Method and apparatus for loading components in a component system

A computer program product for use with an object-oriented computer system having an operating system configured to execute one or more base applications in the form of a base component, each base component implemented as an object having a class definition and defined methods, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium for enabling the loading and utilization of one or more base components, the medium further comprising:

• program code for registering, with an operating system registry, a component loader utility as a server for all components on the system;
• program code for storing a template of a component, the template containing initialization data and registry information keys;
• and
• program code for selectively modifying the behavior of a component as determined by information within the template.

A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave comprising:

• program code for registering, with an operating system registry, a component loader utility as a server for all components on a computer system;
• program code for storing a template of a component, the template containing initialization data and registry information keys;
• and
• program code for selectively modifying component behavior as determined by information within the template.

A method of spoofing an application in the form of a component object in an object-oriented system, the component implemented as an object having a class definition and defined methods, the method comprising the step of:

• a. registering, with an operating system registry, a component loader utility as a server for all components on the system;
• b. storing a template of a component, the template containing initialization data and registry information keys;
• c. determining when a request for a new instance of the component is made;
• d. creating a new instance of the component loader utility instead of the requested component;
• e. aggregating the object interfaces of the requested component;
• f. receiving a method call for the requested component;
• g. selectively modifying the behavior of the requested component as determined by information within the template.

In an object-oriented computer system having an operating system configured to execute one or more base applications in the form of a base component, each base component implemented as an object having a class definition and defined methods, a method for determining whether a component is valid comprising the steps of:

• a. selecting a component modified by a template and loaded onto the computer system;
• b. comparing a current date with a date the component was last validated;
• c. if the dates match, retrieving the next component;
• otherwise, obtaining the component files from the operating system of registry;
• d. retrieving the registration certificate for a component;
• e. determining whether the certificate has expired;
• f. if the certificate has expired, disabling the component from returning further method calls;
• otherwise decrypting the certificate;
• g. determining whether the encrypted signature matches a signature stored with a component;
• and
• h. if the signatures match, selecting the next component,
• otherwise disabling the component from receiving further method calls.