Translating expressions in a computing environment

• US 20060293875A1
• Filed: 06/27/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ab Initio Technology LLC (Ab Initio Software Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ab Initio Technology LLC (Ab Initio Software Corporation)
• Inventors: Stanfill, Craig W., Allin, Glenn John, Beaudry, Donald
• Granted Patent: US 7,822,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/433 Dependency analysis; Data or control flow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/44 Encoding
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells

Abstract

A method, and corresponding software and system, for translating an expression are described. The method includes accepting a first expression in a first syntax, the expression including a first character sequence representing a string value using the first syntax; identifying a second syntax for representing the expression; and generating a second expression in the second syntax representing the first expression, including generating a second character sequence using the first character sequence such that the second character sequence represents the string value using the second syntax.

Claims

1. A method for translating an expression, including:

accepting a first expression in a first syntax, the expression including a first character sequence representing a string value using the first syntax;

identifying a second syntax for representing the expression; and

generating a second expression in the second syntax representing the first expression, including generating a second character sequence using the first character sequence such that the second character sequence represents the string value using the second syntax.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first expression includes a plurality of executable statements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first expression includes command-line input.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first character sequence includes a parameter to be bound to a referenced value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein generating a second character sequence using the first character sequence includes:

binding the parameter to the referenced value; and

generating the second character sequence to include the referenced value according to a quoting syntax of the second syntax.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first character sequence includes delimiters surrounding the parameter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the delimiters include a predefined prefix that includes a dollar symbol followed by a quote symbol.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the delimiters include a predefined suffix that includes a quote symbol.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first character sequence includes delimiters surrounding a representation of the string value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the string value includes a character that is used in the first syntax to indicate a parameter reference.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein generating a second character sequence using the first character sequence includes suppressing binding of parameters within the string value.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second syntax is selected to be compatible with a computational language.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the second syntax includes rules for interpreting character sequences.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the second syntax includes identifying a syntax based on a token preceding the first character sequence.

13. The method of claim 13, wherein the computational language is a member of the group consisting of ksh, Java, DML, C, and SQL.

16. Software stored on a computer-readable medium, for translating an expression, the software including instructions for causing a computer system to:

accept a first expression in a first syntax, the expression including a first character sequence representing a string value using the first syntax;

identify a second syntax for representing the expression; and

generate a second expression in the second syntax representing the first expression, including generating a second character sequence using the first character sequence such that the second character sequence represents the string value using the second syntax

17. A system for translating an expression, including:

means for accepting a first expression in a first syntax, the expression including a first character sequence representing a string value using the first syntax;

means for identifying a second syntax for representing the expression; and

means for generating a second expression in the second syntax representing the first expression, including generating a second character sequence using the first character sequence such that the second character sequence represents the string value using the second syntax

18. A method for evaluating an expression, including:

accepting one or more data structures that store definitions of parameters;

identifying one or more parameters that are referenced in the expression;

determining values for each of the identified parameters based on a stored definition; and

storing the determined parameter values in a binding environment.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the binding environment stores values for the identified parameters and for parameters whose values are necessary to evaluate the identified parameters, and the binding environment does not necessarily store values for all of the parameters whose definitions are stored in the one or more data structures.

20. The method of claim 18, further including executing the expression with referenced parameters bound to values from the binding environment.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the expression is a portion of a program or a script.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the expression includes command-line input.

23. Software stored on a computer-readable medium, for evaluating an expression, the software including instructions for causing a computer system to:

accept one or more data structures that store definitions of parameters;

identify one or more parameters that are referenced in the expression;

determine values for each of the identified parameters based on a stored definition; and

store the determined parameter values in a binding environment.

24. A system for evaluating an expression, including:

means for accepting one or more data structures that store definitions of parameters;

means for identifying one or more parameters that are referenced in the expression;

means for determining values for each of the identified parameters based on a stored definition; and

means for storing the determined parameter values in a binding environment.