Implementing delayed file loading functions

Including three-dimensional interactive computer graphics applications, recent application programs often perform the file loading operations to read texture and data files from hard disks. We usually implement these file loading functions as serialized operations, with which the overall programs are suspended to wait for the completion of those file loading operations. In this chapter, we propose a new file loading function, which silently loads the desired file, not to be explicitly recognized by the user. Our delayed file loading functions are designed to satisfy the time constraints on the major work flow. We represent the main ideas and implementation methods for our proposed functionalities. Interface designs for the C++ classes are also presented. We show that the file loading operations are well executed as we originally expected.