List procedures

A list procedure evaluates the specified object instance and returns a list of all the object instances that are contained by its superior object instance. The superior (containing) class has named all of the classes that are subordinate to (contained in) it - see ``Group definition table (GDT)''. Each subordinate class then have their list functions called with the name of the superior object instance. The list function then returns a list of subordinate object instances that are contained by the named superior object instance. This can be an empty list. Refer to the examples in ``Interfacing with object service agents (OSAs)''.

The list function is called by the Server API when the client has made a scoped request within the Client API - see ``Containment and scoping''. The following arguments are passed into list procedures:

class name

The class to which the specified object instance belongs. This accommodates sharing procedures between classes.

object name

This will be the name of the container class object instance that was named in the client's call to the OSA. If no object instance was given by the client then this field will be empty as well. This is often used for shorthand between a superior class and a subordinate class if there can only be one instance of the superior class (such as a group of all users on the system class).