System and method for common code generation

• US 6,678,885 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2001
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wind River Systems Incorporated (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Wind River Systems Incorporated (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Reyna, David, Dzeng, Shawn-Lin
• Primary Examiner(s): Chavis, John
• Application Number:
  US09/797,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20020059565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 717/147
• US Class Current: 717/147
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A system and method improves a process of creating software programs for a variety of existing computing platforms. In particular, a developer receives an input file. The developer generates a formatted data file as a function of the input file. If the input file includes data, then the data contained within the formatted data file is stored in a predetermined format compatible with each of a plurality of computing platforms. Then the developer generates a common generation file using a predetermined programming language which is a lowest common denominator language utilized by each of the plurality of computing platforms. The common generation file is capable of creating a predefined output file compatible with each of the plurality of computing platforms. The formatted data file is modified to create a modified formatted data file. Finally, the common generation file is compiled with the modified data file to generate the predefined output file for the corresponding platform.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving an input file;

(b) generating a formatted data file as a function of the input file;

(c) generating a common generation file using a predetermined programming language, the predetermined programming language being a lowest common denominator language utilized by each of a plurality of computing platforms, the common generation file adapted to create a predefined output file compatible with each of the plurality of computing platforms;

(d) receiving information to modify the formatted data file to create a modified formatted data file; and

(e) compiling the common generation file with the modified data file to generate the predefined output file for the corresponding platform.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lowest common denominator language processes files without displaying a message to a user.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lowest denominator language is one of C, C++ and PASCAL.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the formatted data file is one of an ASCII text file, an XML file and a binary file.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the compiling step is performed simultaneously for each of the plurality of computing platforms.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the substep of adding, during the modification step, a field to the formatted data file by the code generation file.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the substep of removing, during the modification step, a field from the formatted data file by the code generation file.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (d) includes the following substeps:

reading the data according to the predetermined format by the code generation file,

extracting the data from the formatted data file by the code generation file,

receiving modifications to the data by the code generation file from an interface of the corresponding computing platform;

storing by the code generation file the modified data into the modified data file in accordance with the predetermined format.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the interface includes a command line interface.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the interface includes a graphical user interface.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input file includes data.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input file is a blank file.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step (b) includes the substep of:

formatting the data with a predetermined format compatible with each of a plurality of computing platforms.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the formatted data file is a blank file with a predetermined format compatible with each of a plurality of computing platforms to generate into a blank.

15. A system, comprising:

a memory arrangement;

an input device receiving an input file; and

a generation unit processor generating a formatted data file as a function of the input file, the processor generating a common generation file using a predetermined programming language, the predetermined programming language being a lowest common denominator language utilized by each of the plurality of computing platforms, the common generation file being capable of creating a predefined output file compatible with a corresponding one of the plurality of computing platforms, the processor modifying the formatted data file with the code generation file to create a modified data file using an interface of a corresponding computing platform of the plurality of computing platforms, the processor compiling the common generation file with the modified data file to generate the predefined output file for the corresponding platform.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the input device includes data.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the data is stored in a predetermined format compatible with a plurality of computing platforms to generate the formatted data file.

18. A computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions capable of being executed by a processor, the set of instructions performing the steps of:

(a) receiving an input file;

(b) generating a formatted data file as a function of the input file;

(c) generating a common generation file using a predetermined programming language, the predetermined programming language being a lowest common denominator language utilized by each of the plurality of computing platforms, the common generation file being capable of creating a predefined output file compatible with each of the plurality of computing platforms;

(d) modifying the formatted data file to create a modified formatted data file, the modification being provided via an interface of a corresponding one of the plurality of computing platforms; and

(e) compiling the common generation file with the modified data file to generate the predefined output file for the corresponding platform.