Conversion of a first executable diagram having interconnected nodes to a second executable diagram using an intermediate XML representation

• US 7,979,843 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2009
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Kodosky, Jeffrey L., Hogan, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang; Insun
• Application Number:
  US12/426,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20090204937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/109
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

A system and method for programmatically generating a graphical program in response to state diagram information. The state diagram information may specify a plurality of states and state transitions, wherein each state transition specifies a transition from a first state to a second state. A graphical program generation program (GPG program), may receive the state diagram information and automatically, i.e., programmatically, generate a graphical program (or graphical program portion) based on the state diagram information.

Claims

1. A computer-accessible memory medium storing program instructions executable by a processor to:

receive a first diagram, wherein the first diagram specifies a first plurality of nodes and interconnections between the nodes, wherein the first diagram is an executable program, and wherein the first diagram is executable to perform first functionality;

store an extensible markup language (XML) representation based on the first diagram, wherein the XML representation specifies the first functionality; and

automatically generate a second diagram based on the XML representation, wherein the second diagram specifies a second plurality of nodes and interconnections between the nodes, wherein the second diagram is an executable program, and wherein the second diagram is executable to perform the first functionality.

2. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

automatically generate the XML representation based on the first diagram.

3. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the first diagram is of a first programming model and wherein the second diagram is of a second programming model.

4. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the first diagram is developed in a first programming development environment and wherein the second diagram is developed in a second programming development environment.

5. The memory medium of claim 4, wherein the second development environment is a graphical programming development environment.

6. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the first diagram is a state diagram.

7. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

display the second diagram on a display after said automatically generating the second diagram.

8. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of nodes comprises at least a first node that represents control flow of data among one or more of the plurality of nodes.

9. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

automatically generate a hardware description based on the second diagram, wherein the hardware description specifies a hardware implementation of the second diagram, and wherein the hardware description is usable to configure a programmable hardware element to implement the first functionality.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, a first diagram, wherein the first diagram specifies a first plurality of nodes and interconnections between the nodes, wherein the first diagram is an executable program and wherein the first diagram is executable to perform first functionality;

automatically generating, by the computer system, an extensible markup language (XML) representation based on the first diagram, wherein the XML representation specifies the first functionality; and

automatically generating a second diagram based on the XML representation, wherein the second diagram specifies a second plurality of nodes and interconnections between the nodes, wherein the second diagram is an executable program, and wherein the second diagram is executable to perform the first functionality.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first diagram is of a first programming model and wherein the second diagram is of a second programming model.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first diagram is for a first development environment and wherein the second diagram is for a second development environment.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second development environment is a graphical programming development environment.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first diagram is a state diagram.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

displaying the second diagram on a display after said automatically generating the second diagram.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the second plurality of nodes comprises at least a first node that represents control flow of data among one or more of the plurality of nodes.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

automatically generating a hardware description based on the second diagram, wherein the hardware description specifies a hardware implementation of the second diagram, and wherein the hardware description is usable to configure a programmable hardware element to implement the first functionality.

18. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory medium coupled to the processor, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions executable by the processor to;

receive a first diagram, wherein the first diagram specifies a first plurality of nodes and interconnections between the nodes, wherein the first diagram is an executable program, and wherein the first diagram is executable to perform first functionality;

store an extensible markup language (XML) representation based on the first diagram, wherein the XML representation specifies the first functionality; and

automatically generate a second diagram based on the XML representation, wherein the second diagram specifies a second plurality of nodes and interconnections between the nodes, wherein the second diagram is an executable program, and wherein the second diagram is executable to perform the first functionality.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first diagram is of a first programming model and wherein the second diagram is of a second programming model.

20. A system, comprising:

means for receiving a first diagram, wherein the first diagram specifies a first plurality of nodes and interconnections between the nodes, wherein the first diagram is an executable program, and wherein the first diagram is executable to perform first functionality;

means for automatically generating an extensible markup language (XML) representation based on the first diagram, wherein the XML representation specifies the first functionality; and

means for automatically generating a second diagram based on the XML representation, wherein the second diagram specifies a second plurality of nodes and interconnections between the nodes, wherein the second diagram is an executable program, and wherein the second diagram is executable to perform the first functionality.