaces it with an object, e.g., script code. Alternatively, if the tag is registered as an XSL stylesheet, the stylesheet is loaded and passed, together with the DOM, to an XSL processor. The processor applies the template to the custom tag and replaces it with given script code. Once all custom tags are reduced to HTML and script code, the DOM is compiled into a Java servlet to service the client request.

Abstract: A table format object is used to format a dynamic HTML table at a web server. To facilitate the development of a dynamic server page for use in serving the dynamic table, first and second representations are created and made available for display to a page developer, e.g., in a web browser. The first representation illustrates how the HTML table will appear when formatted on a page by the table format object. The first representation includes given table attribute elements. The second representation is preferably online documentation for the table format object that includes, for each table attribute element, a set of methods that are available on the table format object. According to the invention, a given table attribute in the first representation is bidirectionally linked to its corresponding set of methods in the second representation to enable the developer to easily identify how given attributes in the table behave and how to resolve potential conflicts between these attributes.

Abstract: A method operative at a server for generating a table having dynamic data. According to the method, a page developer may specify a given table cell in the table for conditional treatment. In response to a request for the table received from a client browser, the table is populated with dynamic data, preferably by instantiating a table format object. If the dynamic data in the table cell meets a given condition, the table cell is highlighted. Using this technique, the page developer may conditionally highlight a particular cell based on the characteristics of the dynamic data to be presented in the cell.

Abstract: A user contracts with an application service provider for hosting a needed application. By contracting with a service provider the user may interact with the application by using only a thin client rather than maintaining a thick client. The user rents an application from either the service provider or an independent application provider. If the user procures the application from an application provider, the application provider negotiates hosting terms with the service provider prior to installing the application into the service provider's warehouse. The application provider also checks that the services provided by the service provider meet the minimum requirements of the application. Once installed, the service provider may offer the application to other users along with services for the application. The user may procure additional services from the service provider for supporting the application. A user can then dynamically download the application “on-demand”.

Abstract: A method, operative at a web server, for generating an HTML table having dynamic data, wherein the table can be oriented in any horizontal or vertical orientation. The method preferably utilizes a table format page object to format the table. To facilitate selective rotation of the dynamic table, the method begins by associating together given attribute characteristics of each individual cell in the table. The page developer then sets a table style rotation property on the table format page object. In response to a client request, the table format page object is then instantiated with the dynamic data. The table style rotation property is applied to the table to control the table's orientation. The resulting table is then served back to the requesting client browser.

Abstract: Different scripting languages may reside side-by-side or nested within each other on the same web page. Thus, a new author may add code to the page, and he or she is not tied to any given subset of languages supported by the web server. Multiple scripting languages are supported by identifying a start and an end of each scripting language code block authored into the web page markup language. When the web page is later compiled into an XML Document Object Model (DOM) tree, the routine examines the DOM to identify any nodes that identify a given code block. Upon encountering a node that identifies a given code block, the DOM is adjusted to account for the script code within the given code block.

Abstract: A method operative at a server in response to a client browser request for generating a table having dynamic data. The method begins by instantiating a table format object with dynamic data extracted from one of a set of data objects through a common interface. The common interface enables page developers to author customized data getter objects that are used to access data in the set of data objects. The dynamic data extracted from the given data object through the common interface is formatted into the table according to the table format object. The resulting table with dynamic data is then served back to the requesting client browser.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for subclassing System Object Model (SOM) class objects for a dynamic object-oriented language. A proxy class object is created using the dynamic language that points to the SOM class object. Next, a dynamic language subclass is created. This is followed by the creation of a SOM class object using the SOM interface, which causes certain SOM methods to be overridden by dynamic language redispatch stubs. The dynamic language overrides the SOM dispatch procedures and replaces the dispatcher with its own procedures. The new dispatch procedure will search for a method in the dynamic language class object method table first in response to a message, and if not found, redirects the message to the SOM environment.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed in a computer network for efficiently permitting code applets to communicate with other code applets remotely located within the computer network, wherein the computer network includes local network sites linked to remote network sites. Initially a communications link is established at each local network site, wherein the communications link permits code applets to communicate with one another. The communications link is composed of an InfoBus for inter-applet communication. The communications links are then interconnected, such that during a subsequent processing of the code applet at a local network site, the code applet may communicate with a code applet maintained at a remote network site, thereby forming a distributed communications link throughout the computer network.

Abstract: A method for a first process in a first address space to communicate with an object in a second address space including the steps of determining, during runtime of the first process, that a communication link is needed between the first process and a target object in the second address space, generating a proxy object in the first address space corresponding to the target object, and establishing the communication link between the first process and the target object through the proxy object.

Abstract: A method and system for efficiently controlling the execution of actions in an object oriented program. An observable object is defined which responds to a predetermined number of abstract events, each abstract event corresponding to an action slot container object which is associated with the observable object. New abstract events may be defined at execution and a corresponding new action slot container object associated with the observable object at that time. One or more action objects which each specify a unit of behavior are then defined and placed within the action slot container objects such that the occurrence of a corresponding abstract event may initiate the occurrence of multiple units of behavior. Separate subclasses of action objects are also defined, each subclass specifying a manner in which the specified unit of behavior will be implemented.

Abstract: A mechanism for passing a request from a calling object in a first address space to a target object in a second address space. First, the request is passed from the calling object to an object request broker (more general term?) to which the calling object is written which normally handles requests to remote objects for the calling object. Responsive to a determination that the target object is foreign to the object request broker, a foreign object request broker to which the target object is written is located. A proxy object is generated according to the protocol of the foreign object request broker and stored in the first address space. A pointer is returned to calling object so that communication from the calling object to the target object may be established through the proxy object.

Abstract: The format of an output file from a compiler is altered using two new objects, a template definition file for specifying the desired formats for the sections of the output file and a template facility for formatting output from the compiler according to the template definition file. The desired formats are specified by patterned sets of symbol names in the template definition file. A symbol table which is maintained by the template facility stores a set of symbol values corresponding to the symbol names. The template facility outputs the section by placing symbol values from the symbol table in the output file according to the positions of the corresponding symbol names in the patterned sets of symbol names.

Abstract: An emitter framework including several classes of support objects and a generic emitter class that can be subclassed to produce a new emitter for a compiler. The input to the framework is a first intermediate data structure called an abstract syntax graph which is produced by a parser within the compiler from an interface definition file. The new emitter converts the first intermediate data structure to the desired output file. The first intermediate data structure and a set of entry classes which correspond to elements in the interface definition file are input to an object graph builder. The object graph builder translates the first intermediate data structure to a second intermediate data structure called the object graph by creating instances from the set of entry classes. Typically, a new instance of a user-defined subclass of the emitter class is created by subclassing, the new emitter object instance translates the second intermediate data structure to the desired output file.

Abstract: The format of an output file from a compiler is altered using two new objects, a template definition file for specifying the desired formats for the sections of the output file and a template facility for formatting output from the compiler according to the template definition file. The desired formats are specified by patterned sets of symbol names in the template definition file. A symbol table which is maintained by the template facility stores a set of symbol values corresponding to the symbol names. The template facility outputs the section by placing symbol values from the symbol table in the output file according to the positions of the corresponding symbol names in the patterned sets of symbol names.