Abstract: An automatic method and apparatus for providing services on a computer system. A set of services is established providing different functionality for the computer system. With each of the set of services an attribute is stored for identifying characteristics of the function of each of the set of services. Then, the first set of services can be retrieved by a first set of attributes which is specified irrespective of any locales which may be defined in the computer system. Thus, characteristics or attributes of most importance to a service may be used to describe it and used for retrieval of such services. The establishing of the first set of services includes building a structure which references each of the first set of services. Retrieving may include maintaining a reference to one of the services in the structure and iterating through the structure in order to retrieve a subsequent one of the services.

Abstract: An automatic method and apparatus for providing services on a computer system. A set of services is established providing different functionality for the computer system. With each of the set of services an attribute is stored for identifying characteristics of the function of each of the set of services. Then, the first set of services can be retrieved by a first set of attributes which is specified irrespective of any locales which may be defined in the computer system. Thus, characteristics or attributes of most importance to a service may be used to describe it and used for retrieval of such services. The establishing of the first set of services includes building a structure which references each of the first set of services. Retrieving may include maintaining a reference to one of the services in the structure and iterating through the structure in order to retrieve a subsequent one of the services.

Abstract: An automatic method and apparatus for providing services on a computer system. A set of services is established providing different functionality for the computer system. With each of the set of services an attribute is stored for identifying characteristics of the function of each of the set of services. Then, the first set of services can be retrieved by a first set of attributes which is specified irrespective of any locales which may be defined in the computer system. Thus, characteristics or attributes of most importance to a service may be used to describe it and used for retrieval of such services. The establishing of the first set of services includes building a structure which references each of the first set of services. Retrieving may include maintaining a reference to one of the services in the structure and iterating through the structure in order to retrieve a subsequent one of the services.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in a computer system for providing localized services on a computer system. Responsive to a request from a first process requesting a first international function, a database is scanned for a first service which provides the first international function. The database is arranged by locale. If the first service does exist in a first locale in the database, then a second locale in the database is scaned for the first service. If the second locale contains the first service then the first service is retrieved and made available to the first process. Thus, services for first process may span locale boundaries in the database wherein the first process references at least two services which reside in at least two of the locales. The functions include sorting service functions, formatting service functions.