Method and system for dynamically generating object connections

A method in a computer system for registering with a source object an instance of an interface that serves as a notification interface of a sink object, the source object having a registration function member for registering the notification interface of the sink object, the notification interface instance for communicating with the sink object from the source object, the sink object having a plurality of notification interfaces, each notification interface having at least one instance, the method including the steps of:

• receiving a reference to the registration function member of the source object;
• selecting the instance of the notification interface to be registered from the plurality of instances of notification interfaces;
• and
• requesting registration of the selected notification interface instance using the received reference to the registration function member of the source object, wherein the source object registers the selected notification interface instance and communicate with the sink object using the registered interface instance.

A method in a computer system for notifying a sink object from a source object using a delegate object, the sink object having a sink notification interface for notifying the sink object, the delegate object having a delegate notification interface for notifying the delegate object, the delegate notification interface having an associated interface identifier, the source object having instances of a connection point interface for connecting the delegate object, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing, in the delegate object, a reference to an instance of the sink notification interface;
• selecting an instance of the connection point interface from among the instances of the connection point interface of the source object, wherein the selection of the instance is based upon the interface identifier associated with the delegate notification interface;
• sending, to the delegate object, a reference to the selected connection point interface instance;
• receiving, through the selected connection point interface instance, a request to connect the source object and the delegate object, the request having a reference to an instance of the delegate notification interface;
• storing the reference to the delegate notification interface instance;
• invoking a method of the delegate notification interface instance that is referred to by the stored reference;
• and
• invoking a method of the sink notification interface instance referred to by the stored reference in the delegate object to effect the notification of the sink object.

A method in a computer system for generating an object connection between a source object and a sink object, the sink object having a notification interface for communicating with the sink object, the notification interface having an associated interface identifier, the source object having a plurality of connection point objects for connecting the sink object, each connection point object having an instance of the same connection point interface, the method comprising the steps of:

• sending, to the source object, an indication of the interface identifier associated with the notification interface of the sink object;
• selecting a connection point object from among the plurality of connection point objects based upon the indication of the interface identifier;
• requesting a connection, from the instance of the connection point interface of the selected connection point object, to connect the source object and the sink object;
• indicating an instance of the notification interface of the sink object in the connection request;
• receiving the connection request;
• and
• storing a reference to the indicated instance of the notification interface of the sink object.

A method in a computer system for generating an object connection between a source object and a sink object, the sink object having an instance of a notification interface for receiving communications from the source object, the notification interface having an associated interface identifier, the source object having instances of a connection point interface, the method comprising the steps of:

• under control of the sink object, sending to the source object a request having an indication of the interface identifier associated with the notification interface of the sink object;
• under control of the source object,
• selecting an instance of the connection point interface from among the instances of the connection point interface of the source object, wherein the selection of the instance is based upon the interface identifier associated with notification interface of the sink object;
• and
• sending, to the sink object, a reference to the selected connection point interface instance:
• under control of the sink object, requesting a connection from the selected connection point instance to connect the source object and the sink object, the request having a reference to the notification interface instance of the sink object;
• and
• under control of the source object, storing the reference to the notification interface instance.

A method in a computer system for generating an object connection between a source object and a sink object, the sink object implementing a plurality of notification interfaces for communicating with the sink object, each notification interface having an associated interface identifier, the source object having instances of a connection point interface, each instance of the connection point interface having an associated interface identifier, the method comprising the steps of:

• selecting a notification interface form among the plurality of notification interfaces of the sink object;
• selecting an instance of the connection point interface of the source object, the selected instance having an associated interface identifier that corresponds to the interface identifier associated with the selected notification interface of the sink object;
• using the selected connection point interface instance to request that the source object and the sink object be connected, wherein the request has a reference to an instance of the selected notification interface of the sink object;
• and
• storing the reference to the instance of the selected notification interface, so that the sink object can be notified by the source object.

A method in a computer system for generating an object connection between a source object and a sink object, the sink object having an instance of a notification interface for receiving communications from the source object, the notification interface having an associated interface identifier, the source object having instances of a connection point interface, each instance of the connection point interface having an associated interface identifier, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a request to enumerate the instances of the connection point interface;
• sending a reference to each instance of the connection point interface, wherein from each reference the sink object obtains an indication of the interface identifier associated with the instance;
• receiving, through one of the instances of the connection point interface, a request to connect the source object and the sink object, the request having a reference to the notification interface instance of the sink object, wherein the interface identifier associated with the receiving connection point interface corresponds to the interface identifier associated with the notification interface of the sink object;
• and
• storing the reference to the notification interface instance, wherein the source object communicates with the sink object using the stored reference to the notification interface instance.

A method in a computer system for generating an object connection between a source object and a sink object, the sink object implementing a plurality of notification interfaces for receiving communications from the source object, each notification interface having an associated interface identifier, the source object having instances of a connection point interface, each instance of the connection point interface having an associated interface identifier, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a request to enumerate the instances of the connection point interface;
• sending to the sink object a reference to each instance of the connection point interface;
• obtaining, from each referenced instance of the connection point interface, an indication of the interface identifier associated with each instance of the connection point interface;
• selecting an instance of the connection point interface of the source object, the selected instance having an associated interface identifier that corresponds to a selected one of the obtained indications of interface identifiers;
• selecting, from among the plurality of notification interfaces, a notification interface, the interface identifier associated with the selected notification interface corresponding to the interface identifier associated with the selected connection point interface instance;
• using the selected connection point interface instance to request that the source object and the sink object be connected, wherein the request has a reference to an instance of the selected notification interface of the sink object;
• and
• storing the reference to the instance of the selected notification interface, so that the sink object can be notified by the source object.

A computer system for notifying a sink object from a source object, the computer system having a plurality of sink objects and source objects, each sink object having a plurality of notification function members, each source object having a plurality of connection points for storing one or more notification function members, the system comprising:

• means for selecting a notification function member from among the plurality of function members of the sink object;
• means for selecting a corresponding connection point from among the plurality of connection points of the source object, the selection based upon the notification function member that is selected by the notification function member selection means;
• means for connecting the connection point selected by the connection point selection means and the notification function member selected by the notification member selection means, wherein a reference to the selected notification function member is stored within the selected connection point;
• and
• means for invoking the selected notification function member referred to by the stored reference to effect notification of the sink object.