File portability techniques

• US 6,526,570 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2000
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Vick, Christopher A., Paleczny, Michael H., Click, Clifford N. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): DAM, TUAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US09/558,408
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 717/138-141, 717/147, 717/146, 717/148, 717/153
• US Class Current: 717/146
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/47 Retargetable compilers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/76 Adapting program code to run in a different environment; Porting

Abstract

Systems and methods for building a platform specific compiler in a multi-platform environment are provided. A set of user defined platform dependent compiler architecture descriptors that describe corresponding architectural features of a particular hardware platform dependent compiler are provided. The descriptors are converted into the platform dependent compiler source code which is compiled into platform dependent compiler object code. The platform specific compiler is formed from the platform dependent compiler object code and platform independent compiler object code already provide. During compiler run time an interface mediates the flow of information between the platform dependent compiler object code and the platform independent compiler object code.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating a platform specific compiler, comprising:

a set of user defined platform dependent compiler architecture descriptors that describe corresponding architectural features of a particular hardware platform dependent compiler;

an architecture descriptor compiler arranged to convert the user defined platform dependent compiler architecture descriptors into the platform dependent compiler source code;

a host compiler arranged to compile the platform dependent compiler source code into platform dependent compiler object code;

platform independent compiler object code; and

an interface arranged to mediate the flow of information between the platform dependent compiler object code and the platform independent compiler object code during run time for the platform specific compiler.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the platform specific compiler includes platform independent compiler object code and platform dependent compiler object code suitable for execution of the particular hardware platform.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein during platform specific compiler run time, the platform independent compiler object code requests specific platform dependent object code information by providing an information request to the interface which directs the information request to a pre-determined platform dependent compiler object code information retriever.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the platform dependent compiler object code information retriever responds to the information request by retrieving specific platform dependent compiler object code information in satisfaction of the information request.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the retrieved information is provided to the interface which, in turn, directs the information to the information requestor.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said apparatus comprises a plurality of sets of user defined platform dependent architecture descriptors, wherein each of which corresponds to a different hardware platform.

7. A method of building a platform specific compiler, comprising:

providing a set of user defined platform dependent compiler architecture descriptors that describe corresponding architectural features of a particular hardware platform dependent compiler;

converting the set of user defined platform dependent compiler architecture descriptors into platform dependent compiler source code by an architecture descriptor compiler;

compiling the platform dependent compiler source code into platform dependent object code by a host compiler coupled to the architecture descriptor compiler;

providing platform independent compiler object code, wherein the platform independent compiler object code and the platform dependent compiler object code are suitable for execution on the particular hardware platform;

forming the platform specific compiler from the platform dependent compiler object code and the platform independent compiler object code;

providing an information request to an interface; and

directing the information request to a pre-determined platform dependent compiler object code information retriever by the interface.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

requesting specific platform dependent object code information by the platform independent compiler object code by the platform independent object code during platform specific compiler run time.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

retrieving specific platform dependent compiler object code information in satisfaction of the information request in response to the request by the information retriever.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

directing the retrieved information to the information requester by the interface.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

directing the retrieved information to the information requestor by the interface.

12. A platform specific compiler, comprising:

a platform dependent compiler object code;

a platform independent compiler object code, wherein the platform independent compiler object code and the platform dependent compiler object code are suitable for execution on a particular hardware platform;

an interface partially embedded in the platform independent compiler object code and partially embedded in the platform dependent compiler object code, wherein during platform specific compiler run time, the interface mediates flow of information between the platform independent compiler code and the platform dependent compiler code.

13. A platform specific compiler as recited in claim 12, wherein during platform specific compiler run time, the platform independent compiler object code requests specific platform dependent object code information by providing an information request to the interface which directs the information request to a pre-determined platform dependent compiler object code information retriever.

14. A platform specific compiler as recited in claim 13, wherein the platform dependent compiler object code information retriever responds to the information request by retrieving specific platform dependent compiler object code information in satisfaction of the information request.

15. A platform specific compiler as recited in claim 14, wherein the retrieved information is provided to the interface which, in turn, directs the information to the information requester.

16. A platform specific compiler as recited in claim 12, wherein said platform specific compiler further comprises a plurality of sets of user defined platform dependent architecture descriptors, wherein each of which corresponds to a different hardware platform.