Computer program analyzer for adapting computer programs to different architectures

• US 5,488,714 A
• Filed: 08/25/1993
• Issued: 01/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Skidmore, Wendy C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowler, Alyssa H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARRITY, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US08/112,631
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 395/800, 395/700, 395/600, 395/50, 395/54, 395/500, 364/274.5, 364/DIG. 1
• US Class Current: 717/143
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/52 Binary to binary

Abstract

An extended mode analyzer (EMA) processes source code modules, detects suspicious instruction patterns and produces recommendations for code modification. The EMA applies knowledge based technology to the problem of massive source code conversion. The knowledge base component within the EMA models any given source code module using a hierarchical class/attribute structure. All source lines occurring in a given module are partitioned into homogenous classes characterized by function or instruction type. Higher level programming concepts are abstracted from lower level implementation details by drawing correspondences between class members which constitute instruction sequences related by common elements. When inferencing begins, the existence of class members meeting certain criteria trigger events which change the state of the world as seen by the knowledge base, in turn triggering other state changing events and so on until a state of equilibrium is achieved. The end result of this process is the body of recommendations produced by EMA for source code conversion.

Claims

1. A computer program analyzer for aiding a computer programmer in modifying a computer program to run on a different computer architecture than an architecture for which the program was originally written comprising;

parser means for receiving a computer program in source code form and generating symbolic source information having source code lines, said source information being organized into hierarchical data structures which partition all source code lines into homogeneous classes characterized by function or instruction type;

a knowledge base containing structures for representing said source code and information on conversion rules for modifying said source code for said different computer architecture;

an inference engine connected to said parser means and knowledge base for receiving said organized symbolic source information and selectively retrieving said conversion rules for applying said conversion rules to said symbolic source information and for generating outputs including recommendations for source code modification, a trace of rules used in arriving at said recommendations and a cross reference of all symbol names used on source lines which have been cited for change; and

report formatter means connected to said parser means for receiving said organized symbolic source information and to said inference engine for receiving said recommendations, trace and cross reference for generating a report of recommendations for source code modification for use by said programmer.

2. A system, including a computer, for automatically modifying a first computer program developed to run in a first program environment, defined by a computer architecture, a computer operating system, or a computer architecture and computer operating system, to run in a different second program environment, said system comprising:

symbol generating means for generating an intermediate symbolic representation of said first computer program wherein said representation is independent of a particular program environment and wherein said intermediate symbolic representation includes class attribute structures which correspond to the first computer program;

knowledge base means for providing a plurality of rules for use in analyzing said intermediate symbolic representation, wherein at least one set of said plurality of rules is for analyzing said intermediate symbolic representation for said different second program environment;

analyzer means, coupled to said symbol generating means and to said knowledge base means, for determining a plurality of changes to make to said first computer program and

for analyzing said intermediate symbolic representation to identify a plurality of patterns of non-adjacent instructions which require modification Using said set of said plurality of rules of said knowledge base and an inference engine means for applying said set of said plurality of rules to said intermediate symbolic representation; and

output means, coupled to said analyzer means, for generating a second computer program which is fully compatible with said different second program environment based upon said plurality of changes determined by said analyzer means.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said output means includes report formatter means for generating a report of recommendations for computer program modification.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein said output means includes code generator means for receiving computer program and for inserting said recommendations for computer program modification as comments in said first computer program.

5. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein said output means includes code generator means for receiving computer program and implementing said recommendations for computer program modification in said first computer program.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein said symbol generating means comprises a parser.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein said parser includes means for generating formatted source code and a parser summary.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein said symbol generating means includes means for receiving as input an equivalence list of registers for each of said computer architectures and a list of changed global symbols for each of said computer architectures.

9. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said inference engine includes means for generating a cross reference of all symbol names used on computer program lines which have been cited for change.

10. The system of claim 2 wherein said second computer program includes code to utilize a plurality of features of said second program environment which said first program did not previously include.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein one of said plurality of features is a different addressing mode from that employed in said first program environment.

12. A method of automatically modifying a first computer program developed to run in a first program environment, defined by a computer architecture, a computer operating system, or a computer architecture and computer operating system, to run in a different second program environment, comprising the computer performed steps of:

a) creating an intermediate symbolic representation of said first computer program in the form of a plurality of class structures of a knowledge base wherein said representation is independent of a particular program environment;

b) providing a knowledge base wherein said knowledge base includes a first plurality of rules associated with said different second program environment and wherein said first plurality of rules is for use in analyzing said intermediate symbolic representation;

c) analyzing said intermediate symbolic representation of said first computer program to identify a plurality of patterns of non-adjacent instructions which require modification using said set of said plurality of rules of said knowledge base to determine a plurality of changes to make to said first computer program wherein said analyzing includes the step of using an inference engine to apply said first plurality of rules to said intermediate symbolic representation; and

d) generating a second computer program based upon said analysis of step c) which is fully compatible with said different second program environment.