Patent ID: 6148438
Filing Date: 2000-11-14
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for enabling access to an object in both first and second modes with reduced mode transitions, wherein the object is of a class A, the method comprising:defining the class A, wherein the class A includes one or more virtual functions and a virtual function table pointer, wherein the class A defines a second mode vector table pointer in the first mode;defining an empty class, wherein the empty class includes a virtual function, wherein the empty class includes a virtual function table pointer;defining a composite class of the class A, wherein the composite class inherits from the class A and the empty class;instantiating a composite object from the composite class in one or more of the first mode or the second mode;wherein, if the composite object is instantiated in the second mode, the method comprises:changing the virtual function table pointer for the empty class in the composite object to the first mode virtual function table pointer for class A;wherein, if the composite object is instantiated in the first mode, the method comprises:storing the second mode virtual function table pointer for class A in the second mode vector table pointer;wherein the composite object can be shared directly between first and second modes with reduced mode transitions.