1. A method of processing an application request on an end user application and an application server comprising the steps of:
a) initiating the application request on the end user application in a first source language with a first application program;
b) transmitting the application request to the server and converting the application request from the first source language of the first end user application to a first target language running on the application server;
c) processing said application request on the application server;
d) transmitting a response to the application request from the application server to the end user application, and converting the response to the application request from the first target language running on the application server to the first language of the first end user application; and
c) wherein the end user application and the application server have at least one connector therebetween, and the steps of (i) converting the application request from the first source language of the first end user application as a source language to the first target language running on the application server as a target language, and (ii) converting a response to the application request from the language running on the application server as a second source language to the first language of the first end user application as a second target language, each comprise the steps of:
1) invoking connector metamodels of respective source and target languages;
2) populating the connector metamodels with metamodel data of each of the respective source and target languages, wherein the application domain interface metamodel metadata comprises input parameter signatures, output parameter signatures, and return types; and
3) converting the source language to the target language.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the end user application is a web browser.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the end user application is connected to the application server through a web server, and the web server comprises a connector.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the invocation metamodel metadata is chosen from the group consisting of message control information, security data, transactional semantics, trace and debug information, pre-condition and post-condition resources, and user data.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the application domain interface metamodel metadata further includes language metamodel metadata.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the language metamodel metadata includes mappings between source and target languages.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein one of the source or target languages is object oriented, the other of the target or source languages is not object oriented, and the language metamodel metadata maps encapsulated objects into code and data.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the language metamodel metadata maps object inheritances into references and pointers.
9. The method of claim 6 wherein the source language and the target language are different object oriented languages, and the language metamodel metadata maps encapsulated code and data between the languages.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the type descriptor metamodel metadata defines physical realizations; storage mapping, data types, data structures, and realization constraints.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the transaction is a rich transaction comprising a plurality of individual transactions, and further comprising processing the plurality of individual transactions on one end user application and a plurality of application servers.
12. The method of claim 11 comprising passing individual transactions among individual application servers.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the source language or the target language is chosen from the group consisting of C and C++.
14. A transaction processing system comprising a client, a server, and at least one connector therebetween,
a) the client having an end user application, and being controlled and configured to initiate an application request with the server in a first source language with a first application program and to transmit the application request to the server;
b) the connector being configured and controlled to receive the application request from the client, convert the application request from the first source language of the first end user application running on the client to a first target language running on the server;
c) the server being configured and controlled to receive the converted application request from the connector and processing the said application request in the first target language with a second application program residing on the server, and to thereafter transmit a response to the application request through the connector back to the first application program on the client;
d) the connector being configured and controlled to receive a response to the application request from the server, to convert a response to the application request from the first_target language running on the application server to the first source language of the first application program running on the client; and
e) wherein connector between the client and the server is configured and controlled to (i) convert the application request from the first source language of the client application on the client as a source language to the first target language running on the application server as a target language, and (ii) convert the response to the application request from the first target language running on the application server as a source language to the first source language of the client application running on the client as a target language, each by a method comprising the steps of:
1) retrieving connector metamodels of respective source and target languages from a metamodel metadata repository;
2) populating the connector metamodels with metamodel data from the metamodel metadata repository far each of the respective source and target languages, wherein the application domain interface metamodel metadata comprises input parameter signatures, output parameter signatures, and return types and
3) invoking the retrieved, populated connector metamodels and converting the source language to the target language.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein the end user application is a web browser.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein the end user application is connected to the application server through a web server, and the web server comprises a connector.
17. The system of claim 14 wherein the invocation metamodel metadata is chosen from the group consisting of message control information, security data, transactional semantics, trace and debug information, pre-condition and post-condition resources, and user data.
18. The system of claim 17 wherein the type descriptor metamodel metadata defines physical realizations, storage mapping, data types, data structures, and realization constraints.
19. The system of claim 14 wherein the application domain interface metamodel metadata further includes language metamodel metadata.
20. The system of claim 14 wherein the language metamodel metadata includes mappings between source and target languages.
21. The system of claim 20 wherein one of the source or target languages is object oriented, the other of the target or source languages is not object oriented, and the language metamodel metadata maps encapsulated objects into code and data.
22. The system of claim 21 wherein the language metamodel metadata maps object inheritances into references and pointers.
23. The system of claim 21 wherein the source language and the target language are different object oriented languages, and the language metamodel metadata maps encapsulated code and data between the languages.
24. The system of claim 14 wherein said system has a plurality of application servers and is configured and controlled to process rich transactions.
25. The system of claim 14 wherein one of the source or target languages is chosen from the group consisting of C and C++.
26. A transaction processing system configured and controlled to interact with a client application, and comprising a server, and at least one connector between the server and the client application, where the client has an end user application, and is controlled and configured to initiate an application request with the server in a first source language with a first application program and to transmit the application request to the server, wherein:
a) the connector being configured and controlled to receive an application request from the client, convert the application request from the first source language of the first end user application running on the client to a first target language running on the server;
b) the server being configured and controlled to receive the convened application request from the connector and process the said application request in the first target language with a second application program residing on the server, and to thereafter transmit a response to the application request through the connector back to the first application program on the client;
c) the connector being configured and controlled to receive the application request from the server, to convert a response to the application request from the first target language running on the application server to the first source language of the first application program running on the client; and
d) wherein connector between the client and the server is configured and controlled to (i) convert the application request from the first source language of the client application on the client as a source language to the first target language running on the application server as a target language, and (ii) convert the response to the application request from the first target language running on the application server as a second source language to the first source language of the client application running on the client as a second target language, each by a method comprising the steps of:
1) retrieving connector metamodel metadata of respective source and target languages from a metamodel metadata repository;
2) populating the connector metamodels with metamodel data of each of the respective source and target languages from the metamodel metadata repository and invoking the retrieved, populated connector metamodels, wherein the application domain interface metamodel metadata comprises input parameter signatures, output parameter signatures, and return types; and
3) converting the source language to the target language.
27. The system of claim 26 wherein the end user application is a web browser.
28. The system of claim 27 wherein the end user application is connected to the application server through a web server, and the web server comprises a connector.
29. The system of claim 26 wherein the invocation metamodel metadata is chosen from the group consisting of message control information, security data, transactional semantics, trace and debug information, pre-condition and post-condition resources, and user data.
30. The system of claim 26 wherein the application domain interface metamodel metadata further includes language metamodel metadata.
31. The system of claim 26 wherein the language metamodel metadata includes mappings between source and target languages.
32. The system of claim 31 wherein one of the source or target languages is object oriented, the other of the target or source languages is not object oriented, and the language metamodel metadata maps encapsulated objects into code and data.
33. The method of claim 31 wherein the source language and the target language are different object oriented languages, and the language metamodel metadata maps encapsulated code and data between the languages.
34. The system of claim 33 wherein the language metamodel metadata maps object inheritances into references and pointers.
35. The system of claim 26 wherein the type descriptor metamodel metadata defines physical realizations, storage mapping, data types, data structures, and realization constraints.
36. The system of claim 26 wherein said system has a plurality of application servers and is configured and controlled to process rich transactions.
37. The system of claim 26 wherein one of the source or target languages is chosen from the group consisting ore and C++.
38. A groupware system having a plurality of end user applications, said end user applications each comprising an e-mail client, a content database client, and a content replication client, said system further comprising an e-mail server, a content database server, and a content replication server, said groupware system being configured and controlled to communicate between disparate end user applications, said groupware system comprising at least one connector between a server and an end user application, wherein the end user application is controlled and configured to participate with a server in a first source language with a first application program and the sewer is configured and controlled to participate with the client in a first target language, and wherein:
a) the connector is configured and controlled to receive an application request from the end user application, convert the application request from the first source language of the first end user application to the first target language running on the server;
b) the server being configured and controlled to receive the convened application request from the connector and process the said application request in a second language with a second application program residing on the server, and to thereafter transmit the response to the application request through the connector back to the end user application;
c) the connector being configured and controlled to receive the response to the application request from the server, to convert a response to the application request from the language running on the application server as a second source language to the first source language of the end user application as a second target language; and
d) wherein connector between the end user application program and the server is configured and controlled to (i) convert the application request from the first source language of the end user application as a source language to the first target language running on the application server as a target language, and (ii) convert the response to the application request from the first target language running on the application server as a second source language to the source language of the end user application as a second target language, each by a method comprising the steps of:
1) retrieving connector metamodel metadata of respective source and target languages from a metamodel metadata repository;
2) populating the connector metamodels with metamodel data of each of the respective source and target languages from the metamodel metadata repository and invoking the retrieved, populated connector metamodels, wherein the application domain interface metamodel metadata comprises input parameter signatures, output parameter signatures, and return types; and
3) converting the source language to the target language.
39. The groupware system of claim 38 wherein the invocation metamodel metadata is chosen from the group consisting of message control information, security data, transactional semantics, trace and debug information, pre-condition and post-condition resources, and user data.
40. The groupware system of claim 38 wherein the application domain interface metamodel metadata further includes language metamodel metadata.
41. The groupware system of claim 40 wherein the language metamodel metadata includes mappings between source and target languages.
42. The groupware system of claim 41 wherein one of the source or target languages is object oriented, the other of the target or source languages is not abject oriented, and the language metamodel metadata maps encapsulated objects into code and data.
43. The groupware system of claim 41 wherein the source language and the target language are different object oriented languages, and the language metamodel metadata maps encapsulated code and data between the languages.
44. The system of claim 41 wherein the language metamodel metadata maps object inheritances into references and pointers.
45. The system of claim 38 wherein the type descriptor metamodel metadata defines physical realizations, storage mapping, data types, data structures, and realization constraints.
46. The system of claim 38 wherein one of the source or target languages is chosen from the group consisting of C and C++.
47. A program product comprising a storage medium having invocation metamodel metadata, application domain interface metamodel metadata, and language metamodel metadata, computer instructions for building a metamodel metadata repository of source and target language metamodel metadata further comprising computer instructions to build a connector for carrying out the steps of:
1) retrieving connector metamodel metadata of respective source and target languages from the metamodel metadata repository;
2) populating the connector metamodels with metamodel data of each of the respective source and target languages from the metamodel metadata repository and invoking the retrieved, populated connector metamodels, wherein the application domain interface metamodel metadata comprises input parameter signatures, output parameter signatures, and return types and
3) converting the source language to the target language.
48. The program product of claim 47 further comprising computer instructions for building connector stubs from said metamodel metadata.
49. The program product of claim 47 wherein the invocation metamodel metadata is chosen from the group consisting of message control information, security data, transactional semantics, trace and debug information, pre-condition and post-condition resources, and user data.
50. The program product of claim 47 wherein the application domain interface metamodel metadata further includes language metamodel metadata.
51. The program product of claim 50 wherein the language metamodel metadata includes mappings between source and target languages.
52. The program product of claim 51 wherein one of the source or target languages is object oriented, the other of the target or source languages is not object oriented, and the language metamodel metadata maps encapsulated objects into code and data.
53. The program product of claim 51 wherein the source language and the target language are different object oriented languages, and the language metamodel metadata maps encapsulated code and data between the languages.
54. The program product of claim 53 wherein the language metamodel metadata maps object inheritances into references and pointers.
55. The program product of claim 47 wherein the type descriptor metamodel metadata defines physical realizations, storage mapping, data types, data structures, and realization constraints.
56. The program product of claim 47 wherein one of the source and target languages is chosen from the group consisting of C and C++.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An electrode holder, said electrode holder comprising:
a replaceable guide; and
an electrode, said electrode having an inner end and a free end;
wherein said electrode extends longitudinally through said guide between said inner end which is operatively associated with an electrical discharge machining (EDM) machine and said free end which is engageable with a working surface of a component to be machined.
2. An electrode holder in accordance with claim 1, wherein said electrode is hollow.
3. An electrode holder in accordance with claim 2, wherein said electrode receives a high pressure supply of lubricant which is introduced into said inner end and flows outwardly toward a workpiece.
4. An electrode holder in accordance with claim 1, wherein said replaceable guide is a replaceable section of tubing.
5. An electrode holder in accordance with claim 1, wherein said replaceable guide is curved.
6. An electrode holder in accordance with claim 1, wherein said replaceable guide is straight.
7. An electrode holder in accordance with claim 1, wherein said electrode is a discrete length.
8. An electrode holder in accordance with claim 1, wherein said electrode is an extended length continuously fed from a supply.
9. An electrode holder in accordance with claim 1, wherein said free end extends beyond said guide.
10. An electrode holder, said electrode holder comprising:
a replaceable guide formed of a replaceable curved section of tubing; and
a hollow electrode, said electrode having an inner end and a free end;
wherein said electrode receives a high pressure supply of lubricant which is introduced into said inner end and flows outwardly toward a workpiece; and
wherein said electrode extends longitudinally through said guide between said inner end which is operatively associated with an electrical discharge machining (EDM) machine and said free end which is engageable with a working surface of a component to be machined.