Method for statically checking an object-oriented computer program module

A method for statically checking an object-oriented computer program module, comprising:

• identifying objects within a computer program module;
• partitioning identified objects into a plurality of dimensions each dimension assigned to a client;
• each client independently tracking, from among a discrete set of changeable states, a subset of states each object might be in within that client's dimension;
• imposing a discipline of permissions in which the operations that a client can invoke involving an object are limited to those operations in which the invoked operation changes the state of the object only in that client's dimension;
• determining whether the imposed permissions are violated;
• and
• outputting the result of said determining.

A method for statically checking an object-oriented computer program module, comprising:

• identifying objects within a computer program module;
• imposing a discipline of permissions to the objects identified within the computer program module such that for each object, only one client may have read/write permission to said object, track said object's state from among a discrete set of changeable states, and perform any legal operation on said object given said object's current state while all other clients may have read-only access to said object, and can perform only operations that do not affect said object's state and are legal given the client's knowledge of said object's current state;
• determining whether the imposed permissions are violated;
• and
• outputting the result of said determining.

A method for statically checking an object-oriented computer program module, comprising:

• identifying objects within a computer program module, said objects having discrete states that change perceptibly and non-monotonically within a guaranteed state space;
• imposing a discipline of permissions to the objects identified within the computer program module such that a plurality of clients can each have a permission that enables tracking a subset of states each object might be in;
• determining whether the imposed permissions are violated;
• and
• outputting the result of said determining.

A method for statically checking an object-oriented computer program module, comprising:

• identifying objects within a computer program module, at least one of said objects having a plurality of references thereto;
• imposing a discipline of permissions to the objects identified within the computer program module that enables tracking, from among a discrete set of changeable states represented by a hierarchical state machine, a subset of states each object might be in;
• determining whether the imposed permissions are violated by a potential reference to any of the identified objects;
• and
• outputting the result of said determining.

A method for statically checking an object-oriented computer program module, comprising:

• identifying objects within a computer program module, at least one of said objects having a plurality of references thereto;
• imposing a discipline of permissions to the objects identified within the computer program module that enables tracking, from among a discrete set of changeable states including a superclass state and a subclass state which may differ, a subset of states each object might be in;
• determining whether the imposed permissions are violated by a potential reference to any of the identified objects;
• and
• outputting the result of said determining.