Extendable compiler framework

• US 20050044537A1
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kevin Zatloukal
• Inventors: Zatloukal, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,441,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/140
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/41 Compilation

Abstract

To meet the current trend in computer programming, a multi-programming-language compiler system is designed to include a compiler framework which creates a general environment in which to carry out compilation and language modules to encapsulate the details of various programming languages. Such a system makes it easy for tool vendors and end users to adapt to a world where computer programs are written in multiple languages. New language modules may be written that add support for new languages to the compiler framework. It may also be possible to extend existing language modules so that a variant on an existing language may be added to the compiler framework. Such a system may also be adapted to permit several different clients to access detailed language information from the compiler framework. These clients may include a standard command-line shell or a sophisticated multi-language integrated development environment. 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 performing a compilation process on a computer program, the method comprising:

performing a programming language-independent portion of the compilation process;

invoking through a first language interface a first language module to perform programming language-dependent analysis of the computer program;

invoking through the first language interface the first language module to perform code generation for the computer program;

providing feedback to one or more clients based on at least one of the analysis and the code generation; and

wherein the first language interface is coupled to the first language module.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving language-specific information about the computer program from the first language interface.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the computer program includes a plurality of programming languages; and

wherein the plurality of programming languages can be nested.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the first language module can interact with a second language module through a second language interface coupled to the second language module.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the second language interface includes functionality to request the compilation of a specified portion of the computer program using the second language module.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the programming language-dependent analysis of the computer program includes at least one of;

lexical analysis, syntactic analysis, name resolution, semantic analysis, and code generation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the programming language-independent portion of the compilation process includes at least one of:

managing a set of files involved in the compilation process;

persisting a set of paths involved in the compilation process;

maintaining a set of dependencies for the compilation process;

maintaining at least one namespace for storing a plurality of names used in the computer program;

acquiring configuration information; and

maintaining a list of errors related to the computer program.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the computer program is written in the Java programming language.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extending a second language module with the first language module in order to create a new programming language.

10. A machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon to cause a system to:

perform a programming language-independent portion of the compilation process;

invoke through a first language interface a first language module to perform programming language-dependent analysis of the computer program;

invoke through the first language interface the first language module to perform code generation for the computer program;

provide feedback to one or more clients based on at least one of the analysis and the code generation; and

wherein the first language interface is coupled to the first language module.

11. The machine readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions to cause the system to:

retrieve language-specific information about the computer program from the first language interface.

12. The machine readable medium of claim 10 wherein:

the computer program includes a plurality of programming languages; and

wherein the plurality of programming languages can be nested.

13. The machine readable medium of claim 12 wherein:

the first language module can interact with a second language module through a second language interface coupled to the second language module.

14. The machine readable medium of claim 13 wherein:

the second language interface includes functionality to request the compilation of a specified portion of the computer program using the second language module.

15. The machine readable medium of claim 10 wherein:

the programming language-dependent analysis of the computer program includes at least one of;

lexical analysis, syntactic analysis, name resolution, semantic analysis, and code generation.

16. The machine readable medium of claim 10, wherein the programming language-independent portion of the compilation process includes at least one of:

managing a set of files involved in the compilation process;

persisting a set of paths involved in the compilation process;

maintaining a set of dependencies for the compilation process;

maintaining at least one namespace for storing a plurality of names used in the computer program;

acquiring configuration information; and

maintaining a list of errors related to the computer program.

17. The machine readable medium of claim 10 wherein:

the computer program is written in the Java programming language.

18. The machine readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions to cause the system to:

extend a second language module with the first language module in order to create a new programming language.

19. A computer signal embodied in a transmission medium, comprising:

a code segment including instructions for performing a programming language-independent portion of the compilation process;

a code segment including instructions for invoking through a first language interface a first language module to perform programming language-dependent analysis of the computer program;

a code segment including instructions for invoking through the first language interface the first language module to perform code generation for the computer program;

a code segment including instructions for providing feedback to one or more clients based on at least one of the analysis and the code generation; and

wherein the first language interface is coupled to the first language module.