Methods and systems for transforming a parse graph into an and/or command tree

• US 7,784,036 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2005
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bettadapur, Prakash, Tjong, Jung
• Primary Examiner(s): Yigdall; Michael J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang; Ben C
• Application Number:
  US11/149,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20070006179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/136
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/205 Parsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/51 Source to source
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells

Abstract

Methods and systems for transforming a complex representation of computer code into a simplified representation of computer code are described. Parse nodes in a parse graph are traversed. Selected information contained within the parse nodes is hidden to create condensed parse nodes. The hiding prevents further processing of the selected information. Selected complex patterns in the parse graph are simplified to create simplified parse graph patterns. Branches on an AND/OR command tree are created from the parse nodes, the condensed parse nodes, and the simplified parse graph patterns.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

extracting, with a processing system, macroinstructions that are hard-coded into parser code of a command line interface (CLI) parser, wherein the macroinstructions define parse nodes utilized by the CLI parser to analyze whether one or more CLI commands input to a CLI prompt have a proper CLI syntax;

generating a parse graph from the macroinstructions with the processing system, wherein the parse graph includes a representation of the parse nodes defined by the macroinstructions;

hiding selected information within the parse nodes to create condensed parse nodes with the processing system, wherein the hiding prevents further processing of the selected information;

simplifying selected complex patterns in the parse graph to create simplified parse graph patterns with the processing system;

creating, with the processing system, branches on an AND/OR command tree from the parse nodes, the condensed parse nodes, and the simplified parse graph patterns; and

creating an exportable representation of the AND/OR command tree with the processing system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising simplifying selected branches on the AND/OR command tree in accordance with a plurality of AND/OR command tree simplification cases.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising merging selected cases in the AND/OR command tree that have common end of line terminations.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting an overarching command structure in the parse graph.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting the parse nodes that terminate in a common end of line.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating further comprises converting selected patterns into the branches on the AND/OR command tree.

7. A computer-usable memory storing computer-readable program code configured to cause a computer system to perform operations comprising:

extracting macroinstructions that are hard-coded into parser code of a command line interface (CLI) parser, wherein the macroinstructions define parse nodes utilized by the CLI parser to analyze whether one or more CLI commands input to a CLI prompt have a proper CLI syntax;

generating a parse graph from the macroinstructions, wherein the parse graph includes a representation of the parse nodes defined by the macroinstructions;

hiding selected information contained within the parse nodes to create condensed parse nodes, wherein the hiding prevents further processing of the selected information;

simplifying selected complex patterns in the parse graph to create simplified parse graph patterns; and

creating branches on an AND/OR command tree from the parse nodes, the condensed parse nodes, and the simplified parse graph patterns; and

creating an exportable representation of the AND/OR command tree.

8. The computer-usable memory of claim 7 further comprising simplifying selected branches on the AND/OR command tree in accordance with a plurality of AND/OR command tree simplification cases.

9. The computer-usable memory of claim 7 further comprising merging selected cases in the AND/OR command tree that have common end of line terminations.

10. The computer-usable memory of claim 7 further comprising detecting an overarching command structure in the parse graph.

11. The computer-usable memory of claim 7 further comprising collecting the parse nodes that terminate in a common end of line.

12. The computer-usable memory of claim 7 further comprising converting selected patterns into the branches on the AND/OR command tree.

13. A system comprising:

a preprocessor to extract macroinstructions that are hard-coded into parser code of a command line interface (CLI) parser, wherein the macroinstructions define parse nodes utilized by the CLI parser to analyze whether one or more CLI commands input to a CLI prompt have a proper CLI syntax;

means for generating a parse graph from the macroinstructions, wherein the parse graph includes a representation of the parse nodes defined by the macroinstructions;

means for hiding selected information contained within the parse nodes to create condensed parse nodes, wherein the hiding prevents further processing of the selected information;

means for simplifying selected complex patterns in the parse graph to create simplified parse graph patterns;

means for creating branches on an AND/OR command tree from the parse nodes, the condensed parse nodes, and the simplified parse graph patterns; and

means for creating an exportable representation of the AND/OR command tree.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising means for simplifying selected branches on the AND/OR command tree in accordance with a plurality of AND/OR command tree simplification cases.

15. The system of claim 13 further comprising means for merging selected cases in the AND/OR command tree that have common end of line terminations.

16. The system of claim 13 further comprising means for detecting an overarching command structure in the parse graph.

17. The system of claim 13 further comprising means for collecting the parse nodes that terminate in a common end of line.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for creating further comprises means for converting selected patterns into the branches on the AND/OR command tree.