System, method, and computer program product for script processing

• US 5,854,930 A
• Filed: 12/30/1996
• Issued: 12/29/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: McLain, John V. Jr., Harris, Dale W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAM, TUAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US08/774,651
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 395/705, 395/708, 395/704, 395/500, 395/672-674, 395/677, 395/737, 395/739, 395/733, 395/182.02, 395/182.01, 395/183.08, 395/183.11, 395/183.19 , 395/183.22, 395/200.61, 395/588, 395/384-386, 371/2.1, 371/20.1, 371/20.4, 371/25.1, 371/37.1, 371/68.1, 371/68.2, 370/241, 370/242, 370/244, 370/252, 379/1, 379/10, 379/12, 379/14, 379/15, 379/18, 379/29, 364/578
• US Class Current: 717/139
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45508 Runtime interpretation or emulation, e g. emulator loops, bytecode interpretation

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product is provided for script processing. A new script language and script processing is used to significantly reduce the number of lines required for a script. A script includes a global script segment associated with a script data segment. The global script segment includes global directives (automatic directives and script repeating directives). The script data segment includes command records. Automatic directives are interpreted and repeatedly executed until script processing is complete. Automatic directives can be selectively activated and de-activated by a user. Script repeating directives repeat processing of the script data segment until the script repeating directive is satisfied. A command record includes an operation name field identifying a particular command and one or more operand fields. The operand fields can include single values, a range of values, or substitution codes. The script processor automatically repeats processing the script for each command record in the script data segment. The script processor further interprets the syntax of an operand to determine whether an operand is a single value, range of values, pointer, or substitution code. For a single value, the script processor executes the operation using the single value. For a ranges of values, the script processor repeatedly executes the operation for each value in said range of values. For a pointer to a table or other range of values, the script processor repeatedly executes the operation for each value in the table or range of values pointed to by the pointer. For a substitution code, the script processor repeatedly executes the operation using a corresponding substitution value (e.g. data, time, or sequence number).

Claims

1. A method for processing a script, the script includes at least one global script segment associated with a script data segment, the global script segment includes at least one global directive and the script data segment includes at least one command record, the method comprising the steps of:

reading each global directive in the global script segment included in script;

fetching the associated script data segment which includes the command record; and

processing the script data segment based on each global directive read in said reading step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one global directive can include at least one automatic directive;

and said processing step comprises the steps of;

interpreting each automatic directive; and

performing each automatic directive until script processing is complete.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one global directive can include at least one script repeating directive;

and said processing step comprises the steps of;

interpreting each script repeating directive; and

repeating processing of the script data segment until each script repeating directive is satisfied.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one global directive can include at least one of an automatic directive and a script repeating directive;

and said processing step comprises the steps of;

interpreting each automatic directive;

interpreting each script repeating directive;

repeating processing of the script data segment until each interpreted script repeating directive is satisfied; and

performing each interpreted automatic directive until said repeating script data segment processing step is complete.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said repeating processing step comprises the steps of:

for each command record in the script data segment,

reading an operation name identifying an operation and at least one operand identifying data operated upon by said operation; and

executing said operation using said data identified by said at least one operand.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said repeating processing step comprises the steps of:

for each command record in the script data segment,

reading an operation name identifying an operation and at least one operand identifying data operated upon by said operation;

determining when said operand contains a single value; and

executing said operation using said single value.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said repeating processing step comprises the steps of:

for each command record in the script data segment,

reading an operation name identifying an operation and at least one operand identifying data operated upon by said operation;

determining when said operand contains a range of values; and

executing said operation for each value in said range of values.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein said repeating processing step comprises the steps of:

for each command record in the script data segment,

reading an operation name identifying an operation and at least one operand identifying data operated upon by said operation;

determining when said operand contains a pointer to range of values; and

executing said operation for each value in said range of values pointed to by said pointer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said pointer points to a table having entries including said range of values.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein said repeating processing step comprises the steps of:

for each command record in the script data segment,

reading an operation name identifying an operation and at least one operand identifying data operated upon by said operation;

determining when said operand contains a substitution code; and

executing said operation using a substitution value corresponding to said substitution code.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said substitution code includes at least one of a data code, a time code, and a sequence code.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one global directive can include at least one automatic directive;

and said processing step comprises the steps of;

interpreting and activating each automatic directive;

permitting a user to selectively de-activate each automatic directive; and

performing each activated automatic directive until script processing is complete.

13. A script processor for processing a script stored in a memory, the script includes at least one global script segment associated with a script data segment, the global script segment includes at least one global directive and the script data segment includes at least one command record, the script processor comprising:

a read unit reading each global directive in the global script segment included in the script;

a fetch unit fetching the associated script data segment which includes the command record; and

a processor processing the script data segment based on each global directive read by said read unit.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one global directive can include at least one of an automatic directive and a script repeating directive;

and said processor further comprises;

an interpreter interpreting each automatic directive and each script repeating directive;

said interpreter repeats processing of the script data segment until each interpreted script repeating directive is satisfied, and performs each interpreted automatic directive until each repeated processing of the script data segment processing step is complete.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, for each command record in the script data segment,

said interpreter reads an operation name identifying an operation and at least one operand identifying data operated upon by said operation, and

executes said operation using said data identified by said at least one operand.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein, for each command record in the script data segment,

said interpreter reads an operation name identifying an operation and at least one operand identifying data operated upon by said operation, determines when said operand contains a single value, and executes said operation using said single value.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein, for each command record in the script data segment,

said interpreter reads an operation name identifying an operation and at least one operand identifying data operated upon by said operation, determines when said operand contains a range of values, and executes said operation for each value in said range of values.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein, for each command record in the script data segment,

said interpreter reads an operation name identifying an operation and at least one operand identifying data operated upon by said operation, determines when said operand contains a pointer to range of values, and executes said operation for each value in said range of values pointed to by said pointer.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said pointer points to a table having entries including said range of values.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein, for each command record in the script data segment,

said interpreter reads an operation name identifying an operation and at least one operand identifying data operated upon by said operation, determines when said operand contains a substitution code, and executes said operation using a substitution value corresponding to said substitution code.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said substitution code includes at least one of a data code, a time code, and a sequence code.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one global directive can include at least one automatic directive;

and said processor further comprises;

an interpreter that interprets and activates each automatic directive, wherein, said interpreter permits a user to selectively de-activate each automatic directive and performs each activated automatic directive until script processing is complete.

23. A script processor for processing a script, the script includes at least one global script segment associated with a script data segment, the global script segment includes at least one global directive and the script data segment includes at least one command record, the processor comprising:

means for reading each global directive in the global script segment included in the script;

means for fetching the associated script data segment which includes the command record; and

means for processing the script data segment based on each global directive read in said reading step.

24. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor in a computer system to process a script, the script includes at least one global script segment associated with a script data segment, the global script segment includes at least one global directive and the script data segment includes at least one command record, said computer program logic comprising:

means for enabling the processor to read each global directive in the global script segment included in the script;

means for enabling the processor to fetch the associated script data segment which includes the command record; and

means for enabling the processor to process the script data segment based on each global directive.

25. A method for processing a script, the script includes at least one global script segment associated with a script data segment, the global script segment includes at least one global directive and the script data segment includes at least one command record, the method comprising the steps of:

reading the script data segment which the command record; and

processing the script data segment, said processing step comprising the steps of;

for each command record in the script data segment,

reading an operation name field identifying an operation to be performed during said processing step and at least one operand field identifying data operated upon by said operation field;

determining when said operand field contains a range of values; and

executing said operation for each value in said range of values.

26. A method for processing a script, the script includes at least one global script segment associated with a script data segment, the global script segment includes at least one global directive and the script data segment includes at least one command record, the method comprising the steps of:

reading the script data segment which includes the command record; and

processing the script data segment, said processing step comprising the steps of;

for each command record in the script data segment,

reading an operation name identifying an operation field and at least one operand field identifying data operated upon by said operation field;

determining when said operand field contains a pointer to a range of values; and

executing said operation for each value in said range of values pointed to by said pointer.

27. A method for processing a script, the script includes at least one global script segment associated with a script data segment, the global script segment includes at least one global directive and the script data segment includes at least one command record, the method comprising the steps of:

reading the script data segment which includes the command record; and

processing the script data segment, said processing step comprising the steps of;

for each command record in the script data segment,

reading an operation name identifying an operation field and at least one operand field identifying data operated upon by said operation field;

determining when said operand field contains a substitution code; and

executing said operation field using a substitution value corresponding to said substitution code.