Abstract: A method and system for referring to and binding to objects using a moniker object is provided. In preferred embodiments a moniker object contains information to identify linked source data and provides methods through which a program can bind to the linked source data. A binding method is provided that returns an instance of an interface through which the linked source data can be accessed. In a preferred embodiment, the moniker object provides other methods including a reducing method that returns a more efficient representation of the moniker object; equality and hash methods for comparing moniker objects; and inverse, common prefix, and relative-path-to methods for comparing and locating moniker objects from other moniker objects. Several implementations of a moniker object are provided. Each implementation is a moniker class and has a class identifier that identifies code to manage the moniker class.

Abstract: A method and system for referring to and binding to objects using a moniker object is provided. In preferred embodiments a moniker object contains information to identify linked source data and provides methods through which a program can bind to the linked source data. A binding method is provided that returns an instance of an interface through which the linked source data can be accessed. In a preferred embodiment, the moniker object provides other methods including a reducing method that returns a more efficient representation of the moniker object; equality and hash methods for comparing moniker objects; and inverse, common prefix, and relative-path-to methods for comparing and locating moniker objects from other moniker objects. Several implementations of a moniker object are provided. Each implementation is a moniker class and has a class identifier that identifies code to manage the moniker class.

Abstract: A method and system for creating and modifying computer applications using an application description language based on a markup language is provided. An engine creates, connects, and initializes objects corresponding to entities, and specified by entity tags. A factory may be specified by an entity tag and used to create a plurality of entities. Applications are specified in a plaintext descriptive language using a markup language such as XML, enabling applications to be easily developed using object oriented techniques and abstraction. Altering preexisting applications is also simplified. Finally, an application may be dynamically reconfigured when the application's data changes. Type checking and conditional creation of entities is supported.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an XML application framework (XAF). XAF applications are data driven such that all operations with the computer system are data focused. In addition, the components used in the XAF application are instantiated and connected according to how the data is displayed and what type of data is used. Applications within XAF comprise a user interface (UI) connector, an action module, and a data connector. UI connectors receive UI events and connect the UI event to an action module. The action module generates a standard format action from the UI event and sends it to the data connector. The data connector translates the standard format action into a data-specific action that changes data in a data store. A data connector then sends a standard format data representation corresponding to the changed data back to the UI connector to provide the changed data to the UI.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an XML application framework (XAF). XAF applications are data driven such that all operations with the computer system are data focused. In addition, the components used in the XAF application are instantiated and connected according to how the data is displayed and what type of data is used. Applications within XAF comprise a user interface (UI) connector, an action module, and a data connector. UI connectors receive UI events and connect the UI event to an action module. The action module generates a standard format action from the UI event and sends it to the data connector. The data connector translates the standard format action into a data-specific action that changes data in a data store. A data connector then sends a standard format data representation corresponding to the changed data back to the UI connector to provide the changed data to the UI.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an XML application framework (XAF). XAF applications are data driven such that all operations with the computer system are data focused. In addition, the components used in the XAF application are instantiated and connected according to how the data is displayed and what type of data is used. Applications within XAF comprise a user interface (UI) connector, an action module, and a data connector. UI connectors receive UI events and connect the UI event to an action module. The action module generates a standard format action from the UI event and sends it to the data connector. The data connector translates the standard format action into a data-specific action that changes data in a data store. A data connector then sends a standard format data representation corresponding to the changed data back to the UI connector to provide the changed data to the UI.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an XML application framework (XAF). XAF applications are data driven such that all operations with the computer system are data focused. In addition, the components used in the XAF application are instantiated and connected according to how the data is displayed and what type of data is used. Applications within XAF comprise a user interface (UI) connector, an action module, and a data connector. UI connectors receive UI events and connect the UI event to an action module. The action module generates a standard format action from the UI event and sends it to the data connector. The data connector translates the standard format action into a data-specific action that changes data in a data store. A data connector then sends a standard format data representation corresponding to the changed data back to the UI connector to provide the changed data to the UI.

Abstract: A method and system for retrieving and maintaining presentation data in a presentation cache is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a presentation cache object provides a presentation cache with multiple cache entries. Each entry contains an indication of the format of the presentation data and the presentation data stored in that particular format. In addition, other information, such as the advisees of advisory connections for notification of cache updates, can be maintained. The presentation cache object responds to requests for retrieving source object data by returning presentation data cached within the presentation cache when it is available. In addition, the presentation cache object determines when it should delegate requests to the source object and when it can satisfy them on its own. The presentation cache object can return presentation data to a requesting client program even if the server program implementing the source object is unavailable or not running.

Abstract: A versioning policy included in a target component indicates how the target component is to be accessed, for example, either as a library component or a platform component. A component may be designated as a library component when it is not versioned in a binary compatible manner. When other components request such a component they receive specifically the version of the component they requested. On the other hand, a component may be designated as a platform component when it is versioned in a binary compatible manner. When other components request such a component they may receive the latest upgraded version of the component requested instead. Thus, access to an appropriate version of the component (even a version differing from the requested version) is facilitated. Other embodiments include mechanisms for stratifying component scope based on different processing levels.

Abstract: A method of encoding chemical information into a symbol, like a bar code, is provided such that the generated symbol represents the chemical structure information. A processor can be used to generate a string that describes chemical structure information. The string can then be sent to a homogenizer, which creates a standardized data format. The standardized data format can then be passed to a symbol generating function, which creates a symbol that encodes the chemical structural information. A scanner can then be used to decode the symbol, revealing the chemical structural information.

Abstract: A method and system for generating and maintaining property sets is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a property set stream is generated. The stream comprises three parts: a header, a section locator array, and one or more sections. The header contains information for uniquely identifying the property set and for identifying the number of sections within the property set. The section locator array contains a unique identifier for each section and an offset indicating where the section resides within the stream. The third part, the section definitions, contains the information necessary to maintain groups of properties for each section. Each section contains a section header, a property locator array, and an array of property type/value pairs. The section header indicates both the size of the section and the number of properties defined within the section.