Specifying implementations of code for code generation from a model

• US 20080127057A1
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Ogilvie, Brian K., Costa, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,900,188 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention allow user to generate a model in a modeling environment and to generate code from the model using various implementations of code for portions of the model. The implementations of code can be supplied by the modeling environment or supplied by a user. Embodiments further allow a user to specify a scope in a model such that portions of the model contained in the scope use a specific implementation or implementations of code.

Claims

1. In a computing system, a method comprising the steps of:

identifying a first implementation of code that corresponds to a first portion of a model;

identifying a second implementation of code that corresponds to the first portion of the model;

specifying the first implementation or the second implementation; and

generating code for the model, wherein a section of code that corresponds to the first portion of the model employs one of the first or second implementations of code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first implementation of code is configured for a specified preference.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the specified preference is one of or a weighted combination of power reduction, area reduction, memory usage reduction, execution time reduction, stack usage reduction, or coding standards.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

specifying a programming or hardware description language.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the steps of identifying are based on the specification of the programming or modeling language.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

receiving a selection, from a user or a program, the selection used for specifying.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the specifying further comprises:

receiving a selection via an application program interface (API).

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving data to customize the first implementation.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the data is one of a parameter or data value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated code is one of a programming language or a hardware description language.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the specifying further comprises:

specifying the first implementation of code as a default implementation for the generating of code.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first implementation of code is a user-supplied implementation of code.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a targeted device that is capable of implementing the generated code; and

sending at least a portion of the generated code to the targeted device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

inserting a plurality of elements into the model;

specifying a scope for at least a subset of the plurality of elements; and

identifying implementations of code for the at least a subset of the plurality of elements that are encompassed by the scope.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the model is a graphical model.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the code generated is a hardware description language representation of the model.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first implementation of code is an intermediate representation.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first implementation of code is a template

19. A computing system, comprising:

a model;

a first implementation of code corresponding to a first portion of the model;

a second implementation of code corresponding to the first portion of the model;

a code generator that generates code for the model based on a specification, wherein a section of the code that corresponds to the first portion of the model employs one of the first or second implementations of code.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the system further comprises:

an application program interface (API) to receive the second implementation of code from a user.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the system further comprises:

a user interface for receiving user-developed implementations of code.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first implementation of code is one of the user-developed implementations of code.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the first implementation of code is configured for a specified preference.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the system further comprises:

a user interface for receiving a selection that specifies which of the first or second implementations of code are used for generating the code.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the user interface receives data that customizes the first implementation of code.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the system further comprises:

a list of target devices, the target devices being capable of implementing the generated code.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the model is a graphical model.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the code generated is a hardware description language representation of the model.

29. A medium for use on a computing device, the medium holding instructions executable using the computing device, the instructions for performing the steps of:

identifying a first implementation of code that corresponds to a first portion of a model;

identifying a second implementation of code that corresponds to the first portion of the model;

specifying the first implementation or the second implementation; and

generating code for the model, wherein a section of code that corresponds to the first portion of the model employs one of the first or second implementations of code.

30. The medium of claim 29, wherein the first implementation of code is configured for a specified preference.

31. The medium of claim 30, wherein the specified preference is one of power reduction, area reduction, memory size reduction or execution time reduction.

32. The medium of claim 29, wherein the instruction further perform the step of:

receiving a selection, from a user or a program, the selection used for specifying.

33. The medium of claim 29, wherein the instructions further perform the step of:

identifying a targeted device that is capable of implementing the generated code; and

identifying a selection of implementations of code that are capable of being used on the targeted device, the selection comprising the first and second implementations.

34. The medium of claim 29, wherein the model is a graphical model.

35. The medium of claim 29, wherein the code generated is a hardware description language representation of the model.

36. In a computing system, a method comprising the steps of:

providing a user interface for selecting at least one implementation of code associated with at least a portion of a model;

representing the at least one implementation of code using a designation;

receiving a selection of the designation that is related to the at least one implementation, the selection for utilizing the at least one implementation for generated code; and

generating code, based on the selection, that incorporates the at least one implementation of code into the generated code.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the designation is one of a textual designation or a graphical designation.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the step of receiving a selection comprises:

dragging the designation from the user interface and dropping the designation on the first portion of the model.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the step of interacting further comprises:

specifying data associated with the at least one implementation of code, wherein the data affects the generated code.

40. A computing system, the system comprising:

a user interface for selecting implementations of code for at least a portion of a model, wherein at least one implementation of code is represented by a designation and the user interface enables a selection of an implementation of code for at least a portion of the model; and

a code generator that generates code for the model based on a selection.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the user interface enables a user to specify data associated with a portion of the model.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein the designation is one of a textual or graphical designation.

43. The system of claim 40, wherein the user interface is operable to display a list of implementations of code corresponding to a portion of the model.

44. A medium for use on a computing device, the medium holding instructions executable using the computing device, the instructions for performing the steps of:

interacting with a user interface for selecting at least one implementation of code to represent at least a portion of a model in generated code;

representing the at least one implementation of code using a designation;

receiving a selection of the designation that represents the at least one implementation, the selection for utilizing the at least one implementation for generated code; and

generating code, based on the selection, that incorporates the at least one implementation of code into the generated code.

45. In a computing device, a method comprising the steps of:

identifying a first implementation of code that corresponds to a first portion of the model;

identifying a second implementation of code that corresponds to the first portion of the model;

selecting, programmatically, one of the first or second implementations of code based on an identified constraint; and

generating code for the model, wherein a section of code that corresponds to the first portion of the model employs one of the automatically selected first or second implementations of code.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the step of selecting is performed by an application program interface (API).

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the identified constraint from a user.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the first implementation of code is supplied by a user.

49. A medium for use on a computing device, the medium holding instructions executable using the computing device, the instructions for performing the steps of:

identifying a first implementation of code that corresponds to a first portion of the model;

identifying a second implementation of code that corresponds to the first portion of the model;

selecting, programmatically, one of the first or second implementations of code based on an identified constraint; and

generating code for the model, wherein a section of code that corresponds to the first portion of the model employs one of the automatically selected first or second implementations of code.

50. A method for providing a user with an implementation of code that corresponds to an element associated with a model, the method comprising:

identifying a performance characteristic on behalf of a user;

providing an implementation of code that corresponds to the element, the implementation of code capable of being used in a code generation process; and

supplying the implementation of code to the user for a fee.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the implementation of code is a hardware description language representation.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the implementation of code is an intermediate representation.

53. The method of claim 50, wherein the identifying comprises:

receiving a request from the user, the request to develop an implementation of code.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the providing comprises:

developing the implementation of code based on the request.