Software on demand system

In a client computer system a method of supplying funclets of a computer application as the funclets are needed by the application, and comprising:

• running an application skeleton derived from the application, the application skeleton having an application stub where a funclet associated with the application stub may be inserted;
• encountering the application stub when running the application skeleton;
• determining whether the funclet is in a cache on the client computer system;
• getting the funclet from the cache if the funclet is in the cache;
• getting the funclet from a source other than the cache if the funclet is not in the cache;
• and
• inserting the funclet at the application stub in the application skeleton.

In a server computer system a method of supplying funclets of a computer program to a client computer system, the method supplying the funclets as the funclets are needed by the program, and comprising:

• receiving a plurality of requests for funclets during a test period;
• determining based on the plurality of requests during the test period whether a tested probability of requests for a first funclet being followed by requests for a second funclet is at least a predetermined probability;
• and
• sending the first funclet and the second funclet to the client computer system in response to a request from the client computer system for the first funclet after the test period if the tested probability is at least the predetermined probability.

A computer program product readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process for supplying portions of program code or program data of a computer program, the portions identified as program units, the process supplying the program units as the program units are needed by the program, said computer process comprising:

• running a program skeleton derived from the program, the program skeleton having a program stub where a program unit associated with the program stub may be inserted;
• encountering the program stub when running the program skeleton;
• getting the program unit associated with the program stub;
• and
• inserting the program unit at the program stub in the program skeleton.