Mechanism to extend functionality in a restricted computing environment

A method providing additional functionality through the use of a binary object to a closed computing environment that is subject to a restriction on the deployment to the computing environment of non-resident executable programs, comprising:

• providing a code library (CL);
• providing a source code stub file that allows a launcher module within a binary executable program executing on the computing environment to have access to and cooperate with the CL;
• and
• providing the executable program with a dynamic linker/loader to extend the functionality available to the restricted computing environment by dynamically linking the CL during execution of the program.

A computer readable medium having computer readable instructions to instruct a computing environment to perform a method comprising:

• providing a code library (CL);
• providing a source code stub file cooperating with a binary executable program that that allows the binary executable program executing on the computing environment to have access to the CL;
• and
• providing a launcher module operable to provide access to the CL to the closed computing environment.

A computer readable medium having computer readable instructions to instruct a 20 restricted computing environment to allow additional functionality through the use of a binary object comprising:

• generating a platform independent dynamic library (PIDL) having an object file comprising any of executable and linking format (ELF) and portable executable (PE) file structure;
• parsing the PIDL to generate a stub file generated as source code;
• executing a cooperating computing application to allow access to the closed computing environment to the PIDL;
• and
• linking the PIDL with a cooperating computing application by a dynamic loader/linker for execution on the computing environment.

A method to distribute a computing library for use in a computing environment subject to one or more constraints comprising any one or more of the computing environment being closed to the addition of native executable programs, the computing environment limiting execution to programs that fall within a program size limit, the computing environment having a run time environment (RTE) in which programs that run within the RTE have restricted access to one or more functions available to the native computing environment, the computing environment having a RTE which restricts operation to run only programs that are authenticated for the RTE, and the computing environment does not allow dynamic linking, comprising:

• creating a dynamic library (DL) operable with a source-code based stub file,
• wherein the DL is linked with a cooperating computing application as part of the execution of the cooperating computing application operable on the computing environment;
• and
• communicating the DL to the computing environment independently from the cooperating application.