Patent ID: 6678880
Filing Date: 2004-01-13
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
An object-oriented computing system, comprising:a data file structure stored in a memory which contains an identification of objects in a software program, properties and handlers associated with respective objects, pointers to ancestor objects from which a given object inherits properties and handlers, and pointers to descendant objects which inherit properties and handlers from a given object; a user interface via which a user selects an object and which displays ancestor objects and descendant objects for the selected object; means associated with said interface for enabling a user to indicate a change in relationship between a selected object and at least two ancestor objects or at least one descendant object, wherein said change comprises a change in inherited attributes associated with said selected object; and means responsive to an indicated change for modifying one or more pointers associated with the selected object in said data file structure to correspond to said change.