Patent ID: 6189138
Filing Date: 2001-02-13
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A computer-implemented method for constructing object-oriented application software to be installed on a distributed object system, which object-oriented application software includes an application program interface and at least one pre-existing object or derivative of a pre-existing object, the method comprising:providing a catalog facility which contains references to pre-existing object implementations provided on a distributed object system;providing an application construction environment in which said references can be linked to define relationships thereamong to provide thereby computer code for said object-oriented application software, said application construction environment including facilities for selecting and defining links among said references;selecting a reference for inclusion in said application software from said catalog facility;making said reference to said pre-existing object available to said application construction environment;linking said reference to at least one other reference in said application construction environment to define thereby a relationship between said references such that computer code effective to implement said relationship is generated when said application program is run, wherein said linking comprises defining at least one connection between a first part and a second part or a reference to an interface;wherein said references to said pre-existing objects comprise icons, said catalog facility and said application construction environment comprise graphical user interfaces, said selecting comprises making a selection action on one of said icons, said making of said reference to said pre-existing object available to said application construction environment comprises dragging said reference to from said catalog facility to said application construction facility, andwherein said reference is a component, generating a part from said component when said component is dragged from said catalog into said application construction environment.