DSPACK: object manager for high-energy physics

DSPACK is a shared memory based client/server data manager that allows independent processes to create and access shared objects which can defined by the programmer as C-likc data structures at run-time. The data structure definitions extended with a set of default methods form DSPACK objects. The user may provide code which will extend or replace any the default methods. This methods are invoked by sending messages to the objects. The objects defined this way may be filled with data and passed to other programs as well as written to tape or disk. The relations between objects are handled using C-style pointers which are preserved by the I/O and the inter-process communication. The system can be used from C, C++ or FORTRAN. DSPACK is presently used by the NA49 and PHENIX collaborations.