Abstract: An operator of a digital computer system issues a series of operational commands to respective concurrently executing application programs. Each application program includes a client executive routine that records the application program's operational commands and an associated time stamp indicating when the operational command was received from the operator. The operational commands and the time stamps are transferred to a core executive program that records a script of the operational commands. The core executive determines from the time stamps a global sequence in which the operator issued the operational commands to the application programs. In a playback mode, the computer system re-executes the application programs by issuing the operational commands from the script memory to the application programs in the determined global sequence. In a preferred embodiment, the core executive determines a sequence identifier for each operational command.

Abstract: In response to a message requesting a method invocation from an application or user, a client application determines the proper method to be invoked by retrieving information from a class data base, comparing the retrieved information with user preferences, and selecting the proper method based upon the comparison. Server connection and start-up involves locating a platform capable of executing code associated with the selected method and, if necessary, executing a process to start an application associated with the selected method.

Abstract: An operator of a digital computer system enters application call commands to execute a series of application programs. The execution of the application programs is affected by application operational commands, and involves the import and export of data among the application programs. The data are imported and exported through objects such as files. The computer system includes a core executive program that records a script of the application call commands. The application programs each include a client executive routine that records the application program's operational commands together with import and export information, and transmits the operational commands and the import and export information to the core executive program before termination of the application program. The core executive program integrates the operational commands into the script, and displays a graphical picture of the state of the computer system.

Abstract: In distributed heterogeneous data processing networks, dispatcher and control server software components execute the code of a single application or of many portions of the code of one or more applications in response to a method object received from a client application. The method object includes a reference to the code to be executed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus providing for the interaction of processes in an object-oriented manner by which a system manages "classes" of data instances and applications rather than managing the data itself. The names of classes may be stored in a data base which also contains other information about the classes, such as certain con, non attributes of applications or instances which are supported by the classes. Applications can remotely invoke other applications by sending messages with parameters. Using the message names, as well as information about the classes of certain parameters and certain preference information, a reference to a specific method is selected from the data base. That method will perform the operation specified in the message. Other information in the data base is then used to locate and execute the actual code to implement the referenced method.

Abstract: The system for organizing communication among applications in a data processing network includes data bases and data base control means. The data bases include method entries, message entries, and class entries. Method entries refer to commands or other mechanisms used to invoke applications. Message entries each represent a type of operation which can be performed on instances in a class which correspond to that message and identify a method map which contains one or more references to method entries stored in the data base. Class entries, each of which is unique in a data base, contain information about classes consisting of instances which have common characteristics as well as identifying a corresponding group of message entries.

Abstract: A data structure for tabular data arranged in rows and columns. The data structure includes a header portion including a generic columnar processing information table, and a data portion for storing data in rows, the data portion further identifying a table containing generic columnar processing information to be used in processing selected cells in the row. In a refinement, each row in the data structure includes a row header including a row number and at least one cell, the row number identifying a row in a table for the cell. As a further refinement, each cell includes a header portion and a value portion, the header portion containing a cell number identifying a column in a table for the cell.

Abstract: A data structure for tabular data arranged in rows and columns. The data structure includes a header portion including a generic columnar processing information table, and a data portion for storing data in rows, the data portion further identifying a table containing generic columnar processing information to be used in processing selected cells in the row. In a refinement, each row in the data structure includes a row header including a row number and at least one cell, the row number identifying a row in a table for the cell. As a further refinement, each cell includes a header portion and a value portion, the header portion containing a cell number identifying a column in a table for the cell.

Abstract: A new processing system includes a child system and a parent system. The child system performs operations in a session, and includes a child application and a child-parent interface for receiving communications from a parent to control said child application. The parent system includes a child application invocation portion for enabling a child application to be invoked, a parent-child interface for generating communication for transfer to said child-parent interface, and a parent application for controlling the child application invocation portion and said child parent interface to enable invocation of said child application and for thereafter enabling said child application to perform processing operations in a series of processing sessions.