Patent ID: 6760913
Filing Date: 2004-07-06
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A computer implemented method of defining an object union in an object oriented programming environment, the object union supporting an object union method which may be called from an entity outside of the object union, said method comprising the steps of:selecting a first class from which a first object to be contained in the object union will be instantiated at runtime, the first object supporting a first method which is a first implementation of the object union method; selecting a second class from which a second object to be contained in the object union will be instantiated at runtime, the second object supporting a second method which is a second implementation of the object union method; and selecting a policy function for operating on the first and second classes, at runtime, in order to dynamically, depending on a current condition, select either the first implementation of the object union method or the second implementation of the object union method, in response to the object union receiving a method call on the object union method from the entity outside of the object union.