The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 24, 1998
Filed:
Jul. 03, 1995
David M Bristor, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Sun Microsystems Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
Data elements which can be combined to define a state are defined by respective attributes of an attribute set. An attribute includes an identifier, a data type, an accessor, and procedures for storing and retrieving values of the data element. A context includes at most one value for each attribute of an attribute set. Different contexts can have different respective values for the same attribute. Since an attribute includes a data type and procedures for storing and retrieving values of the attribute, type checking error detection mechanisms of the computer instruction language in which the attributes are implemented remain in effect. In addition, attribute values are stored in an ordered structure, e.g., an ordered list, in each context and the location within the ordered structure at which an attribute value corresponding to a particular attribute is stored in the particular attribute. As a result, attribute values are accessed within contexts in a particularly efficient manner. Attribute sets are extensible at run time such that attributes can be added to an attribute list during execution of a computer process in which the attribute set is implemented.