Mechanism for dynamically associating a service dependent representation with objects at run time

A data structure for dynamically associating a service dependent representation with a servant object at run time is used in a distributed object computing system that incorporates subcontracts. Subcontracts supply different functionalities to objects. The data structure exists before run time, and is used at run time to perform the dynamic association. An arrangement also exists at run time. The structure comprises a server rep class representing a single subcontract, a servant base class associated with servant objects created at run time, and a linking mechanism to form a run time link between the server rep class and a servant object at run time. The server rep class provides functionality unique to a subcontract. At run time, servant objects are instantiated from the servant base class or a more derived class. The servant object uses the functionality provided by a subcontract by way of the linking mechanism. An arrangement exists at run time for dynamically linking a servant object to a subcontract. Included are a servant object, a server rep object, and a pointer from the servant object to the server rep object. Methods and apparatus allow a servant object itself to initiate calls to deactivate itself, to determine remaining references to itself, to revoke itself, and to get an object reference for itself. A method creates a servant object that includes the above data structures and ability to call these functions.