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Abstract

A fingerprint generating system generates a fingerprint value for an object in an object-oriented programming arrangement. The object comprises a digital information stream and the fingerprint generating system generates a fixed-length fingerprint value from the digital information stream. The fingerprint generating system receives the digital information stream comprising the object and processes the digital information stream in accordance with a selected hash value generating algorithm to generate a hash value which comprises the fingerprint value. The hash value generating algorithm is selected from a class of hash value generating algorithms characterized in that: i. in response to said input digital information stream, a digital hash value having a predetermined number of digital bits will be generated as an output; ii. the digital hash value will be a function of the digital information stream, so that (a) given two input streams that are identical, identical digital hash values will be generated; but (b) given two input streams that are not identical, it is extremely unlikely that identical digital hash values will be generated; and iii. when the object, as a 'referencing object,' includes a reference to another object, as a referenced object, the input digital information stream of the referencing object can include a fingerprint which had been previously generated for the referenced object, rather than a digital information stream for referenced object itself, the digital hash value generated according to the selected hash value generating algorithm comprising the fingerprint generated by said fingerprint generating system.

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