Method of dynamically appending a library to an actively running program
A method for dynamically linking a dynamic library to an application program is provided. The method determines if the dynamic library resides on a computer system on which the application program is executing and locates the dynamic library at a predetermined location if it is determined that the dynamic library does not reside on the computer system. The method further provides for loading and attaching to the dynamic library, receiving a function call by the application to the dynamic library and passing the function call to the dynamic library.
1. A method for using a static library to dynamically load a dynamically linked library comprising:
receiving a request from an application program to connect to a dynamically linked library;
while the application program is running:
checking a computer system running the application program for the dynamically linked library;
determining if the dynamically linked library needs to be loaded;
loading the dynamically linked library from a predetermined location onto the computer system if the dynamically linked library needs to be loaded, such that the application program continues to function properly; and
attaching the dynamically linked library to a static library, the static library capable of passing one or more application calls from the application program to the dynamically linked library.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining if the dynamically linked library needs to be loaded further comprises:
determining if the dynamically linked library is the correct version.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining if the dynamically linked library needs to be loaded further comprises:
determining if the dynamically linked library is missing.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined location is an external resource, the external resource including a Web server or a CD-ROM.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprising:
downloading a new version of the dynamically linked library from a Web server; and
storing the new version of the dynamically linked library on the computer system running the application program.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the static library comprises an application interface, a dynamically linked library interface, a loader, and an Internet access module.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the application interface receives the one or more application calls from the application program.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the dynamically linked library interface passes the one or more application calls from the application program to the dynamically linked library.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the loader loads the dynamically linked library into a memory of the computer system running the application program.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the Internet access module opens an HTTP connection to a server to download the dynamically linked library.
11. A system to perform operations for using a static library to dynamically load a dynamically linked library comprising:
one or more computers operable to perform operations comprising:
receiving a request from an application program to connect to a dynamically linked library;
while the application program is running:
checking a computer system running the application program for the dynamically linked library;
determining if the dynamically linked library needs to be loaded;
loading the dynamically linked library from a predetermined location onto the computer system if the dynamically linked library needs to be loaded, such that the application program continues to function properly; and
attaching the dynamically linked library to a static library, the static library capable of passing one or more application calls from the application program to the dynamically linked library.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the determining if the dynamically linked library needs to be loaded further comprises:
determining if the dynamically linked library is the correct version.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the determining if the dynamically linked library needs to be loaded further comprises:
determining if the dynamically linked library is missing.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined location is an external resource, the external resource including a Web server or a CD-ROM.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more computers are operable to perform operations further comprising:
downloading a new version of the dynamically linked library from a Web server; and
storing the new version of the dynamically linked library on the computer system running the application program.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the static library further comprises an application interface, a dynamically linked library interface, a loader, and an Internet access module.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the application interface receives the one or more application calls from the application program.
18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the dynamically linked library interface passes the one or more application calls from the application program to the dynamically linked library.
19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the loader loads the dynamically linked library into a memory of the computer system running the application program.
20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the Internet access module opens an HTTP connection to a server to download the dynamically linked library.
21. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more computers are coupled to a Web server via the Internet.
22. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more computers comprise a processor, a memory, a nonvolatile memory, and a hard disk.
23. A computer product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations for using a static library to dynamically load a dynamically linked library comprising:
receiving a request from an application program to connect to a dynamically linked library;
while the application program is running:
checking a computer system running the application program for the dynamically linked library;
determining if the dynamically linked library needs to be loaded;
loading the dynamically linked library from a predetermined location onto the computer system if the dynamically linked library needs to be loaded, such that the application program continues to function properly; and
attaching the dynamically linked library to a static library, the static library capable of passing one or more application calls from the application program to the dynamically linked library.
24. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the determining if the dynamically linked library needs to be loaded further comprises:
determining if the dynamically linked library is the correct version.
25. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the determining if the dynamically linked library needs to be loaded further comprises:
determining if the dynamically linked library is missing.
26. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the predetermined location is an external resource, the external resource including a Web server or a CD-ROM.
27. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the computer program product is operable to cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations further comprising:
downloading a new version of the dynamically linked library from a Web server; and
storing the new version of the dynamically linked library on the computer system running the application program.
28. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the static library comprises an application interface, a dynamically linked library interface, a loader, and an Internet access module.
29. The computer program product of claim 28 , wherein the application interface receives the one or more application calls from the application program.
30. The computer program product of claim 28 , wherein the dynamically linked library interface passes the one or more application calls from the application program to the dynamically linked library.
31. The computer program product of claim 28 , wherein the loader loads the dynamically linked library into a memory of the computer system running the application program.
32. The computer program product of claim 28 , wherein the Internet access module opens an HTTP connection to a server to download the dynamically linked library.