Role Extensions in Programming Languages for Secure Code Reuse
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing programming languages face challenges in efficiently managing inheritance, leading to increased program complexity, difficulty in maintenance, and security vulnerabilities due to overreliance on inheritance, which can result in unnecessary code proliferation and insecure access to object functionalities.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of role-scope extensions (RSE and RSEE) in programming languages, where independent and dependent-link objects are maintained separately, allowing for secure and efficient extension of data types and elements, with restricted access and implicit object tracing, thereby simplifying program maintenance and extensibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If inheritance is used to share features between related types, then code reuse is improved and program complexity is reduced, but security vulnerabilities increase and access control becomes weaker
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the object model into independent types and role-specific extensions. Each extension is separated from the base type, allowing selective access control. This segmentation enables code reuse through shared base types while improving security by restricting access to extension-specific features through role-based permissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces role-specific extensions as intermediaries between base types and child types. These extensions act as mediators that provide inherited features while enabling fine-grained access control. The extensions serve as a buffer layer that allows secure access to base type features without exposing all features to all roles.
2Ease of repair
If inheritance is used to aggregate common features, then program maintainability is improved, but code proliferation increases when closely related types are created
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the inheritance hierarchy into base types and separate role-specific extensions. This segmentation allows maintenance of common features at the base type level while isolating role-specific changes in separate extensions, reducing the impact of changes on other parts of the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates universal base types that can be extended by multiple role-specific extensions. This multi-functionality allows a single base type to serve multiple purposes across different roles, reducing code proliferation while maintaining ease of maintenance through shared common features.
3Adaptability or versatility
If child objects inherit all functionality from parent objects, then feature sharing is improved, but unnecessary code is executed and performance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments functionality into base type features and role-specific extension features. This segmentation allows the system to share common features through the base type while executing only the necessary role-specific extensions, improving execution efficiency by avoiding unnecessary code execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by making different parts of the object model have different access and execution characteristics. Base type features are universally accessible, while extension features are selectively accessible and executable based on role permissions, optimizing performance by executing only necessary code.
4Reliability
If independent types are created for each role, then access control is improved, but program complexity increases due to separate code for each role
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges common features into a single base type that is shared by all roles. Role-specific features are combined into separate extensions that attach to the base type. This merging reduces program complexity by eliminating redundant common features while maintaining strong access control through role-based permissions on extensions.
Data Source
AI summary
A programming language compiler manages independent and dependent data type objects along with role extensions at run time. Objects of independent and dependent types can be instantiated using either nested or linked creation methods. In the nested case, the independent object is instantiated through a dependent object using a single create statement. In contrast, linked creation involves linking a dependent object to an existing independent object. Compile-time instructions are created to manage role-extension objects in alignment with the independent and dependent objects.