Method and system for referring to and binding to objects using identifier objects

A method in a computer system of creating an object that refers to a source object, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• creating an instance of an identifier object of an identifier class, the identifier class having a binding member function that, when invoked, binds to the source object by locating and accessing the source object;
• storing a reference to the source object in the created identifier object as naming information that is used by the binding member function to bind to the source object;
• and
• storing a reference to the created identifier object having the stored reference to the source object that is used when binding to the source object.

A method in a computer system for composing a first identifier object with a second identifier object to create a composite identifier object that refers to a source object, the first identifier object having an internal state that refers to a container object and having a first class identifier that identifies binding code that, when invoked, locates and connects to the container object referred to by the internal state, the second identifier having an internal state that refers to an item and having a second class identifier that identifies binding code that, when invoked, locates and connects to the item referred to by the internal state, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• creating an instance of a composite identifier object, the created composite identifier object having an internal state and having a composite class identifier that identifies binding code that, when invoked, locates and connects to the source object referred to by the internal state of the created composite identifier object;
• storing a reference to the first identifier object in the internal state of the created composite identifier object;
• and
• storing a reference to the second identifier object in the internal state of the created composite identifier object, wherein the second identifier object is composed with the first identifier object to refer to the item within the container object as the source object.

A computer system for creating an object that refers and binds to source data comprising:

• means for instantiating an identifier object having a class identifier that identifies binding code;
• and
• means for storing in the instantiated identifier object a reference to the source data as identifying data, wherein the binding code, when invoked, locates and connects to the source data referred to by the stored identifying data;
• and
• means for storing in the instantiated identifier object a class identifier that identifies the binding code.

A method in a computer system for binding to source data, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• creating an instance of an identifier object, the created identifier object having naming information that identifies the source data and having a class identifier that identifies binding code that, when invoked, binds by locating and connecting to the source data identified by the naming information;
• invoking the binding code identified by the class identifier of the created identifier object to bind to the source data;
• and
• when the binding code is invoked, returning an indicator of the bound source data.

A method in a computer system of generating an object that refers to source data, the computer system having a destination object, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• creating an instance of a moniker object, the created moniker object having a moniker class identifier that identifies binding code that, when executed, binds to the source data;
• storing a reference to the source data in the created moniker object as naming information;
• storing the class identifier in the created moniker object;
• and
• storing in the destination object a reference to the created moniker object having the stored reference to the source data.

A method in a computer system of binding to source data having associated persistent storage for containing the source data, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• instantiating an identifier object, the instantiated identifier object having a class identifier that identifies binding code that, when executed, binds to the source data;
• storing a reference to the source data in the instantiated identifier object as naming information;
• and
• accessing the source data by invoking the binding code identified by the class identifier of the instantiated identifier object to obtain an indicator of the persistent storage associated with the source data.

A method in a computer system of generating a reduced reference to source data, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• creating an instance of a moniker object, the created moniker object having a moniker class identifier that identifies a reduce member function;
• storing a reference to the source data in the created moniker object as naming information;
• and
• reducing the stored reference to the source data to a canonical form by invoking the reduce member function, wherein the reduce member function creates a reduced moniker object, the created reduced moniker object having reduced naming information that refers, in the canonical form, to the source data referred to by the naming information of the created moniker object.

A method in a computer system for determining a common prefix between a first identifier object and a second identifier object, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• creating an instance of the first identifier object, the created first identifier object having naming information that refers to first source data;
• creating an instance of the second identifier object, the created second identifier object having naming information that refers to second source data, the second identifier object having a class identifier that identifies code having a prefix determination member function that, when executed, determines a common prefix between the naming information of the created second identifier object and a requested location;
• and
• invoking the prefix determination member function of the second identifier object, with an indicator to the naming information of the created first identifier object as the requested location, to determine a common prefix between the naming information of the created second identifier object and the naming information of the created first identifier object.

A method in a computer system for binding to a source object, the computer system having a destination object, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• instantiating a first moniker object of a moniker class, the moniker class identified by a moniker class identifier and having binding code that, when invoked, connects to the source object;
• storing a source reference to the source object in the instantiated first moniker object as naming information, the source object associated with server code;
• storing in the destination object a moniker reference to the instantiated first moniker object having the stored source reference;
• storing the destination object in persistent storage including,
• accessing the moniker class identifier and the naming information referred to by the moniker reference;
• storing in persistent storage the accessed moniker class identifier;
• and
• storing in persistent storage the accessed naming information;
• when the destination object is accessed from persistent storage,
• retrieving the stored moniker class identifier and naming information from persistent storage;
• instantiating a second moniker object of the moniker class identified by the retrieved moniker class identifier;
• storing the retrieved naming information in the instantiated second moniker object;
• and
• invoking the binding code of the moniker class;
• when the binding code is invoked,
• invoking the server code associated with the source object referred to by the naming information stored in the second moniker object;
• and
• requesting the server code to connect to the source object referred to by the naming information stored in the second moniker object;
• and
• when the server code is invoked,
• instantiating the source object referred to by the naming information stored in the second moniker object;
• loading data into the instantiated source object;
• and
• returning to the invoked binding code an indication of the instantiated source object with the loaded data, wherein the loaded data of the instantiated source object is accessed using the returned indication.