Statically detecting externally referenced interfaces of a program

• US 7,272,827 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2002
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yoon, Young-Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Ingberg; Todd
• Application Number:
  US10/115,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20030192037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,994 Days
• Field of Search: 717/126, 717/162, 717/163, 717/164, 717/165, 717/154, 717/155, 717/156, 717/157, 717/158, 717/159, 717/144, 717/133
• US Class Current: 717/133
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/54 Link editing before load time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45504 Abstract machines for programme code execution, e.g. Java virtual machine [JVM], interpreters, emulators

Abstract

Externally referenced interfaces of a program are statically detected. The static detection of the externally referenced interfaces is performed prior to runtime and without the source code of the program. Input to the static detection is the compiled output of the program, and the output is a list of the externally referenced interfaces of the program.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of facilitating detection of externally referenced interfaces of a program, said method comprising:

obtaining a compiled program for which one or more externally referenced interfaces in the compiled program are to be detected;

detecting the one or more externally referenced interfaces in the compiled program without having to execute the compiled program during runtime;

creating a list of at least one of the one or more externally referenced interfaces in response to the detecting; and

storing the list in a computer-readable medium.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said compiled program comprises byte codes of said program, and wherein said detecting comprises using data of said byte codes to detect the one or more externally referenced interfaces.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein one or more designations of the one or more externally referenced interfaces are included in the byte codes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said compiled program comprises one or more class files of said program, and wherein said detecting comprises using data of at least one class file of said one or more class files to detect the one or more externally referenced interfaces.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a class file of said at least one class file comprises one or more structures, and wherein said using comprises using data of at least one structure of the one or more structures to detect at least one externally referenced interface of the one or more externally referenced interfaces.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one designation of the at least one externally referenced interface is located in a structure of the one or more structures.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said at least one structure comprises at least one substructure, and wherein said data comprises at least one index of said at least one substructure indicating at least one other substructure of said class file that includes at least one designation of at least one externally referenced interface.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein a structure of said at least one structure comprises a constant pool structure, and wherein said data comprises an index of a CONSTANT_Class substructure of said constant pool structure indicating another substructure of said constant pool structure that includes at least one designation of at least one externally referenced interface.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein said at least one structure comprises a constant pool structure, and wherein said data comprises an index of a CONSTANT_NameAndType substructure of said constant pool structure indicating another substructure of said constant pool structure that includes at least one designation of at least one externally referenced interface.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein a structure of said at least one structure comprises a field_info structure, and wherein said data comprises an index of said field_info structure indicating another substructure of said class file that includes at least one designation of at least one externally referenced interface.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein a structure of said at least one structure comprises a method_info structure, and wherein said data comprises an index of said method_info structure indicating another substructure of said class file that includes at least one designation of at least one externally referenced interface.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating comprises creating a list of the one or more externally referenced interfaces, said list usable in packaging the program to be run during runtime.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said program is written in a predetermined object-oriented programming language, and wherein said one or more externally referenced interfaces comprise one or more externally referenced classes.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises detecting all externally referenced interfaces in the compiled program without having to execute the compiled program during runtime.

15. A computer-implemented system of facilitating detection of externally referenced interfaces of a program, said system comprising:

a compiled program in which one or more externally referenced interfaces in the compiled program are to be detected;

means for detecting the one or more externally referenced interfaces in the compiled program without having to execute the program during runtime;

means for creating a list of at least one of the one or more externally referenced interfaces in response to the detecting; and

a computer-readable medium for storing the list.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said compiled program comprises byte codes of said program, and wherein said means for detecting comprises means for using data of said byte codes to detect the one or more externally referenced interfaces.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein one or more designations of the one or more externally referenced interfaces are included in the byte codes.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said compiled program comprises one or more class files of said program, and wherein said means for detecting comprises means for using data of at least one class file of said one or more class files to detect the one or more externally referenced interfaces.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein a class file of said at least one class file comprises one or more structures, and wherein said means for using comprises means for using data of at least one structure of the one or more structures to detect at least one externally referenced interface of the one or more externally referenced interfaces.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein at least one designation of the at least one externally referenced interface is located in a structure of the one or more structures.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said at least one structure comprises at least one substructure, and wherein said data comprises at least one index of said at least one substructure indicating at least one other substructure of said class file that includes at least one designation of at least one externally referenced interface.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein a structure of said at least one structure comprises a constant pool structure, and wherein said data comprises an index of a CONSTANT_Class substructure of said constant pool structure indicating another substructure of said constant pool structure that includes at least one designation of at least one externally referenced interface.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein said at least one structure comprises a constant pool structure, and wherein said data comprises an index of a CONSTANT_NameAndType substructure of said constant pool structure indicating another substructure of said constant pool structure that includes at least one designation of at least one externally referenced interface.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein a structure of said at least one structure comprises a field_info structure, and wherein said data comprises an index of said field_info structure indicating another substructure of said class file that includes at least one designation of at least one externally referenced interface.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein a structure of said at least one structure comprises a method_info structure, and wherein said data comprises an index of said method_info structure indicating another substructure of said class file that includes at least one designation of at least one externally referenced interface.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein said means for creating comprises means for creating a list of the one or more externally referenced interfaces, said list usable in packaging the program to be run during runtime.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein said program is written in a predetermined object-oriented programming language, and wherein said one or more externally referenced interfaces comprise one or more externally referenced classes.

28. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for detecting comprises means for detecting all externally referenced interfaces in the compiled program without having to execute the compiled program during runtime.

29. A computer-implemented system of facilitating detection of externally referenced interfaces of a program, said system comprising:

a compiled program in which one or more externally referenced interfaces in the compiled program are to be detected;

a detector to detect the one or more externally referenced interfaces without having to execute the compiled program during runtime;

a list of at least one of the one or more externally referenced interfaces in response to the detecting; and

storage for storing the list.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the detector detects all externally referenced interfaces without having to execute the compiled program during runtime.

31. At least one program storage device readable by a machine tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of facilitating detection of externally referenced interfaces of a program, said method comprising:

obtaining a compiled program for which one or more externally referenced interfaces in the compiled program are to be detected;

detecting the one or more externally referenced interfaces in the compiled program without having to execute the compiled program during runtime;

creating a list of at least one of the one or more externally referenced interfaces in response to the detecting; and

storing the list in a computer-readable medium.

32. The at least one program storage device of claim 31, wherein said compiled program comprises byte codes of said program, and wherein said detecting comprises using data of said byte codes to detect the one or more externally referenced interfaces.

33. The at least one program storage device of claim 32, wherein one or more designations of the one or more externally referenced interfaces are included in the byte codes.

34. The at least one program storage device of claim 31, wherein said compiled program comprises one or more class files of said program, and wherein said detecting comprises using data of at least one class file of said one or more class files to detect the one or more externally referenced interfaces.

35. The at least one program storage device of claim 34, wherein a class file of said at least one class file comprises one or more structures, and wherein said using comprises using data of at least one structure of the one or more structures to detect at least one externally referenced interface of the one or more externally referenced interfaces.

36. The at least one program storage device of claim 35, wherein at least one designation of the at least one externally referenced interface is located in a structure of the one or more structures.

37. The at least one program storage device of claim 35, wherein said at least one structure comprises at least one substructure, and wherein said data comprises at least one index of said at least one substructure indicating at least one other substructure of said class file that includes at least one designation of at least one externally referenced interface.

38. The at least one program storage device of claim 35, wherein a structure of said at least one structure comprises a constant pool structure, and wherein said data comprises an index of a CONSTANT_Class substructure of said constant pool structure indicating another substructure of said constant pool structure that includes at least one designation of at least one externally referenced interface.

39. The at least one program storage device of claim 35, wherein said at least one structure comprises a constant pool structure, and wherein said data comprises an index of a CONSTANT_NameAndType substructure of said constant pool structure indicating another substructure of said constant pool structure that includes at least one designation of at least one externally referenced interface.

40. The at least one program storage device of claim 35, wherein a structure of said at least one structure comprises a field_info structure, and wherein said data comprises an index of said field_info structure indicating another substructure of said class file that includes at least one designation of at least one externally referenced interface.

41. The at least one program storage device of claim 35, wherein a structure of said at least one structure comprises a method_info structure, and wherein said data comprises an index of said method_info structure indicating another substructure of said class file that includes, at least one designation of at least one externally referenced interface.

42. The at least one program storage device of claim 31, wherein said creating comprises creating a list of the one or more externally referenced interfaces, said list usable in packaging the program to be run during runtime.

43. The at least one program storage device of claim 31, wherein said program is written in a predetermined object-oriented programming language, and wherein said one or more externally referenced interfaces comprise one or more externally referenced classes.

44. The at least one program storage device of claim 31, wherein said detecting comprises detecting all externally referenced interfaces in the compiled program without having to execute the compiled program during runtime.