System for automated interface generation for computer programs operating in different environments

• US 6,230,117 B1
• Filed: 03/23/1998
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Starkey, Michael, Stephenson, John Wright, Lymer, Sharon Frances
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Knox, Lonnie A.
• Application Number:
  US09/046,366
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 395/500.44, 395/500.43, 395/500.41, 395/684, 395/701, 395/712, 395/200.33, 703/22, 703/23, 703/395, 703/24, 709/300, 709/101, 709/104, 709/202, 709/227, 709/228, 709/313, 707/4, 707/101, 707/102, 707/104, 717/1-11
• US Class Current: 703/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system for for automated interface generation for computer programs operating in different environments. The system comprises a utility which imports a CICS COBOL transaction source file, parses the communication area of the CICS file, and generates modelling information. The modelling information represents the nature and structure of data in the CICS transaction source file, and is written to a persistent data store. The utility uses the information in the persistent data store to generate an application programming interface. The application programming interface takes the data values from the other language and translates them to a formatted CICS COBOL communications area. This format is derived from the definition of the CICS communications area contained in the imported CICS program. After the translation runs, the resulting CICS COBOL communications area is translated back to the data values of the other language. This translation step also handles the data conversion between different codepages and machine architectures and program semantics. The resulting language values represent the result of the transaction. The CICS transaction is accessed using the CICS External Call Interface mechanism.

Claims

1. An import utility for interfacing a COBOL program through a CICS transaction executing in a first program environment on a first computer device to a program specific to another program environment on a second computer device, said import utility comprising:

(a) scanner means for scanning the CICS transaction for said COBOL program and producing a data description of said CICS transaction;

(b) parser means for parsing said data description into a corresponding token stream;

(c) importer means for importing said token stream and automatically generating a data model describing said CICS transaction in said another program environment, said data model including means for converting information between said CICS transaction and a program in said another program environment, and said data model being compatible for generating code for an invoking mechanism in a program for remotely invoking said CICS transaction from said another program environment on said second computer machine, without transforming CICS data in said first program environment.

2. The import utility as claimed in claim 1, wherein said invoking mechanism comprises a method call for accessing said CICS transaction through an External Call Interface.

3. The import utility as claimed in claim 2, further including means for selecting a CICS transaction in the COBOL program, and means for specifying a class in said program for said method.

4. The import utility as claimed in claim 2, wherein said program environment comprises a C⁺⁺ environment.

5. The import utility as claimed in claim 2, wherein said program environment comprises a JAVA environment.

6. A computer system having a first program environment on a first computer device and a second program environment on a second computer device, said computer system comprising:

an importer having scanner means for scanning a transaction interface for a program running in said first program environment and producing an output describing the transaction interface for the program in said first program environment, parser means for parsing the output description from said scanner means and generating a token stream, creator means for creating a data model from said token stream, wherein said data model includes means for converting information from said transaction interface for a program running in said second program environment;

a compiler having means for compiling a program in said second program environment and said data model to produce an executable program, said executable program including invoking means derived from said data model for remotely accessing the program operating in said first program environment without transforming said transaction interface in said first program environment.

7. The computer system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said data model includes means for converting data types between said first and second program environments.

8. The computer system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said data model includes means for converting codepages for said first and second program environments.

9. The computer system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said data model includes means for converting between CICS program semantics and JAVA programming semantics.

10. A computer program product for use in a computer system having a first program environment on a first computer device and a second program environment on a second computer device, said first program environment providing an operating platform for a COBOL program and CICS transactions, said computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means recorded on said medium for instructing said computer system to perform the steps of,

(a) scanning the CICS transaction in said COBOL program and producing a data description of said CICS transaction;

(b) parsing said data description into a corresponding token stream;

(c) creating a data model from said token stream wherein said data model describes said CICS transaction in said second program environment and includes means for converting information between said first and second program environments, and said data model being compatible for generating code for an invoking mechanism in a program for remotely invoking said CICS transaction from said second program environment without transforming CICS data in said first program environment.

11. The computer system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said second program environment comprises a C⁺⁺ environment.

12. The import utility as claimed in claim 10, wherein said second program environment comprises a JAVA environment.