JPH04170642A - Class sharing management system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To manage plural classes without exerting influence upon each other even when the classes are shared by plural users by distinguishing the classes by access right. CONSTITUTION:A class management device 24 in a user system 2 transfers a shared class registering request and registering class data to a file server 3. When the access right of class data is correct, a shared class managing device 31 in the file server 3 sends the class to the device 24. The sent class is stored in a class storing area 251 in the storage device 25. In the case, 'the correct access right of class data' means that each class does not regard a class having access right with the degree of sharing stronger than that of the class itself as an upper class. Thereby even when plural users share classes, the classes are managed without exerting influence upon each other.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention
The present invention relates to a class sharing management method for sharing classes among multiple users in an object-oriented language such as monLi5p or an object-oriented database system.

[Prior Art] All data handled in an object-oriented language or an object-oriented database is generated from units that define a data structure called "classes."

That is, in object-oriented languages, calculations are performed using active objects called "objects" and communications (messages) between the objects.

In object-oriented languages, all data such as integers are considered to be objects that perform active calculations; for example, "integer A"
By sending the message ``Add integer B'' to the object ``Integer A,'' the addition is performed within the object ``Integer A,'' and the resulting value ``Z'' is sent back to the source of the message.

Only objects with specific properties can interpret the above message "Add...", and a collection of objects with specific properties is called a "class".

Objects with common properties are defined as a class.

Objects belonging to a class are called instances of that class, and all of them accept messages of the same format and perform the computations indicated by the messages.

The part that specifies what kind of calculation to perform when a message is received is called a ``method.'' This method is written for each class and specifies the behavior of instances of that class.

Generally, this "class" has a hierarchical structure, and a lower class (subclass) includes the data structure of a higher class (superclass).

This allows the lower class to access the fronts, that is, the descriptions of concepts and attributes, of the higher class.

Note that this function is generally called "inheritance".

On the other hand, conventionally in object-oriented languages such as Sma 11 ta Ik-80, the management of the above classes was left to the individual user, so the user was free to influence the entire system, even to the smallest extent. It was possible to make changes.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] According to the above-mentioned conventional technology, the definition of a higher class affects the definition of a lower class. In shared classes, a user cannot define a personally defined class as a superclass of the shared class.

If a user makes arbitrary changes to the definition of a shared class, it will affect the entire system because other users sharing the system cannot share the same definition. There was a problem that the system could not be operated smoothly.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and to differentiate classes based on access rights, so that even if a class is shared by multiple users, they can be managed without affecting each other. object-oriented language,
Another object of the present invention is to provide a class sharing management method in an object-oriented database system.

[Means for Solving the Problem] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a plurality of user systems (2 in Fig. 1) connected via a communication network (1 in Fig. 1), and the above-mentioned system. In a class sharing management method comprising a database system (3 in FIG. 1) that is commonly accessed by a plurality of user systems, means for causing the user system to maintain access right information to a user's class in the class definition. (class storage area 251 in FIG. 1) and the coexisting class definitions according to the access right information, and the data including the class definitions is transferred to the database system via the communication network between multiple users. means (the class management device 24 in FIG. 1) for common access to the database system, and means (the shared class management device 24 in FIG. data area 321), and means (shared class management device 31 in FIG. 1) for extracting a shared class definition according to the access right information.

[Operation] With the above configuration, the present invention allows certain access right information to be included in the class definition, and
Each class is registered and referenced under the rule that classes that have access rights that are more common than the access rights of that class are not considered superior classes.

The user uses the class management device 2 of his/her own user system 2.
4 using the keyboard 22 and mouse 23 to request shared class registration.

Then, the class management device 24 transfers the shared class registration request from the user system 2 and the registered class data to the common class management device 31 of the file server 3 via the communication network 1.

The shared class management device 31 of the file server 3 recognizes this request, and if the access rights to the class data are correct, sends this class to the class management device 24 of the user system 2.

The sent class is then stored in the class storage area 251 of the storage device 25.

When registering a class, defclass syntax is used to define and register the class.

A class is generated from that class definition.

The shared class is recognized from the above class definition, and the class management device 24 of the user system 2 sends the class to the file server 3 that manages the shared class via the network 1.

The shared class management device 31 of the file server 3 stores the class definition in the shared class data area 321 of the auxiliary storage device 32 of the file server as a shared class if the access right of the super class of the sent class is a shared class. Write.

Then, the user system is notified that this class definition has been registered.

Furthermore, in the user system, a class is generated in the same way as a normal class definition.

When a class is referenced, the class is referenced during instance generation or method execution, and if the class definition does not exist in the class storage area 251 of the storage device 25 of the user system 2, the class management device 24, a class search request is sent to the shared class management device 31 on the file server 3 side via the network 1.

The shared class management device 31 interprets this search request and searches the database for the definition of the requested class.

As a result, if the target class is found, the definition of the class is sent to the user system 2 side.

On the user system 2 side, a class is generated according to the transmitted definition.

This makes it possible to extract classes based on access rights from a class hierarchy consisting of many classes, collect only the resulting classes, and use them as a class hierarchy, thereby improving program development efficiency.

Furthermore, since classes are shared, the storage area for storing class definitions can be saved.

[Example] Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system to which the class sharing management method according to the present invention is applied, in which 1 is a communication network such as RAN, 2 is a user system (hereinafter referred to as user system), and 3 is a file server system ( (hereinafter referred to as a file server).

The user system 2 includes a display device 21, a keyboard 22, an instruction device 23 such as a mouse, and a class management device 24.
, a storage device 25, and the storage device 25 has a class storage area 251.

The file server 3 includes a shared class management device 31 and an auxiliary storage device 33, and the auxiliary storage device 32 has a shared class data area 321.

As shown in the figure, this system as a whole includes a file server 3 that stores and manages data related to shared classes;
It is divided into a user system 2, which is a development environment for each individual user.

These file servers 3 and user systems 2 are interconnected through a communication network 1.

Although only one user system 2 is shown in the figure, in an actual system, a plurality of user systems 2 are connected to a common file server 3.

The operation of the system shown in FIG. 1 will be described below in the order of registering and retrieving a shared class, and registering and referencing a class.

(1) A registered user of a shared class must use the class management device 2 of his own user system 2.
4 using the keyboard 22 and mouse 23 to request shared class registration.

Then, the class management device 24 transfers the shared class registration request from the user system 2 and the registered class data to the common class management device 31 of the file server 3 via the communication network 1.

The shared class management device 31 of the file server 3 recognizes this request, and if the access rights to the class data are correct, sends this class to the class management device 24 of the user system 2.

The sent class is then stored in the class storage area 251 of the storage device 25.

Note that in the above, "the class data access rights are correct" means that "each class does not consider a class that has access rights that are more shared than the access rights of that class as an upper class."

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the data structure of the class stored in the class storage area 251 of FIG.
5uper″, direct-super″, “di
rect-slots''.

It consists of slots ``slots'' and ``access''.

An area for storing access right information (access specifier) is provided in a part of the data structure constituting these classes.

In the example shown in the figure, the underlined slot "Access" 201 is an area for storing access rights, and the following values are set depending on the access rights. There is.

: private Class used only by individuals: p
public A class that anyone can use.
The following example is an extension based on Common Li5p.

(2) Class Registration To define and register a class, use the defclass syntax shown in FIG. 3.

In addition, defclass is Common Li5p
This is a standard function, and the underlined part in the figure (: access access-1 level)
1 and access-1level::l= :priva
te 1: public is the part expanded to implement the present invention.

Also, in the same figure, 1 is "or", (...)"
means "repeat 0 or more times", and [... means "can be omitted".

For example, suppose you have defined a lath as shown below.

(defclass foo (std-class)
(a b c) (:access”man1±σ
) Then, from this class definition, the class named foo is recognized as a class that is used only by individuals,
The class is generated in the same way as traditional classes.

Note that this :private is used as a default, so it has the same meaning even if it is omitted as follows.

(defclass foo (std-class)
(a b c) On the other hand, suppose that the following lath definition is performed.

(defclass baz (std-class)
(c d e) (: access: public)
) Then, from this class definition, the class baz is recognized as a shared class, and a program corresponding to the class management device 24 of the user system 2 sends the class to the file server 3 that manages the shared class via the network 1. The class will be sent.

The program corresponding to the shared class management device 31 of the file server 3 checks whether the access right of the super class of the sent class is :public.
If it is Public, auxiliary storage device 3 is used as a shared class.
The class definition is written into the shared class data area 321 of No.2.

Then, the user system is notified that this class definition has been registered.

Furthermore, in the user system, a class is generated in the same way as a normal class definition.

On the other hand, the super class of the class to be registered is :public
If it is not c, it is reported to the user system 2 that it cannot be registered in the shared class data area 321 of the file server 3, and the class definition is aborted.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart explaining the above class registration process, in which (a) is the process on the user system side; (b) is the process on the user system side;
) indicates processing on the file server side.

First, in (a), the class management device 24 of FIG. 1 determines that the :access specifier in the class definition is
If YES, a request to register the class in the shared class database is sent to the file server 3 (S-2).

The class management device 24 of the user system receives the result of this registration request from the file server 3 (S-3).

If the above result can be registered in the shared class database, define the class and generate the class (
S-5).

Note that if the answer is NO in (S-1), that is, if the :access specifier in the class definition is not :Public, the process directly goes to (S-5), defines the class, and generates the class.

On the other hand, in the same figure (b), on the file server 3 side,
A shared class registration request is received from the user system 2 (S-10), and it is determined whether the superclass of the requested class has already been registered as a shared class (S-11).

If the class for which the registration request was made is registered as a shared class, the class for which the registration request was made is registered as a shared class (S-12), and the user system 2 is notified of the registration (S-12). -13).

In addition, if the class for which registration was requested in (S-11) is not registered as a shared class, it cannot be registered in the shared class data area 321, so the user system 2 Notify the other party (
S-14).

(3) When a class reference instance is generated or a class is referenced during method execution, if the class definition does not exist in the class storage area 251 of the storage device 25 of the user system 2, the class management device 24, a class search request is sent to the shared class management device 31 on the file server 3 side via the network 1.

The shared class management device 31 interprets this search request and searches the database for the definition of the requested class.

As a result, if the target class is found, the definition of the class is sent to the user system 2 side.

On the user system 2 side, a class is generated according to the transmitted definition.

On the other hand, if the shared class management device 31 cannot find the target class as a result of the search, it reports this to the user system 2 side, and the reference to the class becomes an error.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart explaining the class reference processing, in which (a) shows the processing on the user system side, and (b) shows the processing on the user system side.
indicates processing on the server 3 side.

In FIG. 2(a), the storage device 25 of the user system 2
When a class that does not exist within is accessed (S-20)
: Inquires of the file server 3 whether the class in question does not exist as a shared class (S-21), and receives a reply to this inquiry from the file server 3 (S-22).

If the corresponding shared class is found (S-23L
A class is defined for the discovered shared class and a class is generated (S-24).

If the corresponding shared class is not found, the user system 2 is notified of this fact, and reference to the class becomes an error.

In the same figure (b), the file server 3 side receives and receives a class search request from the user system 2 side (S-30
), it is determined whether the class requested to be searched has already been registered as a shared class (S-31).

If the class has already been registered, the class definition of that class is returned to the user system 2 (S-
32).

If it is determined in step (S-31) that the class requested to be searched is not registered as a shared class, the user system is notified that the class does not exist (S-33). .

In this way, processing related to class references is performed.

The above describes the registration and retrieval of a shared class, the registration of a class, and its reference operations.

By setting the above-mentioned access rights in units such as class categories, the present invention can be extended to extract classes that are likely to be relevant to the user and to build a class hierarchy using only the extracted classes. It is.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, certain access right information is included in a class definition, and based on the access right, each class does not consider a class that has stronger access rights in the common layer than the access rights of that class as a superclass. ” are registered and referenced under the rules.

This makes it possible to extract classes based on access rights from a class hierarchy consisting of many classes, collect only the resulting classes, and use them as a class hierarchy, thereby improving program development efficiency.

Furthermore, since classes are shared, the storage area for storing class definitions can be saved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a system that applies the class sharing management method according to the present invention, Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the data structure of classes stored in the class storage area of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is d
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the contents of class registration processing, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating class reference processing. 1... Communication network, 2... User side system, 3... File server side system, 21... Display device, 22... Keyboard, 23... Instruction device such as mouse, 24... Class management device, 25...
. . . Storage device, 251 . . . Class storage area 251.
31... Shared class management device, 32... Auxiliary storage device, 321... Shared class data area.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a shared management system for a class consisting of a plurality of user systems connected via a communication network and a database system commonly accessed by the plurality of user systems, A means for retaining access right information to a class in a class definition; and a means for extracting a shared class definition according to the access right information and transmitting data including the class definition to the database system via the communication network. means for common access among a plurality of users, means for causing the database system to hold access right information for a user's class in the class definition, and sharing according to the access right information. A class sharing management method in an object-oriented programming environment, characterized by comprising a means for extracting class definitions.