System and method for controlling the visibility and use of data in a programming environment

In an electronic device with a computing environment including a language processor, a medium holding executable steps for a method of distributing data to called functions in an application within the computing environment, said method comprising:

• providing with the language processor a specified type of variable, said specified type of variable designating variables referenceable only from within a function;
• providing, in response to the use of a variable of the specified type by a specific function, the value of said variable most recently set by one of the specific function and a caller of the specific function;
• creating programmatically with said language processor a shared variable and a local variable in response to a declaration of the variable of the specified type said shared variable referenceable only from within a function in said application said local variable visible only within the function in which the declaration appears;
• assigning programmatically the value of said shared variable to said local variable when said function is entered;
• returning a value of said shared variable when providing the value of said variable in response to said variable being referenced within the function;
• and
• assigning programmatically the value of said local variable to said shared variable when said function returns.

In an electronic device with an object-oriented programming environment, a method comprising:

• declaring a variable with global scope;
• creating programmatically a class with a constructor and destructor with a language processor, said constructor creating a local copy of said variable with global scope;
• calling said constructor while instantiating an object of said class;
• assigning programmatically the value of said variable with global scope to said local copy of said variable with global scope when said object is instantiated;
• returning a value of said variable with global scope when said object is referenced, said value being a value most recently assigned to the variable with global scope by an existing object;
• and
• calling a destructor for said object, said destructor assigning programmatically the value of said local copy of said variable with global scope to said variable with global scope when said object is destroyed.

In an electronic device holding a computing environment including a language processor, a medium holding a method, said method comprising:

• declaring a variable with global scope;
• creating programmatically a class with a constructor and destructor with the language processor, said constructor creating a local copy of said variable with global scope;
• calling said constructor while instantiating an object of said class;
• assigning programmatically the value of said variable with global scope to said local copy of said variable with global scope when said object is instantiated;
• returning a value of said variable with global scope when said object is referenced, said value being a value most recently assigned to the variable with global scope by an existing object;
• and
• calling a destructor for said object, said destructor assigning programmatically the value of said local copy of said variable with global scope to said variable with global scope when said object is destroyed.

In an electronic device with a programming environment, a method of distributing data to called functions in an application, said method comprising:

• providing with a language processor a variable type with a defined scope and visibility;
• declaring a variable of the defined type in a selected function;
• creating programmatically a global variable and local variable with the language processor in response to said declaration, said global variable referenceable only from within a function, said local variable visible only within the function in which the declaration appears;
• assigning programmatically the value of said global variable to said local variable when said function is entered;
• returning a value of said global variable when said declared variable is referenced within the function, said value being a value most recently assigned to the variable by an active caller of the function;
• and
• assigning programmatically the value of said local variable to said global variable when said function returns.

In an electronic device with a computing environment including a language processor, a method of distributing data to called functions in an application within the computing environment, said method comprising:

• creating a storage class describing how a variable is stored;
• declaring a variable of the created storage class in a selected function;
• creating programmatically with said language processor a hidden variable with a global scope and a hidden local variable in response to said declaration, said hidden variable with a global scope referenceable only from within a function, said hidden local variable visible only within the function in which the declaration appears;
• assigning programmatically the value of said hidden variable with a global scope to said hidden local variable when said function is entered;
• returning a value of said hidden variable with a global scope when said declared variable is referenced within the function, said value being a value most recently assigned to the variable by an active caller of the function;
• and
• assigning programmatically the value of said hidden local variable to said hidden variable with a global scope when said function returns.

A system for providing access to shared data, the system comprising:

• an electronic device;
• and
• a programming environment executing on the electronic device, the programming environment including:
• a language processor providing a specified type of variable, the specified type of variable designating variables that are referenceable only from within a function;
• and
• a program with a plurality of functions, at least a designated one of the plurality of functions using a variable of the specified type, the variable in the designated function receiving the value of the variable of the specified type most recently set by one of the designated function and a caller of the designated function;
• wherein the language processor creates the shared variable and a local variable in response to a declaration of the variable of the specified type, the shared variable referenceable only from within a function in the program, the local variable visible only within the function in which the declaration appears;
• wherein the value of the shared variable is assigned programmatically to the local variable when a function using the specified type of variable is entered, and the value of the local variable is assigned programmatically to the shared variable when the function using the specified type of variable returns;
• and
• wherein the value of the shared variable is returned when the declared variable is referenced within the function, the value being a value most recently assigned to the shared variable by an active caller of the function.