Microsoft SDK for Java

Glossary

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

%SDKDIR%

The folder where you have chosen to install the Microsoft® SDK for Java; the root of the SDK tree.

A

accessor

Typically refers to an accessor method, which exposes the properties of an object for getting and setting the value. Properties should not be directly exposed.

AFC

See Application Foundation Classes.

apartment

  1. A logical construct for thinking about concurrency, such as how threads relate to a set of COM objects.

  2. A set of rules programmers must obey to receive the concurrency behavior they expect from the COM environment.

  3. A system-supplied code that helps programmers manage thread concurrency with respect to COM objects.

Application Foundation Classes

A set of Java class libraries that provide user interface components and graphics effects for use in applets and applications using Java. AFC packages are available in the Microsoft SDK for Application Foundation Classes.

application namespace

A private namespace where packages can be installed by the Java Package Manager (JPM). Packages installed in an application namespace are only visible to applications and applets running in the namespace. Java packages with identical names can exist without conflict as long as they are in separate application namespaces. See also global namespace.

attribute

Information that the Microsoft VM uses to map COM objects to Java objects. Attributes are generated at compile time for files containing @com or @dll compiler directives. (Attributes also have meaning outside the COM context.)

AWT

Abstract Windowing Toolkit, a portable windowing library. AWT has classes and behavior for creating GUI-based applications in Java.

B

bitmask

A portion of a bitwise operation.

bitwise operation

An operation that can be performed on any integral type, such as byte, char, int, long, and so on.

breakpoint

A location in a program at which execution is halted so that a programmer can examine the program's status, the contents of variables, and so on. A breakpoint is set and used within a debugger and is usually implemented by inserting at the point some kind of jump, call, or trap instruction that transfers control to the debugger.

bytecode

Machine-independent code generated by the Java compiler and executed by the Java interpreter or compiled at the last minute by a JIT compiler. Bytecode resembles machine code but is not specific to any one processor; also called machine code.

C

.cab

The cabinet file extension.

cabinet file

The Microsoft archive standard for Java files.

casting

  1. Converting the value of an object or primitive type into another type. The result of a cast is a new reference or value; casting does not affect the original object or value. A cast operation on a COM object calls AddRef.

  2. A programmer-specified data conversion from one type to another, such as a conversion from integer to floating point. Also called coercion.

catch

Exception term; dealing with an exception so the program does not crash. 

CCW

See COM-callable wrapper.

class file format

The file format for compiled Java code that isn't dependent on a particular platform or implementation.

class path

The Microsoft VM searches the class path for classes, among other areas.

CLASSPATH environment variable

Specifies additional class path information when compiling from the command line.

coclass

An implemented Java object. Coclasses are useful in COM only for creating the instance. The new instance's functionality is contained in the COM interfaces it implements.

COM

See Component Object Model.

COM object

An object that conforms to Component Object Model (COM) architecture. A COM object is an instance of an object definition, which specifies the object's data and one or more implementations of interfaces on the object. Clients interact with a COM object only through its interfaces.

COM-Callable Wrapper

(CCW); a generic COM object whose virtual table supports some default COM interfaces as well as any COM interfaces that a given Java object implements. The CCW neutrally presents the Java object for use in COM components and COM-compliant languages.

compiler

Any program that transforms one set of symbols into another by following a set of syntactic and semantic rules. In Java, a program that generates bytecodes from Java code.

compiler, Microsoft JIT

A Java compiler that converts bytecodes into native code when the Java program executes.

compiler, Microsoft jvc

The compiler provided by the Microsoft SDK for Java. The current release of jvc is compatible with the language enhancements specified in JDK 1.1. The version of jvc included with Microsoft® Visual J++® uses the same underlying technology, but does not support all the language features as the SDK version. To obtain the additional support, you can replace the Visual J++ compiler (or any older versions of jvc) with the current SDK compiler. For instructions, see Microsoft Visual J++ Compiler.

Component Object Model

(COM); a software architecture that allows components made by different software vendors to be combined into a variety of applications. COM defines a standard for component interoperability, is not dependent on any particular programming language, is available on multiple platforms, and is extensible. COM provides the interoperability between components and their clients. COM is the foundation of the OLE, ActiveX, and DirectX specifications.

constant

  1. A named item that retains a consistent value throughout the execution of a program, as opposed to a variable, which can have its value changed during execution.

  2. An object or variable that is not modifiable; in Java, the nearest equivalent to a C or C++ preprocessor constant is a static final variable declared within a class definition (Java has no preprocessor).

D

data binding, complex

The direct relationship between a recordset and a WFC component.

data binding, simple

The relationship between a field in a recordset and the property of a WFC component. Differs from complex data binding because the WFC component does not need explicit information about the data protocol or data provider.

DCOM

Acronym for Distributed Component Object Model. The version of Microsoft's Component Object Model (COM) specification that stipulates how components communicate over Windows-based networks. It permits the distribution of different components for a single application across two or more networked computers. This is accomplished by running an application distributed across a network. (The distribution of components is not apparent to the user, and remotely displaying an application.) Also called Distributed COM. See also Component Object Model.

debugger

A program designed to aid in debugging another program by allowing the programmer to step through the program, examine the data, and monitor conditions such as the values of variables.

delta distribution unit

Same as split distribution unit.

Distribution Unit Profile

(DUP); same as Open Software Distribution manifest.

distribution unit

(DU); a cabinet file that provides a way to distribute software using the code download feature of Microsoft® Internet Explorer 4.0. A DU contains an Open Software Distribution manifest file and content files.

DUP

Distribution Unit Profile. Same as Open Software Distribution manifest.

E

exception

An indicator that some kind of exceptional condition has occurred (file not found, for example).

exegen format

A data format that must be used for Java resources stored within a portable executable (PE) image so that those resources can be located by the VM.

F

G

garbage collection

The automatic system for allocating and freeing memory in Java.

global namespace

A namespace where packages and classes that must be visible to all applications (such as system classes) are installed. If no namespace is specified, the Java Package Manager stores packages in the global namespace and searches there for packages. See also application namespace.

GUID

Globally unique identifiers, 128-bit integers. In COM, a 16-byte code that identifies an interface to an object across all computers and networks.

H

HRESULT

A 32-bit integer that provides error information. See the com.ms.com.ComFailException class for a list of common system-defined HRESULTs.

I

instance

Synonym for an actual object. If a class is the general (generic) representation of an object, an instance is its concrete representation.

interface, invocation

A group of declarations and definitions used to launch applications in the Microsoft VM.

internationalization

Features and support in the Microsoft VM to accommodate other languages at runtime.

J

JAR

Sun Microsystem's archiving standard for Java files (Java Archive); .jar files.

Java Package Manager

(JPM); a feature in the Microsoft VM that handles package installation and management. JPM's primary function is to find classes when they are needed by the Microsoft VM.

Java process

See process, Java.

JCDW

(Java-callable data wrapper); a structure or class (usually in C or C++) that Java can easily map to native types, usually by using Microsoft® J/Direct™. For example, most of the com.ms.win32 classes, such as Rect.java, are JCDWs.

JCW

(Java-callable wrapper); a Java class with Microsoft-specific attributes that tell the Microsoft VM how to map the Java object to the COM component that it represents.

jvc

See compiler, Microsoft jvc

K

L

M

marshaling

The packaging, sending, and unpackaging of interface method parameters across process or machine boundaries.

MIDL

Microsoft Interface Definition Language, a compiler (Midl.exe).

monitor, event

A feature in the Microsoft VM that notifies the profiler when a specified event has occurred.

N

namespace

A keyword; a technique for avoiding name conflicts. The names within each namespace must be unique to avoid conflict, but an identical name can appear in more than one namespace. The compiler can resolve references based on the syntactic context of the identifier in the program. See also application namespace and global namespace.

native code

Platform-dependent code, any non-Java code.

O

ODL

Object Description Language.

Open Software Distribution manifest

(OSD); a file written in XML that is used to build distribution units (DUs). The file contains details on the version of the DU, the contents and their versions, and installation instructions for the Java Package Manager. Also called Distribution Unit Profile (DUP).

OSD

See Open Software Distribution manifest.

P

process, Java

An executing application that has its own memory space, code, data, and other operating-system resources. A process also contains one or more threads that run in the context of the process.

profiler interfaces

A set of interfaces to analyze Java for speed, memory use, redundancy, and other performance factors. These interfaces inherit from IUnknown, are COM objects, and are implemented by the Microsoft virtual machine.

Q

R

raw native interface

(RNI); a high-performance interface supported by the Microsoft VM that provides efficient traversing between Java and native code; provides easy manipulation of objects while in native code.

reflection API

The combination of java.lang.Class and the java.lang.reflect package, which is used to obtain information about a class and its members.

registration interface

Registers Java classes to be debugged and to receive notification when new Java processes are created.

S

sandbox model

A layer of security in the Java language that allows you to run untrusted code, which cannot access any part of your local file system. A SecurityManager class enforces other restrictions.

split distribution unit

A distribution unit (DU) used to update software versions. A split DU contains only the changed packages and a pointer to a secondary DU that contains the unchanged packages. Also called delta distribution unit.

T

thread

The basic (memory) entity to which the operating system allocates CPU time. A thread can execute any part of the application's code, including a part currently being executed by another thread. All threads of a process share the virtual address space, global variables, and operating-system resources of the process.

thread safe

A resource or process that internally handles synchronization. Threads that need to access thread-safe resources can do so as if they were in a single-threaded environment.

threading model, apartment

A component's methods execute only on the execution path that created it.

threading model, both

Objects that have the characteristics of apartment threading and free threading.

threading model, free

See multithreading

threading model, multithreading

An implementation of IMarshal that can be aggregated allowing direct access to interfaces on an object from any thread in the same process. This speeds up cross-apartment calls, and is intended for classes that use the Both threading model.

threading model, single

All a component's methods are executed only on the main thread.

U

V

virtual machine

Software that mimics the performance of a hardware device. In Java as a programming language, the foundation for its cross-platform flexibility; a specification for a program of how bytecodes are interpreted, the recognition of the class file format, a symbol table, and other pertinent information.

virtual machine object model

A function of the VM that breaks down objects into their smallest parts (member components).

vtable

Virtual function table. COM defines a standard way to lay out memory in vtables.

W

Windows Foundation Classes

(WFC); a set of Java class libraries that access the Microsoft® Windows® API, enabling you to write full-featured Windows applications with the Java programming language. WFC also wraps the Dynamic HTML (DHTML) object model implemented in Microsoft® Internet Explorer 4.0, which allows you to dynamically manipulate HTML on both the client and the server.

wrapper classes

Classes generated by jactivex that map COM objects to Java objects for a DLL that represents a COM/ActiveX component.

wrapper, Java-callable

See JCW.

wrapper, Java-callable data

See JCDW.

X

Y

Z

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