Patent ID: 8327323
Filing Date: 2012-12-04
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of automatically defining a new class in a class hierarchy specified in an object-oriented programming language, the method comprising: creating by a processor an empty class as a descendent class in the class hierarchy that descends from one or more specified ancestor classes of the class hierarchy; sequentially analyzing by the processor each class along each inheritance path from the one or more specified ancestor classes to a specified similar class of the class hierarchy to identify each class item in each class along each inheritance path that is not selected from the one or more specified ancestor classes; storing to memory by the processor a respective pointer in a temporary data structure for each class item identified in each class that is not inherited by the class in which the class item is identified referencing the class item and associated with the class in which the class item is identified; storing to the memory by the processor a respective pointer in the temporary data structure for each class item identified in each class that is inherited and redefined by the class in which the class item is identified referencing the class item and being associated with the class in which the identified class item is identified if a pointer referencing the class item is not already stored in the temporary data structure; and copying by the processor each class item referenced by a pointer stored in the temporary data structure to the descendent class.