System for ensuring the accuracy of file structures in a source-to-source computer program translator

• US 6,317,871 B1
• Filed: 07/17/1998
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Molloy, Mark E., Andrews, Kristy A., Del Vigna, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US09/118,477
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 395/705, 395/709, 395/500.21, 707/3, 707/4, 707/101, 704/8, 716/20, 717/5, 717/9
• US Class Current: 717/137
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/51 Source to source

Abstract

A system for identifying the file structure of a computer program, preserving the file structure of the code after translation of source code from one high-level computer language to another, combining pieces of a source file that were generated in different translation sessions, and ensuring textual consistency of each piece of generated code in the resultant code files.

Claims

1. A method for translating a source program into a target program, the method comprising:

parsing a source program written in a first computer language to determine whether a line includes a macro definition;

creating a first list having a partition associated with the determined macro definition; and

using the partition to generate a target program of a second computer language, wherein said second computer language is different from said first computer language.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a second list of partitions; and

performing a consistency check between the first and second lists.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of parsing includes:

converting the source program to a stream of tokens;

creating a syntax tree from the tokens;

using a virtual source production mechanism to create a first portion of virtual source code; and

wherein the step of creating a first list having a partition includes the substep of;

using one or more tokens to create the partition.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

extracting partition templates from the source program;

assembling the partition templates into a target language code file; and

using the target language code file to generate the target program.

5. An apparatus for translating a source program into a target program, the apparatus comprising:

instructions for parsing a source program written in a first computer language to determine whether a line includes a macro definition;

instructions for creating a first list having a partition associated with the determined macro definition; and

instructions for using the partition to generate a target program of a second computer language, wherein the second computer language is different from the first computer language.

6. A computer readable media for storing instructions for a process executable on a computer system for translating a source program into a target program, the computer-readable media including:

instructions for parsing a source program written in a first computer language to determine whether a line includes a macro definition;

instructions for creating a first list having a partition associated with the determined macro definition; and

instructions for using the partition to generate a target program of a second computer language, wherein the second computer language is different from the first computer language.