Abstract: A method and system for accessing a home object in an object oriented programming (OOP) environment using a locator object capable of locating a home object for a class or a subclass. The locator object supports inheritance for itself, and is capable of locating a home for either an OOP superclass or subclass. By providing a mechanism for locating the home for either the superclass or subclass, preferably in a static manner, client code may be reused with subclasses without having to change code.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, system and computer product arranged for use by a requester of data in an environment of coupled requesters and providers, the method comprising, invoking a selection strategy mechanism having one or more replaceable selection strategies, and selecting a provider through operation of the replaceable selection strategy, wherein the replaceable selection strategy is applied while performing one or more search queries directed to the providers.

Abstract: An object oriented framework defines a generic order processing interface that creates an order, and that processes the order and generates requests to one or more fulfillment systems to fill the order. The generic order suitably includes one or more line items. One or more extensible interface classes are provided in the framework, which allows a user to define the order entry protocol for the relevant order fulfillment systems. Once properly extended, the framework is used to generate an executable framework application, which allows a client to enter a generic order, and which then generates the appropriate requests to fill the order with the appropriate order fulfillment system or systems. The framework of the preferred embodiments thus allows the specific knowledge of the back-end order fulfillment systems to be isolated to the extended portions of the framework, while the front-end order entry system has no knowledge of the order fulfillment systems that may be called upon to fill an order.

Abstract: A method and system for accessing a home object in an object oriented programming (OOP) environment using a locator object capable of locating a home object for a class or a subclass. The locator object supports inheritance for itself, and is capable of locating a home for either an OOP superclass or subclass. By providing a mechanism for locating the home for either the superclass or subclass, preferably in a static manner, client code may be reused with subclasses without having to change code.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamically loading criteria from an object to reduce the amount of total criteria necessary to update a referenced value is disclosed. The value can be “inside” a database or an object in an object-oriented framework. When updating a value that is referenced by a data access object (such as an access key) that depends on other objects (such as access keyables) for criteria necessary to reference the value, a special data access object (called an adapter access key) is used instead of using the data access object. Instead of creating and populating all of the access keyables prior to an update of the value, the adapter access key holds onto the source of the criteria (such as a business object) needed to fill the access keyables and to access the value. The adapter access key dynamically determines criteria from the business object only for those keyables that are important in updating the value.

Abstract: Methods and systems for absorbing infrared light, and for emitting current are described. A sample, such as a sample containing mainly silicon, is microstructured by at least one laser pulse to produce cone-like structures on the exposed surface. Such microstructuring enhances the infrared absorbing, and current emission properties of the sample.

Abstract: An apparatus and method allow using incomplete cached balance sets to be used to generate other cached balanced sets in certain circumstances. If a cached balance set is complete, a new cached balance set can be generated from it by condensing the existing cached balance set. If the cached balance set is incomplete, a new cached balance set can be created from the existing incomplete cached balance set if the query key meets certain criteria and if the existing cached balance set was condensed from the underlying data in the database itself, rather than from a different cached balance set. It is even possible to create a complete cached balance set from an incomplete cached balance set if certain criteria are met. By using both complete and incomplete cached balance sets to retrieve values in response to a query, the performance of the resulting system is significantly enhanced.

Abstract: In an object oriented computer system, an object oriented mechanism and method defines a common interface to maintain elements on a collection while providing the capability of using virtually any suitable object as a key to the collection. A programmer defines an interface on a collection that includes suitable object methods for adding, removing, and replacing elements of the collection. The constraints that determine whether elements may be added, removed, or replaced is encapsulated in a policy that is defined by the programmer. The programmer identifies one or more keys, which may include any suitable object in the object oriented system. A maintainer class provides a client interface for maintaining elements on the collection according to the defined policy and according to the keys defined by the programmer.

Abstract: In an object oriented computer system, an object oriented mechanism and method defines a common interface to maintain elements on a collection while providing the capability of using virtually any suitable object as a key to the collection. A programmer defines an interface on a collection that includes suitable object methods for adding, removing, and replacing elements of the collection. The constraints that determine whether elements may be added, removed, or replaced is encapsulated in a policy that is defined by the programmer. The programmer identifies one or more keys, which may include any suitable object in the object oriented system. A maintainer class provides a client interface for maintaining elements on the collection according to the defined policy and according to the keys defined by the programmer.