Charles E Harvey

US Patent:

54329256, Jul 11, 1995

Filed:

Aug 4, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/101904

Inventors:

Robert L. Abraham - Marietta GA
Charles B. Harvey - Austin TX
Teresa E. Merrick - Closter NJ
Herman Mitchell - Lithonia GA
Adrienne Tin - Ridgefield Park NJ
James R. Wason - Tuxedo NY

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 300

US Classification:

395500

Abstract:

Objects import data from, and export data to, a plurality of external systems in an object oriented computing system via a uniform external interface. The uniform interface includes external interface layers and internal interface layers. Each external interface layer converts data from the associated external system into an identifying token and data value. The external layer also converts an identifying token and data value into data which is formatted for the associated external system. The internal interface layer accepts an identifying token and data value from the external interface layer and converts the data value to a data attribute associated with an object. The internal interface layer also converts a data attribute into an identifying token and data value and provides the token and data value to the external interface layer. Thus, objects need only communicate with the internal interface layer in order to import and export data. The external interface layer includes customized conversion routines for converting a token and data value to data which is useable by an external system.