System and method for merging and separating attributes of consoles

A method for performing a merging transaction between data structures stored as a first object, a second object, and one or more further objects, wherein a switch-to pointer of said second object points to said first object and a switch-chain pointer of said first object points to said second object and wherein apparent attributes of said first object have been logically ORed with apparent attributes of said second object, thereby rendering said second object idle and allowing said first object to control said attributes of said second object, comprising the steps of:

• (1) switching a switch-to pointer of one of said one or more further objects to point to said first object;
• (2) switching a switch-chain pointer of said second object to point to said one of said one or more further objects;
• and
• (3) logically ORing apparent attributes of said first object and apparent attributes of said one of said one or more further objects to thereby render said one or more further objects idle and permit said first object to control the attributes of said one of said one or more further objects.

A method for performing non-failure rollback transactions between data structures without logging, comprising the steps of:

• removing an idle object from a switch chain comprising a main object that controls the attributes of said idle object and further objects;
• logically ORing original attributes of all objects remaining in the chain and storing the resulting group of attributes;
• and
• logically ANDing said stored group of attributes with apparent attributes of said main object and storing that further group of attributes as new apparent attributes for said main object.

A system for performing non-failure rollback transactions between data structures without logging, comprising:

• (a) a switch chain having first and two further data structure objects, wherein said first data structure object controls attributes of said two further data structure objects as a result of merge transactions;
• and
• (b) rollback means for rolling back one of said merge transactions, said rollback means having
• (i) means for removing one of said two further objects from said switch chain;
• (ii) means for logically ORing original attributes of said first data structure object and said other one of said two further data structure objects and storing the resulting group of attributes;
• and
• (iii) means for logically ANDing said resulting group of attributes with apparent attributes of said first data structure object and storing that further resulting group of attributes as new apparent attributes for said first data structure object.

A system for performing merge transactions and non-failure rollback transactions between data structures without logging, comprising:

• (a) first, second and further data structure objects, each object comprising:
• (i) means for storing original attributes,
• (ii) means for storing apparent attributes merged into that object from other objects,
• (iii) means for storing a switch-to pointer, and
• (iv) means for storing a switch-chain pointer;
• and
• (b) at least one of:
• (i) merging means for processing a merge transaction, and
• (ii) rollback means for rolling back a merge transaction;
• wherein said merging means comprises:
• (i) means for switching said switch-to pointer of one or more of said further objects to point to said first object,
• (ii) means for switching said switch-chain pointer of said first object to point to the most recently switched further object to thereby add said most recently switched further object to said switch chain,
• (iii) means for switching said switch-chain pointer of said most recently switched further object to point to one of said second object or the further object switched prior to said most recently switched further object, and
• (iv) means for logically ORing said apparent attributes of said first object and said apparent attributes of said one or more further objects to thereby render said one or more further objects idle and permit said first object to control the attributes of said one or more further objects;
• and wherein said rollback means comprises:
• (i) means for removing said one or more further objects from said switch-chain,
• (ii) means for logically ORing the original attributes of said first object and said one or more further objects and storing the resulting group of attributes, and
• (iii) means for logically ANDing said resulting group of attributes with said apparent attributes of said first object and storing that further resulting group of attributes as new apparent attributes for said first object.