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. 28, 2007
Filed:
Sep. 09, 2002
Joshua J. Bloch, San Jose, CA (US);
Neal M. Gafter, San Jose, CA (US);
Joshua J. Bloch, San Jose, CA (US);
Neal M. Gafter, San Jose, CA (US);
Sun Microsystems, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates use of an object-oriented enumerated type within a computer program. During operation, the system receives source code for the computer program, wherein the source code contains a declaration for an enumerated type. This declaration specifies a fixed number of enumeration constants that comprise the enumerated type. Next, the system defines the enumerated type using a class defined within an object-oriented programming language, wherein the class includes a constant for each enumeration constant specified in the declaration. If the declaration additionally contains one or more method declarations, these methods are present on the defined class.