Protocol for communication of data structures

Abstract

A system and method are provided for communicating information in a data structure between applications. According to the method, a description of a data structure is sent from a first application to a second application, and there is received from the second application an identification of at least one portion of the data structure that is requested by the second application. The first application marshals a subset of the data structure consisting of the at least one portion that was identified, and there is sent from the first application to the second application the marshalled subset of the data structure.

1 . A method for communicating information between applications, the method comprising the steps of: 
 sending a description of a data structure from a first application to a second application;    receiving from the second application an identification of at least one portion of the data structure that is requested by the second application;    marshalling by the first application a subset of the data structure consisting of the at least one portion that was identified; and    sending from the first application to the second application the marshalled subset of the data structure.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising unmarshalling the marshalled subset of the data structure at the second application.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the description of the data structure is a meta-data abstraction of the data structure.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data structure includes an object.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of sending the description of the data structure comprises sending information in an object to an application.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of generating the identification by the second application based on which portion of the data structure is required in order to service a request.  
   
   
       7 . An information processing system comprising: 
 a first interface for sending a description of a data structure from a first application to a second application;    a second interface for receiving from the second application an identification of at least one portion of the data structure that is requested by the second application; and    a processor programmed to: 
 marshal a subset of the data structure consisting of the at least one portion that was identified; and  
 send to the second application the marshalled subset of the data structure.  
   
   
   
       8 . The information processing system of  claim 7 , further comprising another processor programmed to unmarshal the marshalled subset of the data structure.  
   
   
       9 . The information processing system of  claim 7 , wherein the data structure includes an object.  
   
   
       10 . The information processing system of  claim 7 , wherein the first interface sends information in an object to an application.  
   
   
       11 . A machine-readable medium encoded with a program for communicating information between applications, the program comprising instructions for performing the steps of: 
 sending a description of a data structure from a first application to a second application;    receiving from the second application an identification of at least one portion of the data structure that is requested by the second application;    marshalling by the first application a subset of the data structure consisting of the at least one portion that was identified; and    sending from the first application to the second application the marshalled subset of the data structure.    
   
   
       12 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the program further comprises instructions for performing the step of unmarshalling the marshalled subset of the data structure at the second application.  
   
   
       13 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the description of the data structure is a meta-data abstraction of the data structure.  
   
   
       14 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the data structure includes an object.  
   
   
       15 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the step of sending the description of the data structure comprises sending information in an object to an application.  
   
   
       16 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the program further comprises instructions for performing the step of generating the identification by the second application based on which portion of the data structure is required in order to service a request.