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:
Aug. 08, 2000
Filed:
Oct. 10, 1996
Christopher A Flaat, Bellevue, WA (US);
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA (US);
Abstract
A parameterized packaging system is provided for programming languages utilizing a preprocessor. A client of a package or facility may choose from among multiple interfaces for the package. Selection of a particular interface is made by passing interface parameters to the package in the package usage declarations. The proper package/interface file containing the definition of the requested interface is returned to the client in response to reading the interface parameters. Each interface of the available group of interfaces for a package is a fixed interface available for querying by a user of the package. Preprocessing is used in the creation of the interfaces as long as the preprocessor macros are only visible to the underlying package implementation and not the package interface. The developer is provided with the flexibility in design possible with the preprocessor as well as fixed and predictable package interfaces.