Methods and systems for extracting information from computer code

• US 20070006196A1
• Filed: 06/08/2005
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bettadapur, Prakash, Tjong, Jung
• Granted Patent: US 7,779,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/151
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/51 Source to source

Abstract

Methods and systems for manipulating information represented by computer code are described. Macroinstructions that are used to analyze an input are accessed. The macroinstructions are written according to a first computer system language. The macroinstructions are rewritten as strings according to a second computer system language. The strings are included in an exportable representation.

Claims

1. A method of manipulating information represented by computer code, said method comprising:

accessing macroinstructions that are used to analyze an input, said macroinstructions written according to a first computer system language;

writing said macroinstructions as strings according to a second computer system language; and

including said strings in an exportable representation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said macroinstructions define parse nodes in a data structure used for testing said input for proper syntax.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising using said strings to generate a textual version of said data structure.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said writing further comprises associating Extensible Markup Language tags with elements of said macroinstructions.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying elements associated with said macroinstructions that are pointed to but not conspicuously named in said macroinstructions.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said input comprises a command that is entered in response to a command line interface prompt.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said first computer language is C, said second computer language is Extensible Markup Language (XML), and said exportable representation is an XML document.

8. A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to execute a method of manipulating information represented by computer code, said method comprising:

accessing macroinstructions that are used to analyze an input, said macroinstructions written according to a first computer system language;

writing said macroinstructions as strings according to a second computer system language; and

including said strings in an exportable representation.

9. The computer-usable medium of claim 8 wherein said macroinstructions define parse nodes in a data structure used for testing said input for proper syntax.

10. The computer-usable medium of claim 9 wherein said method further comprises using said strings to generate a textual version of said data structure.

11. The computer-usable medium of claim 8 wherein said writing further comprises associating Extensible Markup Language tags with elements of said macroinstructions.

12. The computer-usable medium of claim 8 wherein said method further comprises identifying elements associated with said macroinstructions that are pointed to but not conspicuously named in said macroinstructions.

13. The computer-usable medium of claim 8 wherein said input comprises a command that is entered in response to a command line interface prompt.

14. The computer-usable medium of claim 8 wherein said first computer language is C, said second computer language is Extensible Markup Language (XML), and said exportable representation is an XML document.

15. A system for manipulating information represented by computer code, said system comprising:

means for accessing macroinstructions that are used to analyze an input, said macroinstructions written according to a first computer system language;

means for writing said macroinstructions as strings according to a second computer system language; and

means for including said strings in an exportable representation.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising means for testing said input for proper syntax by traversing parse nodes in a data structure, wherein said parse nodes are defined by said macroinstructions.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising means for using said strings to generate a textual version of said data structure.

18. The system of claim 15 further comprising means for associating Extensible Markup Language tags with elements of said macroinstructions.

19. The system of claim 15 further comprising means for identifying elements associated with said macroinstructions that are pointed to but not conspicuously named in said macroinstructions.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein said input comprises a command that is entered in response to a command line interface prompt.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein said first computer language is C, said second computer language is Extensible Markup Language (XML), and said exportable representation is an XML document.