Patent ID: 6725280
Filing Date: 2004-04-20
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A computer-implemented method for constructing a dispatch table for a class C, wherein the class C is within a modularity construct P and has a superclass S, the superclass S having an S dispatch table associated therewith, said method comprising:replicating the S dispatch table to derive a C dispatch table for class C; for a method m in class C which has been declared as being accessible by classes outside of modularity construct P, determining whether there is at least one matching entry in the S dispatch table which corresponds to a matching method of superclass S having the same name as method m; in response to a determination that there is at least one matching entry in the S dispatch table, determining whether the matching entry is declared as being private to modularity construct P; and in response to a determination that the matching entry is declared as being private to modularity construct P, updating a corresponding entry in said C dispatch table which corresponds to the matching entry in the S dispatch table to declare said corresponding entry in said C dispatch table as being accessible by classes outside of modularity construct P; wherein updating said corresponding entry of said C dispatch table causes said classes outside of modularity construct P to be able to transitively override said matching method of superclass S.