Method and apparatus for collocating dynamically loaded program files

• US 6,918,106 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2000
• Issued: 07/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Kesselman, Jeffrey P., Burridge, Richard N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Application Number:
  US09/629,080
• Time in Patent Office: 1,807 Days
• Field of Search: 717/100, 717/114, 717/131, 717/132, 717162-166, 717/127
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading

Abstract

A method for executing a dynamically loaded program having a main program unit includes executing the main unit a first time, creating at least one library file containing only application program files loaded during the first execution, specifying a system program file input and executing the main program unit a second time using the system program file input and the at least one library file for dynamically loaded program files. A method for optimizing a dynamically loaded program, the program including a main program unit includes creating at least one library file containing only application program files loaded during execution of the main program unit and optimizing the program based upon a list of application program files in the library file. A method for testing a dynamically loaded program, the program including a main program unit includes specifying a list including at least one application program file to be tested, creating at least one library file containing only application program files loaded during execution of the main program unit and indicating incomplete test coverage when at least one file in the list is not represented in the library file.

Claims

1. A method for executing a dynamically loaded program, said program including a main program unit, said method comprising:

executing said main program unit a first time;

creating at least one library file containing only application program files loaded during said first execution of said main program unit;

specifying a system program file input; and

executing said main program unit a second time using said system program file input and said at least one library file for dynamically loaded program files.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said creating further comprises:

specifying a first at least one pathname for system program files;

specifying a second at least one pathname for application program files;

executing said main program unit using said first at least one pathname and said second at least one pathname for dynamically loaded program files; and

storing each application program file loaded during execution of said main program unit to said library file.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said storing further comprises:

loading a program file when referenced during execution of said main program unit;

storing said program file to said library file when said program file is an application program file; and

determining whether execution of said main program unit has terminated.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said library file further comprises a compressed file.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said program files comprise class files and archive files.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said system program file input comprises a collection of services and libraries included in an execution environment.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said library file comprises an archive file.

8. An apparatus for executing a dynamically loaded program, said program including a main program unit, said apparatus comprising:

means for executing said main program unit a first time;

means for creating at least one library file containing only application program files loaded during said first execution of said main program unit;

means for specifying a system program file input; and

means for executing said main program unit a second time using said system program file input and said at least one library file for dynamically loaded program files.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said means for creating further comprises:

means for specifying a first at least one pathname for system program files;

means for specifying a second at least one pathname for application program files;

means for executing said main program unit using said first at least one pathname and said second at least one pathname for dynamically loaded program files; and

means for storing each application program file loaded during execution of said in program unit to said library file.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said means for storing further comprises:

means for loading a program file when referenced during execution of said main program unit;

means for storing said program file to said library file when said program file is an application program file; and

means for determining whether execution of said main program unit has terminated.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said library file further comprises a compressed file.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said program files comprise class files and archive files.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said system program file input comprises a collection of services and libraries included in an execution environment.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said library file comprises an archive file.

15. A program storage device readable by a machine, embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method to execute a dynamically loaded program, the method comprising:

executing said main program unit a first time;

creating al least one library file containing only application program files loaded during said first execution of said main program unit;

specifying a system program file input; and

executing said main program unit a second time using said system program file input and said at least one library file for dynamically loaded program files.

16. The program storage device of claim 15 wherein said creating further comprises:

specifying a first at least one pathname for system program files;

specifying a second at least one pathname for application program files;

executing said main program unit using said first at least one pathname and said second at least one pathname for dynamically loaded program files; and

storing each application program file loaded during execution of said main program unit to said library file.

17. The program storage device of claim 16 wherein said storing further comprises:

loading a program file when referenced during execution of said main program unit;

storing said program file to said library file when said program file is an application program file; and

determining whether execution of said main prom unit has terminated.

18. The program storage device of claim 17 wherein said library file further comprises a compressed file.

19. The program storage device of claim 15 wherein said program files comprise class files and archive files.

20. The program storage device of claim 19 wherein said system program file input comprises class files and archive files.

21. The program storage device of claim 20 wherein said library file comprises an archive file.

22. A method for representing a library file, said method including:

storing in at least one program unit field the pathname of every application program unit loaded during the execution of a dynamically loaded program, said dynamically loaded program including a main program unit; and

storing in a main unit field the pathname of said main program unit.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein

said program unit field and said main unit field are contained within an archive file;

and

said main unit field comprises a manifest file.