Language-Level Integration of Programming Models

• US 20090241091A1
• Filed: 03/20/2008
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Yaseen, Rahim, Sikka, Vishal, Anlauff, Matthias Gerhard
• Granted Patent: US 8,533,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design

Abstract

To enable language-level integration of multiple programming languages into a single programming framework, one or more domain specific languages (DSLs) are specified as incremental extensions to a host programming language. An application created in this framework may include program code written in the host language as well as DSL inset code that is written in any of the DSLs. The extensions to the host language are described in DSL specifications, which define how the DSL inset code is processed. At runtime, DSL inset code in the source code is detected and passed to a DSL inset processor for execution according to an appropriate DSL specification, whereas source code in the host language is executed by a host language processor.

Claims

1. A method for creating a software program that integrates multiple programming languages, the method comprising:

adding computer code written in a host language to a source code file, the source code file stored on a computer-readable storage medium;

adding inset computer code to the source code file, the inset computer code written in a domain specific language that is different from the host language; and

providing a domain specific language specification that comprises instructions written in the host language for executing the inset computer code in accordance with the domain specific language.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the inset computer code comprises an escape token that indicates a start of the inset code in the domain specific language.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

defining the escape token in the computer code on the source code file.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding second inset computer code to the source code file, the second inset computer code written in a second domain specific language that is different from the host language; and

providing a second domain specific language specification that comprises instructions written in the host language for executing the second inset computer code in accordance with the second domain specific language.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the host language is an interpreted language.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the host language is Ruby.

7. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium storing computer program code that comprises:

a source code file stored on a computer-readable storage medium, the source code file containing;

computer code written in a host language, and

inset computer code written in a domain specific language, the domain specific language different from the host language; and

a domain specific language specification stored on a computer-readable storage medium, the domain specific language specification comprising instructions written in the host language for executing the inset computer code in accordance with the domain specific language.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the inset computer code comprises an escape token that indicates a start of the inset code in the domain specific language.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer code contains a definition of the escape token.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

second inset computer code written in a second domain specific language, the second domain specific language different from the host language, the second computer code incorporated in the source code file; and

a second domain specific language specification stored on a computer-readable storage medium, the second domain specific language specification comprising instructions written in the host language for executing the second inset computer code in accordance with the second domain specific language.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the host language is an interpreted language.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the host language is Ruby.

13. A computer program product for integrating multiple programming languages, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium containing computer program code that comprises:

a source code file stored on a computer-readable storage medium, the source code file containing;

computer code written in a host language, and

inset computer code written in a domain specific language, the domain specific language different from the host language; and

means, stored on a computer-readable storage medium, for defining the inset computer code according to the domain specific language in terms of the host language.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the host language is an interpreted language.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the host language is Ruby.