Object-oriented operating system

1. A computer system, comprising:

computer hardware for performing native system services;

a procedural operating system, having a native interface, for controlling the computer hardware to perform the native system services;

object oriented methods requiring native system services;

procedural program logic code, responsive to invocations of the object-oriented methods during runtime, for causing the procedural operating system to control the computer hardware to perform the required native system services;

executable program memory associated with the computer hardware for runtime execution of the procedural operating system, invocations of the object-oriented methods and related portions of the procedural program logic code;

means for making determinations during runtime execution if object-oriented methods to be invoked are present in the executable program memory; and

a runtime loader, responsive to the determinations, to selectively load required object-oriented methods into the executable program memory during runtime before invocation of the object-oriented methods.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the procedural program logic code further comprises:

procedural program logic code portions specific to each object-oriented method to issue one or more procedural function calls compatible with the native interface to control the native system services performed by the hardware environment to correspond to the native system services required by the object-oriented method.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the runtime loader further comprises:

means for selectively loading related portions of the procedural program logic code into the executable program memory upon runtime loading of the selected object-oriented methods.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the procedural operating system further comprises:

an operating system based on Windows or Unix.

5. The computer system of claim 3 wherein the computer hardware further comprises:

a Unix or Apple or IBM compatible computer environment.

6. The computer system of claim 3 wherein the procedural program logic code further comprises:

means for causing the procedural operating system to provide one or more of the following native system services:

thread services, task services, virtual memory services, inter-process communication (IPC) services, synchronization services, scheduling services, fault services, processor and processor set services, port services, security services, file system services and graphical user interface (GUI) services.

7. A method for operating a computer system, comprising the steps of:

executing a procedural operating system on computer hardware, the procedural operating system including a native interface, responsive to procedural function calls, for providing native system services;

issuing calls during runtime, compatible with the native interface, to provide the native system services in response to invocations of object-oriented methods requiring such native system services;

determining during runtime if object-oriented methods to be invoked during runtime execution are present in executable program memory associated with the computer hardware; and

selectively loading the object-oriented methods into the executable program memory during runtime before invocation thereof, if not yet loaded.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of selectively loading the object-oriented methods further comprises the step of:

loading related portions of a procedural program logic code for issuing the calls, compatible with the native interface, to provide the native system services in response to invocations of the selectively loaded object-oriented methods.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of executing a procedural operating system on computer hardware further comprises the step of:

executing a procedural operating system, based on Windows or Unix, in a Unix or IBM compatible computer environment.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of issuing calls, compatible with the native interface, to provide the native system services in response to invocations of object-oriented methods requiring such native system services, further comprises the step of:

adapting the native services provided by the procedural operating system to be compatible with the native system services required by the associated object-oriented method.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of issuing calls compatible with the native interface further comprises the step of:

providing one or more of the following native system services:

thread services, task services, virtual memory services, inter-process communication (IPC) services, synchronization services, scheduling services, fault services, processor and processor set services, port services, security services, file system services and graphical user interface (GUI) services.

12. A method for operating a computer system, comprising the steps of:

executing a procedural operating system, based on Windows or Unix operating systems, on a Unix or IBM compatible computer hardware environment;

providing an object-oriented interface, executing on the computer hardware environment, and responsive to object-oriented programming, for instantiating objects from object-oriented classes, encapsulating data for exclusive use with each object, and invoking object-oriented methods in the objects for operating on the encapsulated data;

providing procedural programming logic code, responsive during runtime to selected ones of said invoked object-oriented methods requiring native system services, for issuing procedural calls, compatible with a native interface of the procedural operating system, to cause the hardware environment to provide the native system services in response to the object-oriented methods; and

loading the methods during runtime before invocation thereof;

whereby a choice of which system implementation to use can be deferred to run-time.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of providing procedural programming logic code for issuing procedural calls further comprises the step of:

issuing procedural function calls to the operating system in response to invocations of selected object-oriented methods for causing the procedural operating system to control the computer hardware environment to provide one or more of the following native system services:

thread services, task services, virtual memory services, inter-process communication (IPC) services, synchronization services, scheduling services, fault services, processor and processor set services, port services, security services, file system services and graphical user interface (GUI) services.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of issuing procedural function calls to the operating system in response to invocations of selected object-oriented methods further comprises the step of:

providing procedural logic code, responsive to the invocation of each object-oriented method requiring the performance of native system services, to execute predetermined procedural code to control the native system services performed by the hardware environment to correspond to the native system services required by the object-oriented method.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of issuing procedural function calls to the operating system in response to invocations of selected object-oriented methods further comprises the step of:

providing procedural logic code, responsive to the invocation of each object-oriented method requiring the performance of native system services, to issue, monitor and adapt one or more procedural function calls to control the native system services performed to correspond to the native system services required by the object-oriented method.

16. A method for operating a computer system including a memory, comprising the steps of:

storing in the memory a library of procedural program logic code;

said library including first procedural program logic code which is responsive to invocations of object-oriented methods, for causing a procedural operating system to control the computer system to perform first type native system services;

said library including second procedural program logic code which is responsive to invocations of object-oriented methods, for causing a procedural operating system to control the computer system to perform second type native system services different from said first type;

executing a procedural operating system in the memory, the procedural operating system including a native interface responsive to procedural function calls, for providing native system services;

running an object-oriented program in a task address space of the memory, the program including an object-oriented method requiring the second type native system services;

determining during runtime whether said second type procedural program logic code is available in said task address space; and

loading said second type procedural program logic code into said task address space during runtime.

17. A method for operating a computer system including an executable program memory, comprising the steps of:

storing in the computer system a library of procedural program logic code;

said library including first procedural program logic code which is responsive to invocations of object-oriented methods, for causing a procedural operating system to control the computer system to perform first type native system services;

said library including second procedural program logic code which is responsive to invocations of object-oriented methods, for causing a procedural operating system to control the computer system to perform second type native system services different from said first type;

executing a procedural operating system in the executable program memory, the procedural operating system including a native interface responsive to procedural function calls, for providing native system services;

running an object-oriented program in the executable program memory, the program including an object-oriented method requiring the second type native system services;

determining during runtime whether said second type procedural program logic code is available in the executable program memory; and

loading said second type procedural program logic code into the executable program memory during runtime.

18. A method for operating a computer system including an executable program memory, comprising the steps of:

storing in the computer system a library of procedural program logic code which is responsive to invocations of object-oriented methods, for causing a procedural operating system to control the computer system to perform native system services;

executing a procedural operating system in the executable program memory, the procedural operating system including a native interface responsive to procedural function calls, for providing native system services;

running an object-oriented program in the executable program memory, the program including an object-oriented method requiring native system services;

determining during runtime whether procedural program logic code is available in the executable program memory to provide said required native system services; and

loading procedural program logic code from said library into the executable program memory during runtime to provide said required native system services.

19. A method for operating a computer system including an executable program memory, comprising the steps of:

storing in the computer system a library of procedural program logic code which is responsive to invocations of object-oriented methods, for causing a procedural operating system to control the computer system to perform native system services;

executing a procedural operating system in the computer system, the procedural operating system including a native interface responsive to procedural function calls, for providing native system services;

running an object-oriented program in the executable program memory, the program including an object-oriented method requiring native system services;

determining during runtime whether procedural program logic code is available in the executable program memory to provide said required native system services; and

loading procedural program logic code from said library into the executable program memory during runtime to provide said required native system services.

20. A computer system including an executable program memory, comprising:

a library of procedural program logic code in the computer system which is responsive to invocations of object-oriented methods, for causing a procedural operating system to control the computer system to perform native system services;

a procedural operating system in the computer system, the procedural operating system including a native interface responsive to procedural function calls, for providing native system services;

an object-oriented program in the executable program memory, the program including an object-oriented method requiring native system services;

a processor in the computer system for determining during runtime whether procedural program logic code is available in the executable program memory to provide said required native system services; and

said processor loading procedural program logic code from said library into the executable program memory during runtime to provide said required native system services.

21. A method for operating a computer system including an executable program memory, comprising the steps of:

storing in the computer system a library of procedural program logic code which is responsive to invocations of object-oriented methods, for causing a procedural operating system to control the computer system to perform native system services;

executing a procedural operating system in the computer system, the procedural operating system including a native interface responsive to procedural function calls, for providing native system services;

running an object-oriented program in the executable program memory, the program including an object-oriented method requiring native system services;

determining during runtime whether procedural program logic code is available in the executable program memory to provide said required native system services;

loading procedural program logic code from said library into the executable program memory during runtime to provide said required native system services;

invoking said object-oriented method of said object-oriented program during runtime; and

responding with said loaded procedural program logic code to said invoking step to cause said procedural operating system to control the computer system to perform said required native system services.

22. A computer system including an executable program memory, comprising:

a library of procedural program logic code in the computer system which is responsive to invocations of object-oriented methods, for causing a procedural operating system to control the computer system to perform native system services;

a procedural operating system in the computer system, the procedural operating system including a native interface responsive to procedural function calls, for providing native system services;

an object-oriented program in the executable program memory, the program including an object-oriented method requiring native system services;

a processor in the computer system for determining during runtime whether procedural program logic code is available in the executable program memory to provide said required native system services;

said processor loading procedural program logic code from said library into the executable program memory during runtime to provide said required native system services;

said processor invoking said object-oriented method of said object-oriented program during runtime; and

said loaded procedural program logic code responding to said invoking to cause said procedural operating system to control the computer system to perform said required native system services.