Hewlett-packard Company

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

William Paul Morel

Hugh Duggan

Christopher J Robson

Edward K Y Jung

Michael John Hillberg

Clifford P Van Dyke

James W Kelly

Chao-Chia Liu

Edward Koo Young Jung

A method and system for maintaining the integrity of links in a computer network. The method and system is realized in a link tracking service including a local link tracking service, preferably running on all of the computers within the network, and a centralized link tracking server, preferably running on a network server. The local link tracking service manages the link tracking activities for the machine on which it resides. These activities include searching for link sources and tracking link source moves. The centralized link tracking service is provided to cooperate with the local link tracking services and, more particularly, for recording link source file movements as reported to it by the local link tracking services. The recorded information is available to be used by the local link tracking services should the local link tracking services need assistance in finding a link source that has been moved.

Method and system for maintaining the integrity of links in a computer network

Method and system for the link tracking of objects

A distributed object based system (10) comprising primary (P) and secondary (S) objects with provision for containership links between primary objects and objects which they contain and for weak links between objects. A weak link enables a user indirectly to insert an object (or other item, e.g., text) into a target object via an intermediate object weakly linked to the target object.

Object based system comprising weak links

A method and system for tracking, and resolving links to, objects that derive from a common object creation is provided. In a system, the system creates a source object. The system then generates a lineage identifier to identify the creation of the source object. Then the system associates the lineage identifier with the source object. At a later time, the system copies the created object to a copy object. When the source object is copied to a copy object, the system associates the lineage identifier associated with the source object with the copy object. In this way, the lineage identifier associated with the copy object indicates that the copy object derives from the creation of the source object. The system links a client object to a source object by storing a link containing the source object's lineage identifier in the client object. A link also contains information for distinguishing the source object from other objects having the same lineage identifier. When resolving the link to the source object, the system selects the lineage identifier and the distinguishing information contained in the link. The system then searches for an object with the selected lineage identifier and distinguishing information. When an object with the selected lineage identifier and distinguishing information is found, the system resolves the link to the found object. When an object with the selected lineage identifier and distinguishing information is not found, the system searches for an object with the selected lineage identifier without regard to the selected distinguishing information. When an object with the selected lineage identifier is found, the system resolves the link to this found object.

Object based computer system which has objects and object parts which are either (a) semantic, relating to stored data, or (b) presentation, relating to presentation of the semantic objects to the user. Multiple presentation objects, or viewers, can be linked to a particular semantic object so that an intelligible user's model of the system results. Representation objects provide particular forms of presentation of data of the semantic objects and may be linked so that alternative and multiple presentations of the data of a semantic object are possible.

Object based computer system having representation objects for providing

Selective user coupling for shared object oriented computer system

A distributed object based system includes primary and secondary objects. Primary objects can sustain containership links to other objects in the same storage domain and weak links can exist between objects in different storage domains.

Object based system comprising user interface permitting manipulation of

An object based computer system has viewers which may be directed around the object world of the system between semantic objects. The system includes a sequence object that has a path list specifying a path around a sequence of semantic objects of system. Each viewer can be linked to the sequence object to access the path list held by the latter, thereby enabling the viewer to follow the corresponding sequence of semantic objects, viewing each in turn.

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

William Paul Morel