System, method and computer program product for automatic generation of data processing program

• US 6,698,010 B1
• Filed: 08/18/2000
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Sato, Akiyoshi, Yamanouchi, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): ZHEN, WEI Y
• Application Number:
  US09/640,693
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 717/110-113, 717/104-109, 707/1.3, 707/100, 707/102-104
• US Class Current: 717/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2438 Embedded query languages
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code

Abstract

To generate automatically a data processing program for referring to, updating, and deleting the date of a table of a database, using a cursor definition statement. Specification input means accepts specifications. The specification input means outputs the specifications into next stages for acquiring program skeleton customize information, cursor definition information and output item processing information. On the basis of these information, three statements are made: a cursor definition statement, a work variable definition statement and an output processing statement depending on the specified processing type (insert, update, delete). An object program is generated by combining these statements, a program skeleton and program skeleton customize information. Concretely, the combining means inserts these statements into the respective corresponding inserting positions of the program skeleton, including the program of a fixed portion regardless of the content of specifications and an inserting position of a piece of the program corresponding to a portion changeable according to specifications, thereby completing the object program.

Claims

1. A program generation system for generating a data processing program which searches, updates, and deletes data, which comprises:

specifications input means for inputting specifications including program name, input table item definition, select item definition, output table item definition, output table processing definition, select condition definition, and program customize information;

a program skeleton customize information obtaining means for taking out said program name and said program customize information from said specifications outputted from said specifications input means;

a cursor definition information obtaining means for taking out said input table item definition, said select item definition, and said select condition definition from said specifications outputted from said specifications input means;

an output item processing information obtaining means for taking out said output table item definition and said output table processing definition from said specifications outputted from said specifications input means;

a cursor definition statement generating means for generating a cursor definition statement on the basis of the output from said cursor definition information obtaining means;

a work variable definition statement generating means for generating a work variable definition statement concerning output tables belonging to the processing type “

insert”

among said output table item definition obtained by said output item processing information obtaining means;

an output processing statement generating means for generating on the basis of said output table item definition and said output table processing definition;

an output processing statement including a processing condition statement, an item calculation statement, and an insert statement in the case of the processing type “

insert”

,

an output processing statement including a processing condition statement and an update statement in the case of the processing type “

update”

, and

an output processing statement including a processing condition statement and a delete statement in the case of the processing type “

delete”

; and

a program combining means for completing and outputting said data processing program by inserting said program name, said program customize information, said cursor definition statement, said work variable definition statement, and said output processing statement, into a program skeleton which includes a fixed program portion regardless of the content of said specifications and a changeable program portion depending upon said specifications.

2. The program generation system as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

a program skeleton library for storing a plurality of kinds of program skeletons including a program of a fixed portion regardless of the content of specifications and an inserting position of a piece of the program corresponding to a portion changeable according to specifications; and

a program skeleton selecting means for selecting one program skeleton a user specifies, from said program skeleton library, and passing the program to said automatic program combining means.

3. The program generation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said specifications input means inputs all input table names and output table names for use in processing, and type information and all item names of the corresponding input table and output table are retrieved and obtained from the table definition information of a database, and represented to specifications describer on a screen, which enables the describer to specify any specifications information other than the input table definition and the output table item definition.

4. The program generation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said program skeleton includes a debugging trace statement; and

said program combining means removes the debugging trace statement within the program skeleton, or leaves the same, according to generation program discriminating information indicating whether a debugging program is generated, or a real program is generated.

5. A program generation system for generating a data processing program which searches, updates, and deletes data, which comprises:

specifications input means for inputting specifications including program name, input table item definition, output table item definition, output table processing definition, select condition definition, and program customize information;

a program skeleton customize information obtaining means for taking out said program name and said program customize information from said specifications outputted from said specifications input means;

a cursor definition information obtaining means for taking out said input table item definition, said select condition definition, and said output table processing definition from said specifications outputted from said specifications input means;

an output item processing information obtaining means for taking out said output table item definition and said output table processing definition from said specifications outputted from said specifications input means;

a cursor definition statement generating means for generating a select item definition on the basis of said input table item definition, said select condition definition, and said output table processing definition obtained by said cursor definition information obtaining means, and for generating a cursor definition statement on the basis of said generated select item definition and said select condition definition obtained by said cursor definition information obtaining means;

a work variable definition statement generating means for generating a work variable definition statement concerning output tables belonging to the processing type “

insert”

among said output table item definition;

an output processing statement generating means for generating on the basis of said output table item definition and said output table processing definition,

an output processing statement including a processing condition statement, an item calculation statement, and an insert statement in the case of the processing type “

insert”

,

an output processing statement including a processing condition statement and an update statement in the case of the processing type “

update”

, and

and generating an output processing statement including a processing condition statement and a delete statement in the case of the processing type “

delete”

; and

a program combining means for completing and outputting said data processing program by inserting said program name, said program skeleton customize information, said cursor definition statement, said work variable definition statement, and said output processing statement, into a program skeleton which includes a fixed program portion regardless of the content of said specifications and a changeable program portion depending upon said specifications.

6. The program generation system as claimed in claim 5, comprising:

a program skeleton library for storing a plurality of kinds of program skeletons including a program of a fixed portion regardless of the content of specifications and an inserting position of a piece of the program corresponding to a portion changeable according to specifications; and

a program skeleton selecting means for selecting one program skeleton a user specifies, from said program skeleton library, and passing the program to said automatic program combining means.

7. The program generation system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said specifications input means inputs all input table names and output table names for use in processing, and type information and all item names of the corresponding input table and output table are retrieved and obtained from the table definition information of a database, and represented to specifications describer on a screen, which enables the describer to specify any specifications information other than the input table definition and the output table item definition.

8. The program generation system as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

said program skeleton includes a debugging trace statement; and

said program combining means removes the debugging trace statement within the program skeleton, or leaves the same, according to generation program discriminating information indicating whether a debugging program is generated, or a real program is generated.

9. A program generation method for generating a data processing program which searches, updates, and deletes data, which comprises the steps of:

(a) inputting specifications including program name, input table item definition, select item definition, output table item definition, output table processing definition, select condition definition, and program customize information;

(b) taking out the program name and the program customize information, as the information for customizing a program skeleton, from the specifications input in said step (a);

(c) taking out the input table item definition, the select item definition, and the select condition definition, from the specifications input in said step (a);

(d) taking out the output table item definition and the output table processing definition, from the specifications input in said step (a);

(e) generating a cursor definition statement from the information obtained in said step (c);

(f) generating a work variable definition statement, from an output table belonging to the processing type “

insert”

, of the output table item definition obtained in said step (d);

(g) generating an output processing statement including a processing condition statement, an item calculation statement, and an insert statement in the case of the processing type “

insert”

, generating an output processing statement including a processing condition statement and an update statement in the case of the processing type “

update”

, and generating an output processing statement including a processing condition statement and a delete statement in the case of the processing type “

delete”

, from the output table item definition and the output table processing definition obtained in said step (d); and

(h) completing and outputting a program by inserting the program name and the program customize information obtained in said step (b), the generated cursor definition statement, the generated work variable definition statement, and the generated output processing statement, into the respective corresponding inserting positions of a program skeleton, including the program of a fixed portion regardless of the content of specifications and an inserting position of a piece of the program corresponding to a portion changeable according to specifications.

10. A program generation method for generating a data processing program which searches, updates, and deletes data, which comprises the steps of:

(a) inputting specifications including program name, input table item definition, output table item definition, output table processing definition, select condition definition, and program customize information;

(b) taking out the program name and the program customize information, as the information for customizing a program skeleton, from the specifications input in said step (a);

(c) taking out the input table item definition, and the select condition definition, from the specifications input in said step (a);

(d) taking out the output table item definition and the output table processing definition, from the specifications input in said step (a);

(e) generating a select item definition from the input table item definition, the select condition definition and the output table processing definition obtained in said step (c), and generating a cursor definition statement from the information obtained in said step (c);

(f) generating a work variable definition statement, from an output table belonging to the processing type “

insert”

, of the output table item definition obtained in said step (d);

(g) generating an output processing statement including a processing condition statement, an item calculation statement, and an insert statement in the case of the processing type “

insert”

, generating an output processing statement including a processing condition statement and an update statement in the case of the processing type “

update”

, and generating an output processing statement including a processing condition statement and a delete statement in the case of the processing type “

delete”

, from the output table item definition and the output table processing definition obtained in said step (d); and

(h) completing and outputting a program by inserting the program name and the program customize information obtained in said step (b), the generated cursor definition statement, the generated work variable definition statement, and the generated output processing statement, into the respective corresponding inserting positions of a program skeleton, including the program of a fixed portion regardless of the content of specifications and an inserting position of a piece of the program corresponding to a portion changeable according to specifications.

11. A computer program product stored in a computer readable medium for generating a data processing program for performing data processing comprising the steps of:

(a) inputting specifications including program name, input table item definition, select item definition, output table item definition, output table processing definition, select condition definition, and program customize information;

(b) taking out the program name and the program customize information, as the information for customizing a program skeleton, from the specifications input in said step (a);

(c) taking out the input table item definition, the select item definition, and the select condition definition, from the specifications input in said step (a);

(d) taking out the output table item definition and the output table processing definition, from the specifications input in said step (a);

(e) generating a cursor definition statement from the information obtained in said step (c);

(f) generating a work variable definition statement from an output table belonging to the processing type “

insert”

, of the output table item definition obtained in said step (d);

(g) generating an output processing statement including a processing condition statement, an item calculation statement, and an insert statement in the case of the processing type “

insert”

, generating an output processing statement including a processing condition statement and an update statement in the case of the processing type “

update”

, and generating an output processing statement including a processing condition statement and a delete statement in the case of the processing type “

delete”

, from the output table item definition and the output table processing definition obtained in said step (d); and

(h) completing and outputting a program by inserting the program name and the program customize information obtained in said step (b), the generated cursor definition statement, the generated work variable definition statement, and the generated output processing statement, into the respective corresponding inserting positions of a program skeleton, including the program of a fixed portion regardless of the content of specifications and an inserting position of a piece of the program corresponding to a portion changeable according to specifications.

12. A computer program product stored in a computer readable medium for generating a data processing program for performing data processing comprising the steps of:

(a) inputting specifications including program name, input table item definition, output table item definition, output table processing definition, select condition definition, and program customize information;

(b) taking out the program name and the program customize information, as the information for customizing a program skeleton, from the specifications input in said step (a);

(c) taking out the input table item definition, and the select condition definition, from the specifications input in said step (a);

(d) taking out the output table item definition and the output table processing definition, from the specifications input in said step (a);

(e) generating a select item definition from the input table item definition, the select condition definition and the output table processing definition obtained in said step (c), and generating a cursor definition statement from the information obtained in said step (c);

(f) generating a work variable definition statement, from an output table belonging to the processing type “

insert”

, of the output table item definition obtained in said step (d);

(g) generating an output processing statement including a processing condition statement, an item calculation statement, and an insert statement in the case of the processing type “

insert”

, generating an output processing statement including a processing condition statement and an update statement in the case of the processing type “

update”

, and generating an output processing statement including a processing condition statement and a delete statement in the case of the processing type “

delete”

, from the output table item definition and the output table processing definition obtained in said step (d); and

(h) completing and outputting a program by inserting the program name and the program customize information obtained in said step (b), the generated cursor definition statement, the generated work variable definition statement, and the generated output processing statement, into the respective corresponding inserting positions of a program skeleton, including the program of a fixed portion regardless of the content of specifications and an inserting position of a piece of the program corresponding to a portion changeable according to specifications.