EXECUTION OF DYNAMIC LANGUAGES VIA METADATA EXTRACTION

• US 20110173597A1
• Filed: 08/24/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Reshadi, Mehrdad H., Cascaval, Gheorghe Calin
• Granted Patent: US 9,003,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/148
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45508 Runtime interpretation or emulation, e g. emulator loops, bytecode interpretation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells

Abstract

Methods and devices for executing scripts written in a dynamic scripting language include parsing scripts in two stages, a pre-parse using a simplified grammar to generate script metadata regarding the high level structure of the script, and a full parse using the grammar and syntax of the dynamic scripting language and generated script metadata. The generated metadata may describe the high level structure that is present in the language of the script such as functions, object methods, and a top level call graph. The script metadata may be used during the full parse to determine the parts of the code to be fully parsed. The aspects minimize processing time spent in the parsing at run-time, and may eliminate processing required to interpret or compile sections of code that will not be executed. Script metadata as well as results of full parsing may also be cached to provide further processing efficiencies.

Claims

1. A method of processing a script written in a dynamic scripting language, comprising:

pre-parsing the script to identify high level program structures within the script prior to execution;

generating metadata characterizing the identified high level structures;

using runtime information and metadata to determine parts of the script that need to execute;

fully parsing the parts of the script using the generated metadata to generate bytecode; and

executing the script.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the script is executed via interpretation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein pre-parsing the script is accomplished using a grammar that is simpler than the grammar used in fully parsing the parts of the script.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising caching the generated metadata.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising caching the generated bytecode.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

caching the generated metadata; and

determining whether the script has been cached,

wherein pre-parsing the script is performed when it is determined that the script has not been previously cached.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

caching the generated bytecode; and

determining whether the script has been fully parsed,

wherein fully parsing the parts of the script is performed when it is determined that the script has not been previously fully parsed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein pre-parsing the script is accomplished in a parallel processing operation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the script comprises:

generating executable code from the generated bytecode; and

executing the generated executable code.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising caching the generated executable code.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

caching the generated executable code; and

determining whether executable code for the script has been cached,

wherein generated executable code is performed when it is determined that executable code for the script has not been previously cached.

12. A computing device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor,

wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

pre-parsing a script written in a dynamic scripting language to identify high level program structures within the script;

generating metadata characterizing the identified high level structures,

using runtime information and metadata to determine parts of the script that need to execute;

fully parsing the parts of the script using the generated metadata to generate bytecode; and

executing the script.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that the script is executed via interpretation.

14. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that pre-parsing the script is accomplished using a grammar that is simpler than the grammar used in fully parsing the parts of the script.

15. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising caching the generated metadata.

16. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising caching the generated bytecode.

17. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

caching the generated metadata; and

determining whether the script has been cached,

wherein pre-parsing the script is performed when it is determined that the script has not been previously cached.

18. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

caching the generated bytecode; and

determining whether the script has been fully parsed,

wherein fully parsing the parts of the script is performed when it is determined that the script has not been previously fully parsed.

19. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that pre-parsing the script is accomplished in a parallel processing operation.

20. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that executing the script comprises:

generating executable code from the generated bytecode; and

executing the generated executable code.

21. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising caching the generated executable code.

22. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

caching the generated executable code; and

determining whether executable code for the script has been cached,

wherein generating executable code is performed when it is determined that executable code for the script has not been previously cached.

23. A computing device, comprising:

means for pre-parsing a script written in a dynamic scripting language to identify high level program structures within the script prior to execution;

means for generating metadata characterizing the identified high level structures;

means for determining parts of the script that need to execute using runtime information and metadata;

means for fully parsing the parts of the script using the generated metadata to generate bytecode; and

means for executing the script.

24. The computing device of claim 23, wherein means for executing the script comprises means for executing the script via interpretation.

25. The computing device of claim 23, wherein means for pre-parsing the script comprises means for pre-parsing the script using a grammar that is simpler than the grammar used in fully parsing the parts of the script.

26. The computing device of claim 23, further comprising means for caching the generated metadata.

27. The computing device of claim 23, further comprising means for caching the generated bytecode.

28. The computing device of claim 23, further comprising:

means for caching the generated metadata; and

means for determining whether the script has been cached,

wherein means for determining parts of the script that need to execute using runtime information and metadata comprises means for determining parts of the script that need to execute using runtime information and metadata when it is determined that the script has not been previously cached.

29. The computing device of claim 23, further comprising:

means for caching the generated bytecode; and

means for determining whether the script has been fully parsed,

wherein means for fully parsing the parts of the script comprises means for fully parsing the parts of the script using the generated metadata to generate bytecode when it is determined that the script has not been previously fully parsed.

30. The computing device of claim 23, wherein means for pre-parsing the script comprises means for pre-parsing the script in a parallel processing operation.

31. The computing device of claim 23, wherein means for executing the script comprises:

means for generating executable code from the generated bytecode; and

means for executing the generated executable code.

32. The computing device of claim 31, further comprising means for caching the generated executable code.

33. The computing device of claim 31, further comprising:

means for caching the generated executable code; and

means for determining whether executable code for the script has been cached,

wherein means for generating executable code from the generated bytecode comprises means for generating executable code from the generated bytecode when it is determined that executable code for the script has not been previously cached.

34. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions comprising:

at least one instruction for pre-parsing a script written in a dynamic scripting language to identify high level program structures within the script prior to execution;

at least one instruction for generating metadata characterizing the identified high level structures;

at least one instruction for using runtime information and metadata to determine parts of the script that need to execute;

at least one instruction for fully parsing the parts of the script using the generated metadata to generate bytecode; and

at least one instruction for executing the script.

35. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the at least one instruction for executing the script comprises at least one instruction for executing the script via interpretation.

36. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the at least one instruction for pre-parsing the script comprises at least one instruction for pre-parsing the script using a grammar that is simpler than the grammar used in fully parsing the parts of the script.

37. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions further comprise at least one instruction for caching the generated metadata.

38. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions further comprise at least one instruction for caching the generated bytecode.

39. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions further comprise:

at least one instruction for caching the generated metadata; and

at least one instruction for determining whether the script has been cached,

wherein pre-parsing the script is performed when it is determined that the script has not been previously cached.

40. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions further comprise:

at least one instruction for caching the generated bytecode; and

at least one instruction for determining whether the script has been fully parsed,

wherein fully parsing the parts of the script is performed when it is determined that the script has not been previously fully parsed.

41. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the at least one instruction for pre-parsing the script comprises at least one instruction for pre-parsing the script in a parallel processing operation.

42. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein the at least one instruction for executing the script comprises:

at least one instruction for generating executable code from the generated bytecode; and

at least one instruction for executing the generated executable code.

43. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 36, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions further comprise at least one instruction for caching the generated executable code.

44. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 36, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions further comprise:

at least one instruction for caching the generated executable code; and

at least one instruction for determining whether executable code for the script has been cached,

wherein generating executable code is performed when it is determined that executable code for the script has not been previously cached.