Method and apparatus for transporting interface definition language-defined data structures between heterogeneous systems

Claim 3

A method for transporting a data structure, as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step, performed by the client computer, of: generating a second data structure using the input buffer and the client description.

Claim 4

A method for transporting a data structure, as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of packing by the host computer further comprises the steps, performed by the host computer, of: storing floating point and double type components of the data structure in a format for representing floating point numbers; storing long, long long, unsigned long, unsigned long long, short, and unsigned short type components of the data structure in a format for representing integers; and storing character type components of the data structure in a format for representing characters.

Claim 5

A method for transporting a data structure, as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of packing by the host computer comprises the steps, performed by the host computer, of: converting "any" type components of the data structure to an unsigned long that specifies a length of the string description, the string description, and components of the "any" data structure; storing the unsigned long in the format for representing integers; storing the string as an unsigned long indicating the length of the string followed by a plurality of characters; storing each of the plurality of characters in the format for representing characters; and storing each component of the "any" data structure according to a predetermined format.

Claim 6

A method for transporting a data structure, as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of packing by the host computer further comprises the steps, performed by the host computer, of: storing elements of an array component of the data structure in an unpadded format; storing a sequence component of the data structure in the format for representing integers; converting a string component of the data structure to an unsigned long type indicating a length of the string, followed by a plurality of characters; storing the unsigned long representing the string component of the data structure in the format for representing integers; and storing each of the plurality of characters in the format for representing characters.

Claim 7

A method for transporting a data structure, as recited in claim 2, wherein the format for storing floating point numbers is IEEE format.

Claim 8

A method for transporting a data structure, as recited in claim 2, wherein the format for storing floating point numbers is TANDEM T16 format.

Claim 9

A method for transporting a data structure, as recited in claim 2, wherein the format for storing integers specifies that byte significance of an integer decreases with increasing address.

Claim 10

A method for transporting a data structure, as recited in claim 2, wherein the format for storing integers specifies that byte significance of an integer increases with increasing address.

Claim 11

A method for transporting a data structure, as recited in claim 2, wherein the format for storing characters is ISO Latin-1.

Claim 12

A computer program product comprising: a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for transporting a data structure from a host computer to a client computer, the computer program product comprising: first computer readable program code devices configured to cause the host computer system to generate a string description of the data structure; second computer readable program code devices configured to cause the host computer system to generate a host description, the host description describing the size, alignment, and type of each field in the data structure as used within the host computer; third computer readable program code devices configured to cause the client computer system to generate a client description, the client description describing the size, alignment, and type of each field in the data structure as used within the client computer; fourth computer readable program code devices configured to cause the host computer system to pack the data structure in an output buffer of the host computer based upon the description in the host description; and fifth computer readable program code devices configured to cause the host computer system to transport the output buffer to an input buffer of the client computer.

Claim 13

A computer program product comprising: a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for transporting a data structure from a host computer to a client computer, the computer program product comprising: first computer readable program code devices configured to cause the host computer system to generate a string description of the data structure; second computer readable program code devices configured to cause the host computer system to generate a host description, the host description describing the size, alignment, and type of each field in the data structure as used within the host computer; third computer readable program code devices configured to cause the client computer system to generate a client description, the client description describing the size, alignment, and type of each field in the data structure as used within the client computer; fourth computer readable program code devices configured to cause the host computer system to pack the data structure in an output buffer of the host computer based upon the description in the host description; and fifth computer readable program code devices configured to cause the host computer system to transport the output buffer to an input buffer of the client computer.

Claim 14

A computer program product, as recited in claim 11, further comprising: sixth computer readable program code devices configured to cause the client computer system to generate a second data structure using the input buffer and the client description.

Claim 15

A computer program product, as recited in claim 12, wherein the fourth computer readable program code devices are further configured to cause the host computer to: store floating point and double type components of the data structure in a format for representing floating point numbers; store long, long long, unsigned long, unsigned long long, short, and unsigned short type components of the data structure in a format for representing integers; and store character type components of the data structure in a format for representing characters.

Claim 16

A computer program product, as recited in claim 12, wherein the fourth computer readable program code devices are further configured to cause the host computer to: convert "any" type components of the data structure to an unsigned long that specifies a length of the string description, the string description, and components of the "any" data structure; store the unsigned long in the format for representing integers; store the string as an unsigned long indicating the length of the string followed by a plurality of characters; store each of the plurality of characters in the format for representing characters; and store each component of the "any" data structure according to a predetermined format.

Claim 17

A computer program product, as recited in claim 12, wherein the fourth computer readable program code devices are further configured to cause the host computer to: store elements of an array component of the data structure in an unpadded format; store a sequence component of the data structure in the format for representing integers; convert a string component of the data structure to an unsigned long type indicating a length of the string, followed by a plurality of characters; store the unsigned long representing the string component of the data structure in the format for representing integers; and store each of the plurality of characters in the format for representing characters.

Claim 18

A computer program product, as recited in claim 12, wherein the format for storing floating point numbers is IEEE format.

Claim 19

A computer program product, as recited in claim 12, wherein the format for storing floating point numbers is TANDEM T16 format.

Claim 20

A computer program product, as recited in claim 12, wherein the format for storing integers specifies that byte significance of an integer decreases with increasing address.

Claim 21

A computer program product, as recited in claim 12, wherein the format for storing integers specifies that byte significance of an integer increases with increasing address.

Claim 22

A computer program product, as recited in claim 12, wherein the format for storing characters is ISO Latin-1.

Claim 25

A system for transporting a data structure, as recited in claim 21, further comprising: means within the client computer system for generating a second data structure using the input buffer and the client description.

Claim 26

A system for transporting a data structure, as recited in claim 22, wherein the means within the host computer system for packing the data structure are further configured to: store floating point and double type components of the data structure in a format for representing floating point numbers; store long, long long, unsigned long, unsigned long long, short, and unsigned short type components of the data structure in a format for representing integers; and store character type components of the data structure in a format for representing characters.

Claim 27

A system for transporting a data structure, as recited in claim 22, wherein the means within the host computer system for packing the data structure are further configured to: convert "any" type components of the data structure to an unsigned long that specifies a length of the string description, the string description, and components of the "any" data structure; store the unsigned long in the format for representing integers; store the string as an unsigned long indicating the length of the string followed by a plurality of characters; store each of the plurality of characters in the format for representing characters; and store each component of the "any" data structure according to a predetermined format.

Claim 28

A system for transporting a data structure, as recited in claim 22, wherein the means within the host computer system for packing the data structure are further configured to: store elements of an array component of the data structure in an unpadded format; store a sequence component of the data structure in the format for representing integers; convert a string component of the data structure to an unsigned long type indicating a length of the string, followed by a plurality of characters; store the unsigned long representing the string component of the data structure in the format for representing integers; and store each of the plurality of characters in the format for representing characters.

Claim 29

A system for transporting a data structure, as recited in claim 22, wherein the format for storing floating point numbers is IEEE format.

Claim 30

A system for transporting a data structure, as recited in claim 22, wherein the format for storing floating point numbers is TANDEM T16 format.

Claim 31

A system for transporting a data structure, as recited in claim 22, wherein the format for storing integers specifies that byte significance of an integer decreases with increasing address.

Claim 32

A system for transporting a data structure, as recited in claim 22, wherein the format for storing integers specifies that byte significance of an integer increases with increasing address.

Claim 33

A system for transporting a data structure, as recited in claim 22, wherein the format for storing characters is ISO Latin-1.