System for controlling functions of a target application using

Abstract

A system for providing a user or agent control over functions defined by an object in a target application. The object is a new type of object called a controllable object, which publishes its functions and for use by a control application. When the target application execution is commenced, it generates predefined controllable objects, and then execution of the control application is commenced. The control application obtains a handle on the controllable object, and then is able to set any of a number of predefined values in the controllable object, such as individual variables or parameters, ranges of values, a list of choices from which the user can select, and others. In this way, the user can manipulate, test and optimize the target application even during its execution, by virtue of the pre-programmed controllable object functions. With a standard data structure for the data items involved and a standard controllable object set of functions, a generic control program can be used to interact with any new target application utilizing the standards, and the target application and control program do not need any other information about one another in advance, providing portable test interaction with any target application using a single control application.