Abstract: A system and method for allowing events in a rich object-oriented environment to be monitored by functional processes within that environment. Events can be monitored by any number of functional processes, and the monitoring functional processes can take action based upon the monitored event received. Multiple object-oriented environments are provided with each environment comprising a distributed communications manager. These distributed communications managers facilitate the monitoring of events by the functional processes. An overall communications manager is also provided to monitor the entire system.

Abstract: A system and method for selecting appropriate running functional processes within an object-oriented environment, based upon specified criteria. The selection is made based upon criteria required by the running functional processes and the nature and requirements of the requesting functional process. The present invention allows for these characteristics of the functional processes to be contained in the operation request, so that it is not necessary to obtain them from a common depository.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for communication between programs, or tools, in a computer system includes the steps of establishing a bi-directional communication path between each tool and a central message server, registering with the message server the patterns of messages which each tool wishes to receive, and storing the message patterns. A message is forwarded to the message server when one tool requires the service of another tool. The message server compares the pattern of the received message with the previously-stored message patterns, and, if the message matches a stored message pattern, the message is forwarded to each tool for which a match occurs. If a message requests the service of another tool and the message does not match the patterns of the previously-stored messages, an execution manager determines from a status table and an execution initialization table which tool can service the request message.