Method and system for lazy data serialization in computer communications

A system for transmitting information to a receiving computer system, said system comprising:

• a determining device for determining whether the receiving computer system can receive the information without converting a local format of the information into a canonical format of the information, said determining comprising specifying whether said converting the local format into the canonical format is required or is avoidable;
• a converting device that delays said converting of the local format to the canonical format until an identity and a nature of the receiving computer system is identified, if the determining device determines that the receiving computer system cannot receive the information without said converting the local format into the canonical format, such that the information is transferred to the receiving computer system after the converting device delays said converting of the local format to the canonical format;
• and
• a transmitting device for transmitting the information from the converting device to the receiving computer system,
• wherein, if the determining device determines that the receiving computer system can receive the information without said converting the local format into the canonical format, then the transmitting device transmits the information to the transmitting,
• wherein said delaying said converting the local format is implemented by overriding function definitions in an object-oriented programming language,
• wherein the local format comprises a representation of another computer system in a structured language, and
• wherein said determining device compares properties of the receiving computer system against properties of a sending computer system, said properties comprising at least one of a network address, a machine manufacturer, a machine type, and a machine name.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method of transmitting information to a receiving computer system, said method comprising:

• determining whether the receiving computer system can receive the information without converting a local format of the information into a canonical format of the information, said determining comprising specifying whether said converting the local format into the canonical format is required or is avoidable;
• if it is determined that the receiving computer system cannot receive the information without said converting the local format into the canonical format, then delaying said converting the local format to the canonical format until an identity and a nature of the receiving computer system is identified, and then transmitting the information to the receiving computer system after said delaying said converting the local format to the canonical format;
• and
• if it is determined that the receiving computer system can receive the information without said converting the local format into the canonical format, then transmitting the information to the receiving computer system,
• wherein said delaying said converting the local format is implemented by overriding function definitions in an object oriented programming language,
• wherein the local format comprises a representation of another computer system in a structured language, and
• wherein said determining device compares properties of the receiving computer system against properties of a sending computer system, said properties comprising at least one of a network address, a machine manufacturer, a machine type, and a machine name.