Type inference and type-directed late binding

• US 20070055978A1
• Filed: 09/06/2005
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Silver, Amanda, Beckman, Brian, Lammel, Ralf, Schach, David, Aharoni, Avner, Meijer, Henricus, Drayton, Peter, Vick, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/331
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/31 Programming languages or programming paradigms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/449 Object-oriented method invocation or resolution

Abstract

Systems and methods that enhance and balance a late binding and an early binding in a programming language, via supplying an option component to opt-in (or opt-out) late binding, and wherein a late binding is triggered based on a static type for the variable (e.g., object or a type/string.) Additionally, the variable is enabled to have different static types at different regions (e.g., a program fragment) of the programming language.

Claims

1. A computer implemented system comprising the following computer executable components:

a programming language with an option component that supplies one of;

an opt-in and opt-out of a late binding, and

a helper that facilitates the late binding, the late binding based on a type specified or inferred for a variable of the programming language.

2. The computer implemented system of claim 1, the variable with a changing static type in the programming language.

3. The computer implemented system of claim 2, the changing static type based on a location of the variable in a code region of the programming language.

4. The computer implemented system of claim 1, the changing static type inferred based on a use of the variable.

5. The computer implemented system of claim 1, the helper is an XML late bound helper for a type that represents an XML object model.

6. The computer implemented system of claim 1, the helper is a reflection late bound helper for objects.

7. The computer implemented system of claim 1, the option component with a refactoring mechanism to designate precise inferred type or object for the variable.

8. The computer implemented system of claim 7, the refactoring mechanism expands a declaration to indicate a type explicitly.

9. The computer implemented system of claim 7, the refactoring mechanism employs a drop down menu to indicate object and type.

10. The computer implemented system of claim 9, selection of object indicative of opting for standard Visual Basic late binding over object.

11. A computer implemented system comprising the following computer executable components:

supplying a user with an option to one of;

late binding and non late binding a programming language;

inferring a type of a variable, and

changing the static type of the variable as part of the programming language.

12. The computer implemented system of claim 11 further comprising inferring a changing static type based on usage of the variable.

13. The computer implemented system of claim 11 further comprising changing the static type based on location of the variable in the programming language.

14. The computer implemented system of claim 11 further comprising designating type of late binding for the programming language.

15. The computer implemented system of claim 11 further comprising supplying a feed back to the user upon changing the static type.

16. The computer implemented system of claim 11 further comprising tracking a variable type via a compiler.

17. The computer implemented system of claim 11 further comprising triggering late binding based on selected static type.

18. The computer implemented system of claim 11 further comprising employing a refactoring mechanism that expands to designate a type explicitly.

19. The computer implemented system of claim 11 further comprising identifying regions for a code of the programming language that have a precise prescription of types.

20. A computer implemented system comprising the following computer executable components:

means for one of opting in and opting out of a late binding for a programming language,

means for inferring a type of a variable, and

means for changing a static type for the variable in the programming language.