Embedding an interpreter within an application written in a different programming language

• US 7,627,852 B1
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xilinx, Inc. (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Xilinx, Inc. (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stroomer, Jeffrey D., Milne, Roger B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri; Anil
• Application Number:
  US11/334,133
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 717106-115, 717/139, 717/140
• US Class Current: 717/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services

Abstract

A method of accessing, from a host application written in a first programming language, a subroutine written in a second programming language can include serializing input data expressed as an XTable formatted in a first programming language into a string representation of the input data. The method further can include de-serializing the string representation of the input data as an XTable formatted in the second programming language and executing the subroutine, wherein the XTable formatted in the second programming language is processed as input. Output data returned from the subroutine that is expressed as an XTable formatted in the second programming language can be serialized into a string representation of the output data. The string representation of the output data can be de-serialized into an XTable formatted in the first programming language.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of invoking, from a host application written in a first programming language, a subroutine written in a second programming language different from the first programming language, said method comprising:

serializing input data expressed as a first XTable formatted in the first programming language and comprising a plurality of different data types native to the first programming language into a string representation of the input data stored in memory;

de-serializing the string representation of the input data as a second XTable stored in memory and formatted in the second programming language, wherein the second XTable comprises a plurality of data types native to the second programming language, and wherein the second programming language is scripted;

executing the subroutine, wherein the second XTable formatted in the second programming language is processed as input;

serializing output data returned from the subroutine, expressed as a third XTable formatted in the second programming language and comprising a plurality of different data types native to the second programming language, into a string representation of the output data stored in memory; and

de-serializing the string representation of the output data into a fourth XTable stored in memory and formatted in the first programming language, wherein the fourth XTable comprises data types native to the first programming language,

wherein serializing input data, de-serializing the string representation, executing the subroutine, serializing output data, and de-serializing the string representation are performed and are executable by a computer, and wherein the steps of de-serializing the string representation, executing the subroutine, and serializing output data are performed by a utility program that is dynamically generated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the subroutine is a first subroutine, the method further comprising returning the output data expressed as the fourth XTable formatted in the first programming language to a second subroutine within the host application that was responsible for invoking the first subroutine.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising invoking an interpreter that executes programs implemented in a scripted programming language by passing the interpreter the string representation of the input data and a reference to the utility program which is stored as a file.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encoding the utility program as a plain text string; and

passing the plain text string and the string representation of the input data to an interpreter that executes programs implemented in a scripted programming language.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the interpreter executing the utility program thereby calling the subroutine and de-serializing the string representation of the input data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth XTables is passed as a single parameter.

7. A system for accessing a subroutine from within a host application written in a host programming language, wherein the subroutine is written in a subroutine programming language that is different from the host programming language, said system comprising:

a computer executing program code that implements a plurality of components comprising;

a gasket executing in the computer configured to translate data between a string representation of the data stored in memory and a first XTable representation of the data stored in memory and formatted using the host programming language, wherein the first XTable comprises a plurality of data types native to the host programming language;

a utility program that is dynamically generated by said gasket and coded in the subroutine programming language, wherein said utility program is executed by the computer to translate between the string representation of the data and a second XTable representation of the data stored in memory and formatted using the subroutine programming language, wherein the second XTable comprises a plurality of data types native to the subroutine programming language; and

an interpreter embedded within the host application, wherein said interpreter is operative within the computer to execute the utility program;

wherein said gasket provides said interpreter with said utility program and the string representation of the data, and wherein said interpreter executes said utility program within the computer, thereby de-serializing the string representation of the data and calling the subroutine.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said utility program passes the subroutine the second XTable formatted in the subroutine programming language as a single parameter.

9. The system of claim 7, said gasket further comprising:

a serialization module configured to translate the first XTable formatted in the host programming language into the string representation of the data; and

a de-serialization module configured to translate a string comprising output data from the subroutine into a third XTable formatted in the host programming language.

10. The system of claim 7, said utility program further comprising:

a serialization module configured to translate a third XTable returned from the subroutine and formatted in the subroutine programming language into a serialized string; and

a de-serialization module configured to translate the string representation of the data into the second XTable formatted in the subroutine programming language to be used by the subroutine as input when executed.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein said gasket passes a reference to a file comprising said utility program.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein said gasket passes said utility program as a plain text string.

13. A computer readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method, comprising:

serializing input data expressed as a first XTable, formatted in a first programming language corresponding to a host application and comprising a plurality of different data types native to the first programming language, into a string representation of the input data stored in memory;

de-serializing the string representation of the input data as a second XTable stored in memory and formatted in a second programming language corresponding to a subroutine, the second programming language being different from the first programming language, wherein the second XTable comprises a plurality of data types native to the second programming language, and wherein the second programming language is scripted;

executing the subroutine, wherein the second XTable formatted in the second programming language is processed as input;

serializing output data returned from the subroutine, expressed as a third XTable, formatted in the second programming language and comprising a plurality of different data types native to the second programming language, into a string representation of the output data stored in memory; and

de-serializing the string representation of the output data into a fourth XTable stored in memory and formatted in the first programming language, wherein the fourth XTable comprises data types native to the first programming language, wherein the steps of de-serializing the string representation of the input data, executing the subroutine, and serializing output data returned from the subroutine are performed by a utility program that is dynamically generated.

14. The computer readable storage of claim 13, wherein the subroutine is a first subroutine, further comprising returning the output data expressed as the fourth XTable formatted in the first programming language to a second subroutine within the host application that was responsible for invoking the first subroutine.

15. The computer readable storage of claim 13, further comprising invoking an interpreter that executes programs implemented in a scripted programming language by passing the string representation of the input data and a reference to the utility program which is stored as a file.

16. The computer readable storage of claim 13, further comprising:

encoding the utility program as a plain text string; and

passing the plain text string and the string representation of the input data to an interpreter that executes programs implemented in a scripted programming language.

17. The computer readable storage of claim 16, further comprising causing the interpreter to execute the utility program thereby calling the subroutine and de-serializing the string representation of the input data.

18. The computer readable storage of claim 13, wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth XTables is passed as a single parameter.