Abstract: A system and method of providing edit and continue support in a software program debugging environment. “Edit and continue” support allows a user (e.g., programmer and/or developer) to update the code and/or data structure(s) of an executing program while it is running. After the user has finished editing their code and resumes execution, an integrated development environment (IDE) propagates the edit(s) into a common language runtime (CLR) environment before continuing. Therefore, from the CLR environment's perspective, an edit is a block of intermediate language code (IL) and/or metadata that is inserted into a running process. Moreover, The IDE can facilitate: determining “legality” of an edit; building the edit; sending the edit to the CLR environment; and/or, facilitating the CLR environment switch execution to the edited code.

Abstract: Data layout optimization arranges data members within memory to enhance software performance. Profiling data is consulted to determine how to group data members for an object class into groups. One technique groups the data members based on how frequently the data members are referenced in memory. Another technique groups the data members based on their affinities for one another in time as determined by observing when references to the data members take place. A variety of options when collecting the profiling data and grouping the data members is supported. The data member grouping is recorded in metadata associated with a definition of the object class. At runtime, a class loader places the data members of an object in memory according to the metadata. Data members of different groups can be placed in separately-loadable units of memory in the memory system.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for editing a software program in a common language runtime environment, wherein the software program has a source code component, an intermediate language component, and a native code component. The method comprises executing a first portion of the native code component, suspending execution of the native code component at a first point, and allowing a user to edit the source code component to create an edited source code component. The edited source code component is compiled using a source compiler to create an edited intermediate language component, and the edited intermediate language component is compiled using an intermediate language compiler to create an edited native code component. The edited native code component is then executed beginning at the point where execution was previously suspended.

Abstract: Data layout optimization arranges data members within memory to enhance software performance. Profiling data is consulted to determine how to group data members for an object class into groups. One technique groups the data members based on how frequently the data members are referenced in memory. Another technique groups the data members based on their affinities for one another in time as determined by observing when references to the data members take place. A variety of options when collecting the profiling data and grouping the data members is supported. The data member grouping is recorded in metadata associated with a definition of the object class. At runtime, a class loader places the data members of an object in memory according to the metadata. Data members of different groups can be placed in separately-loadable units of memory in the memory system.

Abstract: Data layout optimization arranges data members within memory to enhance software performance. Profiling data is consulted to determine how to group data members for an object class into groups. One technique groups the data members based on how frequently the data members are referenced in memory. Another technique groups the data members based on their affinities for one another in time as determined by observing when references to the data members take place. A variety of options when collecting the profiling data and grouping the data members is supported. The data member grouping is recorded in metadata associated with a definition of the object class. At runtime, a class loader places the data members of an object in memory according to the metadata. Data members of different groups can be placed in separately-loadable units of memory in the memory system.

Abstract: A relational database has a data file stored separately from a representation of the schema of the relational data in the data file. Schema representation files of several different types are generated by compiling a human-readable script defining the schema. One of the schema files is linked to its corresponding data file by a pointer, so that an application program invoking a database engine can find the schema for processing the data file. Another type of schema file can be included in an application program, so that the application can process the data file via the database engine without accessing any other schema information.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for editing a software program in a common language runtime environment, wherein the software program has a source code component, an intermediate language component, and a native code component. The method comprises executing a first portion of the native code component, suspending execution of the native code component at a first point, and allowing a user to edit the source code component to create an edited source code component. The edited source code component is compiled using a source compiler to create an edited intermediate language component, and the edited intermediate language component is compiled using an intermediate language compiler to create an edited native code component. The edited native code component is then executed beginning at the point where execution was previously suspended.

Abstract: A relational database has a data file stored separately from a representation of the schema of the relational data in the data file. Schema representation files of several different types are generated by compiling a human-readable script defining the schema. One of the schema files is linked to its corresponding data file by a pointer, so that an application program invoking a database engine can find the schema for processing the data file. Another type of schema file can be included in an application program, so that the application can process the data file via the database engine without accessing any other schema information.

Abstract: An improved registration datastore comprises a datastore containing the database coupled to a data table object structure to present the data to a registration system in the form of an abstract table of data. The use of a data table structure between the registration system and the datastore provides storage location and format independence as the data table object presents the registration data to a calling object in the form of a data level table, a collection of configuration data items. The improved registration system permits one or more objects to be simultaneously installed into the registration database by different sources. The new registration system utilizes a database versioning and aging mechanism to permit multiple calling objects to operate using a version of the database known to be valid when its operations began.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a table format for representing column data for a relational database in a data file. The table format includes a plurality of records of fixed size. The table format also includes a plurality of columns in each record for holding the column data values, the table being rewritten after changes to its data values. Each record can contain a further non-data column indicating the sequence of the record in the table. Additionally, the size of each column is no larger than necessary to hold the largest column data value in all of the records. At least one of the columns can be designated a primary key—the records being arranged in order of the data values of their primary key columns.