Transforming data structures between different programming languages

• US 20090204953A1
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Swingler, Michael Alan, Kovatch, Scott Anthony, O'Brien, Thomas John
• Application Number:
  US12/154,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20090204953A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/136
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/51 Source to source

Abstract

Transforming data structures between different programming languages is disclosed. In some embodiments, a transformation module is configured to transform objects between a first programming language and a second programming language. In some embodiments, an object defined in a first programming language is received, and data comprising the object defined in the first programming language is copied and used to create a corresponding object defined in a second programming language.

Claims

1. A method for transforming an object, comprising:

receiving an object defined in a first programming language;

copying data comprising the object defined in the first programming language; and

using the copied data to create a corresponding object defined in a second programming language.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object defined in the first programming language comprises an argument object passed to code defined in the second programming language being invoked from code defined in the first programming language.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the code defined in the second programming language is executed by a runtime associated with the second programming language.

4. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein execution of the code defined in the second programming language results in one or more result objects defined in the second programming language and further comprising using each of the one or more result objects defined in the second programming language to create a corresponding result object defined in the first programming language.

5. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the code defined in the first programming language comprises a Java application executing in a Java Virtual Machine and wherein the code defined in the second programming language comprises an AppleScript embedded in the Java application and executed by an Objective-C runtime.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising performing a default operation if a corresponding object is not available in the second programming language.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the default operation comprises one or more of:

returning a null or invalid value, throwing an exception, and transforming the object defined in the first programming language to a string object supported by the second programming language.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object defined in the first programming language is part of a plurality of objects defined in the first programming language that is received and further comprising copying data comprising each of the objects defined in the first programming language included in the plurality and using the copied data to create a corresponding object defined in the second programming language.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein copying data comprising the object defined in the first programming language comprises copying operative data or a payload associated with the object defined in the first programming language.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein copying data comprising the object defined in the first programming language comprises calling one or more accessor functions of the object defined in the first programming language to obtain the data.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object defined in the second programming language is managed in memory by one or more of a program, an application, and an engine associated with the second programming language.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein transforming an object, including the object defined in the first programming language, is performed by a transformation module configured to transform objects between the first programming language and the second programming language.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the transformation module is at least in part specified by a programmer or developer of an application defined in the first programming language.

14. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the transformation module comprises one or more transformers that are hierarchically linked.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein each transformer comprises an ordered set of one or more transformations and wherein each transformation is associated with a particular type of object.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, further comprising traversing the transformers from lowest to highest in the hierarchy and traversing the transformations associated with each transformer in a prescribed order to locate, if available, an appropriate transformation for transforming the object defined in the first programming language to the corresponding object defined in the second programming language.

17. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein each transformation comprises one or both of:

a function to transform the particular type of object with which the transformation is associated from the first programming language to the second programming language and a function to transform the particular type of object with which the transformation is associated from the second programming language to the first programming language.

18. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein a transformation comprises a transformer.

19. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object defined in the first programming language comprises a set of objects.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, further comprising using each object in the set of objects to create a corresponding object defined in the second programming language.

21. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first programming language comprises Java and the second programming language comprises Objective-C.

22. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first programming language comprises Objective-C and the second programming language comprises Java.

23. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising determining an object type of the corresponding object in the second programming language by using reflection.

24. A system for transforming an object, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive an object defined in a first programming language;

copy data comprising the object defined in the first programming language; and

use the copied data to create a corresponding object defined in a second programming language; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

25. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein the object defined in the first programming language comprises an argument object passed to code defined in the second programming language being invoked from code defined in the first programming language.

26. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein the system comprises a transformation module configured to transform objects between the first programming language and the second programming language.

27. A computer program product for transforming an object, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving an object defined in a first programming language;

copying data comprising the object defined in the first programming language; and

using the copied data to create a corresponding object defined in a second programming language.

28. A computer program product as recited in claim 27, wherein the object defined in the first programming language comprises an argument object passed to code defined in the second programming language being invoked from code defined in the first programming language.

29. A computer program product as recited in claim 27, further comprising computer instructions for performing a default operation if a corresponding object is not available in the second programming language.

30. A computer program product as recited in claim 27, wherein transforming an object, including the object defined in the first programming language, is performed by a transformation module configured to transform objects between the first programming language and the second programming language.