Object oriented programming system for cooperative processing between objects in different languages by means of object descriptions and message format mappings between the different languages based on the object descriptions

A data processing system for performing a target function by sending a message from a first computer program written in a first computer language to a target object of a target class in a second computer program written in a second computer language, comprising:

• means responsive to said first program for accepting a send message request designating said target object and defining a target function;
• means for reading a predetermined description of classes of said second computer program, wherein said predetermined description includes a list of functions that are performed by said target class;
• means for locating said target function from within said target class by reading said description;
• means for searching, until said target function is located, said target object's complete class hierarchy for said target function if said target function is not located within said predetermined description;
• means for mapping said message function into a format required by said second language, thereby producing a mapped message;
• and
• means for sending said mapped message to said target object.

A system for passing a message between a first object-oriented computer program, written in a first object-oriented programming language, and a second computer program, written in a second programming language, comprising:

• a description of one or more classes existing in the second program, wherein said description contains a list of functions that said second program performs and a pointer to a description of a parent of said second computer program to search for a function that said parent performs;
• a generic send message means having access to said description;
• and
• means for the first object-oriented program to send the message, using a first message protocol corresponding to the first object-oriented programming language, to the second object-oriented program by accessing said generic send message means, wherein the message is mapped, using computer program mapping code, to a second message protocol, corresponding to the second programming language.

In a data processing system, a method of performing a target function by sending a message from a first computer program written in a first computer language to a target object of a target class in a second computer program written in a second computer language, the method comprising the steps of:

• locating a predetermined description of said target class;
• locating said target function from within said target class by reading said description;
• mapping said message into a format required by said second language;
• and
• sending said message to said target object.

A data processing system for performing a target function by sending a message from a first computer program written in a first computer language to a target object of a target class in a second computer program written in a second computer language, comprising:

• means responsive to said first program for accepting a send message request designating said target object and defining a target function;
• means for reading a predetermined description of classes of said second computer program;
• means for locating said target function from within said target class by reading said description;
• means for mapping said message function into a format required by said second language;
• and
• means for sending said message to said target object.

A system for passing messages between a first object-oriented program, written in a first object-oriented programming language, and a second object-oriented program, written in a second object-oriented programming language, comprising:

• a description of one or more classes existing in the second object-oriented program;
• a generic send message means having access to said description;
• and
• means for the first object-oriented program to send a message, using a first message protocol corresponding to the first object-oriented programming language, to the second object-oriented program by accessing said generic send message means, wherein said message is mapped to a second message protocol, corresponding to the second object-oriented programming language.