John T Gabbard

US Patent:

61991171, Mar 6, 2001

Filed:

Mar 30, 1992

Appl. No.:

7/860386

Inventors:

Daryl Cox - Bedford TX
John Gabbard - Keller TX
Sally Zuponcic - Hurst TX

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 954
G06F 9455

US Classification:

709328

Abstract:

A generalized applications programming interface (API) is inserted as a separate level above the API's of the operating system in a data processing system and used to invoke a group of operating system API's having similar functions, such as the starting of sessions, processes and threads in the OS/2. TM. operating system. The generalized API includes at least one parameter which contains coded information specifying a plurality of parameters which must be specified to invoke an operating system level API. The function of decoding the parameter relieves the programmer of the burden of separately specifying each parameter and flag of the operating system level API to be invoked. The use of a generalized API further relieves the programmer from the burden of detailed knowledge of the plural operating system level API's of the group and renders them transparent. Since the generalized API is arranged to output code to invoke the operating system level API's, substitution of code to be output allows application of the generalized API to different operating systems. Accordingly, the generalized code in an application program, permitted by the generalized API, permits programs to be developed which are not operating system specific and which can then be ported between data processors regardless of the operating system existing on such data processors.

US Patent:

53554884, Oct 11, 1994

Filed:

Dec 21, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/180751

Inventors:

Daryl R. Cox - Bedford TX
John T. Gabbard - Keller TX
Sally A. Zuponcic - Hurst TX

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 930
G06F 938
G06F 946

US Classification:

595650

Abstract:

A method by which a task once set-up by the API is retained in an idle status after the task is complete. Set-up tasks are maintained in a pool. A task manager, in response to an application work request, initially searches the pool for an idle task (i. e. , idle thread or process) corresponding to the task request. If there is a corresponding idle task in the pool, control passes to the application code for execution. If there is no idle task available, the Task Manager functions as an API and sets-up the task as in the prior art except that, when completed, it is not terminated but rather its identifier is placed in the pool.