Patent ID: 6279148
Filing Date: 2001-08-21
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for providing for efficient programming, comprising:defining a large array within a programming language that does not allow manipulation of pointers outside of the context of a type system;receiving a request to allocate a data object, the request including a specified size for the data object;allocating a space for the data object within the large array at a position specified by an array index within the large array, such that the space is large enough to accommodate the specified size for the data object, the space containing an object header for storing information about the data object, including the specified size of the data object, type information for data stored in the data object, an identifier that uniquely identifies the data object, and a status bit that is used by a garbage-collection process;receiving a request to access the data object, the request having the form of a method invocation, which includes the array index as a parameter;using the array index to access the data object within the large array; andreclaiming unused entries within the large array through the garbage-collection process.