Next Software, Inc.

Next Computer, Inc.

Apple Inc.

Computer Associates Think, Inc.

Daniel Willhite

Linus M Upson

Richard Williamson

Jack Greenfield

David M Moore

Erik Andrew Kay

Antony John Sargent

A method for providing stand-in objects, where relationships among objects are automatically resolved in an object oriented relational database model without the necessity of retrieving data from the database until it is needed. A 'fault' class is defined, as well as fault objects whose data haven't yet been fetched from the database. An object that's created for the destination of a relationship whenever an object that includes the relationship is fetched from the database. When an object is fetched that has relationships, fault objects are created to 'stand-in' for the destination objects of those relationships. Fault objects transform themselves into the actual enterprise objects&#x2014;and fetch their data&#x2014;the first time they're accessed. Subsequently, messages sent to the target objects are responded to by the objects themselves.

Method for providing stand-in objects

The present invention provides systems, methods, computer program products, and combinations and subcombinations thereof for filtering received messages. The invention includes a client system having filtering logic, a statistical classifier module, and a classifier database. The classifier module is automatically trained, without manual intervention, when the score generated by the classifier for a received message is inconsistent with a user-defined authoritative status indication. In addition, the classifier module is initialized using user-identified messages in a ratio representative of the ratio of non-spam to spam messages received by the user.

System, method, and computer program product for filtering messages and training a classification module

A system, method and computer program product provide a search module for searching digital data. The search module operates, according to an embodiment, by indexing stored data without interrupting use of the stored data, synchronizing the indexed data with data stored subsequent to the indexing step, searching at least one of the synchronized data and the indexed data, and outputting results of the searching step.

Method, apparatus, and computer program product for indexing, synchronizing and searching digital data

The present invention creates a model that maps object classes in an object-oriented environment to a data source. The model maps the relationship between properties of each object class and data of the data source. The present invention can be used with a data source such as a relational database, user interface, file system, or object-oriented database. An application's object classes and data source schema are designed independent of the other since the model can be used to map one to the other. The model is comprised of entities and attributes. An entity maps to an object class and to at least one table of the DBMS. An entity contains attributes either simple or derived. A simple attribute maps to a DBMS column. A derived attribute is a combination of other attributes and does not directly map to a DBMS column. A relationship creates a link between entities of the model. A relationship can be used to flatten an attribute or flatten a relationship. A flattened attribute is an attribute of one entity that is added to another entity. A flattened relationship is created by the elimination of intermediate relationships between two entities. Relationships can be either unidirectional or bi-directional. A unidirectional relationship has a single traversal path that has a source entity and a destination. A bi-directional relationship has two traversal paths. A reflexive relationship can be created using a single entity. The model is used to synchronize object properties and the data of the data source.

Method and apparatus for mapping objects to multiple tables of a database

A method for providing stand-in objects, where relationships among objects are automatically resolved in an object oriented relational database model without the necessity of retrieving data from the database until it is needed. A 'fault' class is defined, as well as fault objects whose data haven't yet been fetched from the database. An object that's created for the destination of a relationship whenever an object that includes the relationship is fetched from the database. When an object is fetched that has relationships, fault objects are created to 'stand-in' for the destination objects of those relationships. Fault objects transform themselves into the actual enterprise objects&#x2014;and fetch their data&#x2014;the first time they're accessed. Subsequently, messages sent to the target objects are responded to by the objects themselves. This delayed resolution of relationships occurs in two stages: the creation of a placeholder object for the data to be fetched, and the fetching of that data only when it's needed. By not fetching an object until the application actually needs it, unnecessary interaction with the database server is therefore prevented.

The present invention comprises a method for allowing a data controlling object to interface with any number of user interface objects without requiring separate interface code for each user interface object and without restricting the user interface to certain predetermined designs. The present method provides objects called association objects that are interposed between a data controlling object and each user interface object. Each kind of user interface object has a corresponding association object. The association object for a particular kind of user interface object contains code that allows the association object to interact with the specific kind of user interface object with which it is associated. Each association object also presents a standard interface to a data controlling object, regardless of the kind of user interface object with which the association object is associated. The association object takes care of any conversion or translation that must be performed to convert a data value sent by the data controlling object into an appropriate value that can be displayed by the user interface object. Accordingly, instead of requiring different interface code for each kind of user interface object used, a data controlling object requires only a single block of interface code for communicating with all association objects, which in turn provide the user interface specific code needed for each kind of user interface object.

Method for associating data bearing objects with user interface objects

The present invention creates a model that maps object classes in an object-oriented environment to a data source. The model maps the relationship between properties of each object class and data of the data source. The present invention can be used with a data source such as a relational database, user interface, file system, or object-oriented database. An application's object classes and data source schema are designed independent of the other since the model can be used to map one to the other. The model is comprised of entities and attributes. An entity maps to an object class and to at least one table of the DBMS. An entity contains attributes either simple or derived. A simple attribute maps to a DBMS column. A derived attribute is a combination of other attributes and does not directly map to a DBMS column. A relationship creates a link between entities of the model. A relationship can be used to flatten an attribute or flatten a relationship. A flattened attribute is an attribute of one entity that is added to another entity. A flattened relationship is created by the elimination of intermediate relationships between two entities. Relationships can be either unidirectional or bidirectional. A unidirectional relationship has a single traversal path that has a source entity and a destination. A bidirectional relationship has two traversal paths. A reflexive relationship can be created using a single entity. The model is used to synchronize object properties and the data of the data source.

The present invention comprises a method for allowing a controlling object to interface with any number of user interface objects without requiring separate interface code for each user interface object and without restricting the user interface to certain predetermined designs. The present method provides objects called association objects that are interposed between a controlling object and each user interface object. Each kind of user interface object has a corresponding association object. The association object for a particular kind of user interface object contains code that allows the association object to interact with the specific kind of user interface object with which it is associated. Each association object also presents a standard interface to a controlling object, regardless of the kind of user interface object with which the association object is associated. The association object takes care of any conversion or translation that must be performed to convert a data value sent by the controlling object into an appropriate value that can be displayed by the user interface object. Accordingly, instead of requiring different interface code for each kind of user interface object used, a controlling object requires only a single block of interface code for communicating with all association objects, which in turn provide the user interface specific code needed for each kind of user interface object.

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Daniel Willhite