Abstract: A system provides client access to customized news content. The system includes a custom news source server and a news search server. The custom news source server periodically sends one or more customized search queries to a news search server. The news search server fetches news content from multiple news source servers and aggregates the news content. The news search server also periodically receives the one or more search queries from the custom news source server, searches the aggregated news content based on the one or more search queries, and periodically provides selected news content to the custom news server based on results of the searches. The custom news source server permits access to clients, from across a network, to the selected news content provided by the news search server.

Abstract: A system identifies a first document that includes a number of first images, identifies a second document that includes a number of second images, and forms a cluster based on a relationship between the first document and the second document. The system identifies a first caption associated with one of the first images, identifies a second caption associated with one of the second images, selects the one of the first images or the one of the second images as a representative image for the cluster based on the first caption or the second caption, and associates the representative image with the cluster.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to a computer-implemented process, including steps for compiling a first method call at a first call site in code of an object-oriented language, wherein the first call site is associated with a first selector, referencing a global cache comprising a plurality of per-selector caches, wherein each of the per-selector caches is indexed based on a corresponding selector identification and identifying a first per-selector cache, from among the plurality of per-selector caches, using the first selector. In certain aspects, the process can further include steps for invoking a method on a first object by performing a lookup in the first per-selector cache using a class associated with the first object to determine if a first target function exists in the first per-selector cache. Systems and computer readable media are also provided.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to a computer-implemented process, including steps for compiling a first method call at a first call site in code of an object-oriented language, wherein the first call site is associated with a first selector, referencing a global cache comprising a plurality of per-selector caches, wherein each of the per-selector caches is indexed based on a corresponding selector identification and identifying a first per-selector cache, from among the plurality of per-selector caches, using the first selector. In certain aspects, the process can further include steps for invoking a method on a first object by performing a lookup in the first per-selector cache using a class associated with the first object to determine if a first target function exists in the first per-selector cache. Systems and computer readable media are also provided.

Abstract: A system provides client access to customized news content. The system includes a custom news source server and a news search server. The custom news source server periodically sends one or more customized search queries to a news search server. The news search server fetches news content from multiple news source servers and aggregates the news content. The news search server also periodically receives the one or more search queries from the custom news source server, searches the aggregated news content based on the one or more search queries, and periodically provides selected news content to the custom news server based on results of the searches. The custom news source server permits access to clients, from across a network, to the selected news content provided by the news search server.

Abstract: A system identifies a first document that includes a number of first images, identifies a second document that includes a number of second images, and forms a cluster based on a relationship between the first document and the second document. The system identifies a first caption associated with one of the first images, identifies a second caption associated with one of the second images, selects the one of the first images or the one of the second images as a representative image for the cluster based on the first caption or the second caption, and associates the representative image with the cluster.

Abstract: A capability for limited customization that utilizes existing virtual dispatch table technology and allows selective customization is provided. Such a capability combines the usage of virtual dispatch tables with both customized and non-customized code to reduce, or even eliminate over-customization. Further, such a capability may employ a runtime system that decides what methods to customize based on several factors including, but not limited to the size of a class hierarchy, the amount of available space for compiled code, and the amount of available time for compilation.

Abstract: A system provides client access to customized news content. The system includes a custom news source server and a news search server. The custom news source server periodically sends one or more customized search queries to a news search server. The news search server fetches news content from multiple news source servers and aggregates the news content. The news search server also periodically receives the one or more search queries from the custom news source server, searches the aggregated news content based on the one or more search queries, and periodically provides selected news content to the custom news server based on results of the searches. The custom news source server permits access to clients, from across a network, to the selected news content provided by the news search server.

Abstract: Techniques for performing static binding of dispatched-calls in the presence of dynamic linking and loading are provided. A method for increasing the execution performance of a function at run-time includes compiling the function, which may either be interpreted or previously compiled, and identifying a call within the function to a process. The method also includes adding dependency information to the function. The dependency information is arranged to indicate a status of the function, and contains information pertaining to the class, the name, and the signature associated with the process. In one embodiment, the process is a virtual process, and the method includes analyzing a class structure associated with the function in order to determine when the virtual process is a substantially unique target of the call. In such an embodiment, the virtual process may be inlined into the function when it is determined that the virtual process is the substantially unique target of the call.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for performing fast subtype checks during program execution are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for determining whether a class associated with an object that is a part of an object-based computing system is a subtype of another type includes obtaining a candidate type from a dynamic storage location that is associated with a class which is associated with the object, and comparing the candidate type against a first type that is potentially the same as the candidate type. A determination is then made as to whether the candidate type is substantially equal to the first type. When the determination is that the candidate type is substantially equal to the first type, an indication that the candidate type is a subtype of the first type is provided. In one embodiment, the candidate type obtained from the dynamic storage location is obtained from a cache element in the class associated with the object.

Abstract: Techniques for performing static binding of dispatched-calls in the presence of dynamic linking and loading are provided. A method for increasing the execution performance of a function at run-time includes compiling the function, which may either be interpreted or previously compiled, and identifying a call within the function to a process. The method also includes adding dependency information to the function. The dependency information is arranged to indicate a status of the function, and contains information pertaining to the class, the name, and the signature associated with the process. In one embodiment, the process is a virtual process, and the method includes analyzing a class structure associated with the function in order to determine when the virtual process is a substantially unique target of the call. In such an embodiment, the virtual process may be inlined into the function when it is determined that the virtual process is the substantially unique target of the call.

Abstract: Techniques for reducing the cost of dynamic class loading and initialization checks in compiled code are provided. Virtual machine instructions are compiled into one or more native machine instructions even if required runtime execution information is unavailable at the time of compilation. The native machine instructions include placeholder data where the required runtime execution information should be. The native machine instructions are overwritten with a native machine instruction that transfers control to a section of code or stub that, at runtime execution, replaces the placeholder data with the required runtime execution information and execution continues.

Abstract: An improved hybrid dynamic-binding system for switching between static binding and dynamic binding of function calls provides static binding for function calls when the function is unambiguous, and when the function becomes ambiguous at runtime, this system switches to dynamic binding, without recompiling the code of the function call, thus improving performance over conventional systems. The system performs this functionality by inserting a placeholder into a statically bound function call so that when the statically bound function call needs to be converted to a dynamically bound function call, the placeholder can be overwritten to perform the conversion without having to recompile the code.