Gail Zacharias

US Patent:

6427231, Jul 30, 2002

Filed:

Aug 4, 1995

Appl. No.:

08/509753

Inventors:

Glenn S. Burke - Cambrige MA
Gail Zacharias - Somerville MA

Assignee:

Apple Computer, Inc. - Cupertino CA

International Classification:

G06F 944

US Classification:

717116, 717165, 709315

Abstract:

The invention allows a functional object in a dynamic language to be efficiently used as both a directly-invoked function and as a method in a generic function. This allows a language to combine the two concepts, simplifying the language semantics. As a preferred embodiment, a method object when created comprises as contiguous fields a header, a method-information section, a function prolog, and the method body. When called as a component of a generic function, one entry point is at the method body or at the method-information field. When called directly, another entry point exists at the function prolog field.