Extensible object model
View Patent ↗An extensible object model enables extending the standard methods and/or properties of an extensible object for an application through an extension object proffered at run time by an extension package Information about the extension package is registered in a database when the package is installed, and the database is used to resolve references to the extended methods and/or properties upon execution of the application. In one aspect of the invention, the extension object is cached when first referenced and subsequent references to the extension while the application is executing are resolved to the cache.
1. A computer-readable storage medium, the computer readable storage medium not being a transient signal, the computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon an entry for an object model extension comprising:
an extension identifier field containing data representing an identifier for an extension for extending a method to a class object;
an extension name field containing data representing an external name for the extension identified by the extension identifier field; and
an extension package identifier field containing data representing an extension package for the extension identified by the extension identifier field, the extension package comprising computer-executable instructions for proffering an extension provider object upon a determination that an extension object does not exist, the extension provider object capable of receiving parameters for creating the extension object based upon one or more received parameters when the extension is invoked.
2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , further comprising:
an object identifier field containing data representing the class object having functionality extended by the extension identified by the extension identifier field.
3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , further comprising an internal name field containing data representing an internal name for the extension identified by the extension identifier field, the internal name decoupled from the external name.
4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , further comprising a friendly name field containing data representing a browsable name for the extension identified by the extension identifier field.
5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , further comprising a description field containing data representing a textual description of the extension identified by the extension identifier field.
6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 , wherein the extension object extends a requested functionality not inherent in the class object.
7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the extension package comprises an interface for obtaining the extension object that extends the requested functionality to the class object.