Wrapper for enabling an object otented application to maintain virtual memory using procedural function calls

Wrapper apparatus for providing an object-oriented interface between an application program operating in a task address space in a computer having a memory component and a procedural operating system having a native procedural interface with procedural function calls to create and manipulate a virtual memory range in the memory component, the wrapper apparatus allowing the application program to access and manipulate the virtual memory range using objects during an application program runtime, the wrapper apparatus comprising:

• (a) means operable prior to the application program runtime for creating a code library comprising object-oriented, virtual memory classes comprising data structures for defining virtual memory range and methods for using the procedural function calls compatible with the native procedural interface of the procedural operating system to create the virtual memory rang and to manipulate the created virtual memory range;
• (b) means operable prior to the application program runtime for storing the code library in the memory component;
• (c) means operable during the application program runtime for referencing the code library in the task address space;
• and
• (c) means responsive to a request by the application program for an instantiation of an object which creates and manipulates a virtual memory range for instantiating a first object from the code library referenced in the task address space and for calling methods in the first object to cause procedural function calls to be made to the procedural operating system to create and manipulate the virtual memory range.

A method for providing an object-oriented interface between an application program operating in a task address space in a computer having a memory component and a procedural operating system having a native procedural interface with procedural function calls to create and manipulate a virtual memory range in the memory component, the wrapper apparatus allowing the application program to access and manipulate the virtual memory range using objects during application program runtime, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) creating a code library comprising virtual memory classes data structures for defining a virtual memory range and methods for using the procedural function calls compatible with the native procedural interface of the procedural operating system to create the virtual memory range and to manipulate the created virtual memory range;
• (b) storing the code library in the memory component;
• (c) running the application program;
• (d) creating a reference to the code library, into the task address space;
• (e) instantiating objects which create and manipulate a virtual memory range from the code library referenced in the task address space;
• and
• (f) calling methods in the created objects to cause procedural function calls to be made to the procedural operating system to create and manipulate the virtual memory range.

An apparatus for enabling an object-oriented application to use objects to access and manipulate a memory in a computer system with a procedural operating system which is controlled by procedural function calls, the application operating in a task address space in the memory and the apparatus comprising:

• (a) an object-oriented class library in the memory, the class library containing code defining a plurality of classes for creating objects for use by the application, each of the plurality of classes comprising data structures and code defining methods for accessing and manipulating the memory using the procedural function calls;
• (b) means controlled by the application program and responsive to a request by the application program for the instantiation of an object from one of the plurality of classes in the class library for referencing the class library in the task address space and instantiating the object from the class library referenced in the task address space;
• and
• (c) means controlled by the application program for using the methods in the object to access and manipulate the memory.

A method for enabling an object-oriented application to use objects to access and manipulate a memory in a computer system with a procedural operating system which is controlled by procedural function calls, the application operating in a task address space in the memory and the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) creating an object-oriented class library in the memory, the class library containing code defining a plurality of classes for creating objects for use by the application, each of the plurality of classes comprising data structures and code defining methods for accessing and manipulating the memory using the procedural function calls;
• (b) referencing the class library in the task address space during the run-time of the application;
• (c) instantiating an object from the class library referenced in the task address space;
• and
• (d) using the methods in the object to access and manipulate the memory.