Method for separate compilation of templates

• US 6,405,368 B1
• Filed: 04/16/1999
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acacia Patent Acquisition Corporation (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Brian Freyburger
• Inventors: Freyburger, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): DAM, TUAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US09/292,875
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 717/5, 717/7, 717/10, 717/11, 707/101
• US Class Current: 717/140
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/41 Compilation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for separate compilation of templates by creating an executable program from source programs having templates that include a source file having a template definition and one or more source files having a template instantiation, and by providing a compiled object file having the template definition as input to compilation processes for creating object files having the template instantiation upon object files are provided to a linker process for creating the executable program. In this way, compilation of the source programs may occur with the template definition occurring in only one source program.

Claims

1. A method of creating an executable program from source programs having templates comprising the steps of:

a) providing a first source file having a template definition;

b) providing a second source file having a template instantiation;

c) compiling the first source file and the second source file into first and second object files, the first object file comprising a template definition;

d) linking the first and second object files into an executable program.

2. The method as recited by claim 1 wherein the first source file is a C++ file.

3. A method of creating an executable program from source programs having templates comprising the steps of:

a) providing a first source file having a template definition;

b) compiling the first source file into a first object file;

c) providing a second source file having a template instantiation;

d) compiling the second source file into a second object file, the step of compiling the second source file into a second object file having as inputs the second source file and a translation of the template definition.

4. The method as recited by claim 3 wherein the first source file is a C++ file.

5. A method of creating an executable program from source programs having templates comprising the steps of:

a) providing a first source file having a template definition;

b) compiling the first source file into a first object file;

c) providing a second source file having a template instantiation;

d) compiling the second source file into a second object file, the step of compiling the second source file into a second object file having as inputs the second source file and the template definition from the first object file.

6. The method as recited by claim 5 wherein the first source file is a C++ file.