초록 ▼

According to the present invention, an apparatus and method for providing access to multiple object versions allows the system administrators to control which version of a given object is referenced by existing related objects. By providing an option for the system user to select and access differen

According to the present invention, an apparatus and method for providing access to multiple object versions allows the system administrators to control which version of a given object is referenced by existing related objects. By providing an option for the system user to select and access different object versions, object upgrade policies can be flexible and accommodate the various needs of different object-oriented systems. The object versioning mechanism of the present invention provides several different options when modifying an existing object to create a new version. The various embodiments of the present invention provide a versioning mechanism to manage version updates for objects in an object-oriented system. The versioning mechanism disclosed herein implements the methods of the present invention by making a copy of an existing object whenever a new version of the existing object is to be introduced into an object-oriented system. After the copy of the existing object has been made, the existing object or the copy of the existing object can be modified to reflect the desired changes and to provide an updated version of the object. Whether the existing object or the copy of the existing object is modified depends on the specific system policy or objectives to be achieved. In addition, according to the desired system policy, the unmodified version of the object can be removed from the system, if desired. Alternatively, if both objects remain in the system, access to one or both of the objects may be further restricted by disabling all or at least some of the methods on the objects.

대표청구항 ▼

[What is claimed is:] [1.]a processor;a memory coupled to the processor;a plurality of encapsulated objects residing in said memory, each of said objects representing an instance of a respective class of a hierarchical set of classes;an existing object of said plurality of encapsulated objects resid

[What is claimed is:] [1.]a processor;a memory coupled to the processor;a plurality of encapsulated objects residing in said memory, each of said objects representing an instance of a respective class of a hierarchical set of classes;an existing object of said plurality of encapsulated objects residing in the memory and referenced by an existing object reference; anda versioning mechanism residing in the memory, the versioning mechanism creating a new object which is a copy of the existing object and which is referenced by a new object reference, the versioning mechanism modifying either the existing object or the new object, thereby creating a modified version of the existing object and an unmodified version of the existing object and allowing other objects of said plurality of encapsulated objects to concurrently access both: (a) the modified version of the existing object through a first one of the set consisting of the existing object reference and the new object reference; and (b) the unmodified version of the existing object through a second one of the set consisting of the existing object reference and the new object reference, said second one of said set being different from said first one of said set.