Systems and methods extending an existing programming language with constructs

• US 20050010902A1
• Filed: 02/23/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Takacsi-Nagy, Pal, Blow, Michael Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 7,752,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/31 Programming languages or programming paradigms

Abstract

An easy-to-use workflow language can be created by extending an existing, common language such as Java. The language can be extended by adding those constructs that are missing but desirable. Such desirable constructs can include parallelism, asynchrony, loops over asynchronous events, and flexible handling of XML. Such constructs can allow a user to define a virtual program using the extended Java syntax. For example, XML can be placed inside a Java class that defines the high-level orchestration logic a workflow should follow. That orchestration logic can refer to the Java class to carry out work, such that the logic to handle an incoming message is really in Java. This description is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention. Other features, aspects, and objects of the invention can be obtained from a review of the specification, the figures, and the claims.

Claims

1. A method for extending an existing programming language, comprising the steps of:

selecting an existing programming language; and

,

extending an existing programming language by adding at least one language construct defined by a second language.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said existing programming language is Java.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said second language is XML.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said language construct is a parallelism construct representing parallel branch of program execution.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein:

said parallelism construct further comprises plurality of branch constructs defined by said second language, wherein said branch constructs represent parallel branches of program execution comprising of at least one software activity.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein:

said parallelism construct is further nested within a similar parallelism construct.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said language construct is a transaction construct representing transaction block of at least one software activity.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein:

said transaction construct further specifies the number of retry attempts to perform the software activities inside said transaction block.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein:

said transaction construct is further enclosed within a saga construct comprising of compensation construct with at least one compensating software activity, where in the saga construct represents a long running transaction.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein:

said saga construct further comprises of plurality of transaction blocks.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said language construct is an exception handlers construct representing an execution mechanism comprising of exception handler construct defined by said second language, which represents exception not caught by the existing programming language handler methods.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said language construct is an action construct representing an activity that allows a first software component written using the extended existing programming language to call an operation on a second software component written using said existing programming language.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein:

said action construct allows said software component call a piece of Java code.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein:

said action construct further allows said second software component call back the said first software component.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said language construct is a multiple receive construct that allows a software component written using the extended existing programming language to wait on multiple input events received.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein:

said multiple receive construct further allows said software component proceed on a particular branch of program execution, based on the input event that occurred first within the said multiple input events.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said language construct is a looping construct with ordering of messages received, representing looping functionality, wherein the ordering allows said messages to be received in an order.

18. A system for extending an existing programming language, comprising:

an existing programming language; and

,

means for extending an existing programming language by adding at least one language construct defined by a second language.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein:

said existing programming language is Java.

20. A system according to claim 18, wherein:

said second language is XML.

21. A system according to claim 18, wherein:

said language construct is a parallelism construct representing parallel branch of program execution.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein:

said parallelism construct further comprises plurality of branch constructs defined by said second language, wherein said branch constructs represent parallel branches of program execution comprising of at least one software activity.

23. A system according to claim 21, wherein:

said parallelism construct is further nested within a similar parallelism construct.

24. A system according to claim 18, wherein:

said language construct is a transaction construct representing transaction block of at least one software activity.

25. A system according to claim 24, wherein:

said transaction construct further specifies the number of retry attempts to perform the software activities inside said transaction block.

26. A system according to claim 24, wherein:

said transaction construct is further enclosed within a saga construct comprising of compensation construct with at least one compensating software activity, where in the saga construct represents a long running transaction.

27. A system according to claim 26, wherein:

said saga construct further comprises of plurality of transaction blocks.

28. A system according to claim 18, wherein:

said language construct is an exception handlers construct representing an execution mechanism comprising of exception handler construct defined by said second language, which represents exception not caught by the existing programming language handler methods.

29. A system according to claim 18, wherein:

said language construct is an action construct representing an activity that allows a first software component written using the extended existing programming language to call an operation on a second software component written using said existing programming language.

30. A system according to claim 29, wherein:

said action construct allows said software component call a piece of Java code.

31. A system according to claim 29, wherein:

said action construct further allows said second software component call back the said first software component.

32. A system according to claim 18, wherein:

said language construct is a multiple receive construct that allows a software component written using the extended existing programming language to wait on multiple input events received.

33. A system according to claim 32, wherein:

said multiple receive construct further allows said software component proceed on a particular branch of program execution, based on the input event that occurred first within the said multiple input events.

34. A system according to claim 18, wherein:

said language construct is a looping construct with ordering of messages received, representing looping functionality, wherein the ordering allows said messages to be received in an order.

35. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

object code executed by said processor, said object code configured to;

extend an existing programming language by adding a language construct defined by a second language.

36. A method for extending Java programming language, comprising the steps of:

selecting Java programming language; and

,

extending Java programming language by adding at least one language construct defined by XML.

37. A system for extending Java programming language, comprising:

a Java programming language; and

,

means for extending Java programming language by adding at least one language construct defined by XML.

38. A method for creating a program, comprising the steps of:

selecting an existing programming language extended with at least one language construct defined by a second language; and

creating a program using the extended existing programming language.

39. A computer program product, comprising:

a program created by using an existing programming language extended with at least one language construct defined by a second language.