Abstract: In a programmed computer system, normal processing results generated by a called method are returned to one or more calling methods by an exception rather than by the more conventional single-type return value. The programmer is granted flexibility through the ability to use multiple normal return types while retaining strong data typing. Better programming practices are promoted through the use of a single exception-technique for handling normal results as well as abnormal (i.e. error) results. The disclosed technique can be used with existing programming languages/environments such as the Java® language, and can provide a basis for new languages/environments that are specifically tailored to this processing technique.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for generating software documentation are disclosed. A software documentation generator may input a variety of information sources. In one embodiment, these information sources may include various types of files such as application source code files, tag library files, tag library descriptors (TLD), library source code, web services description language (WSDL) files, configuration files, defect reports, and text files. The software documentation generator may analyze each source to determine its type and use this information to extract documentation data from the source according to the format of the data included in that source. The software documentation generator may reformat the documentation data extracted from each source into a uniform format and aggregate the uniformly formatted data into a uniformly formatted aggregate input document.

Abstract: A non-programmatic method for bootstrapping a user database from the web tier using pass-through server-provided form targets is disclosed. A “form target,” used in this context, is the submission destination of an HTML form, submitted via HTTP (typically this is called an “action” in HTTP). The “form target” is usually the name of a CGI script, or an alias to an ASP, Servlet or JSP on the server, which will handle a form request. When the user submits a form via HTTP, the application server will extract security data and then pass control back to an application success target or a failure target.