Methods and systems for dynamically generating and optimizing code for business rules

• US 8,196,126 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Ziegler, Carsten
• Primary Examiner(s): TECKLU, ISAAC TUKU
• Application Number:
  US11/976,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20090113387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/153
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/443 Optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0244 Optimization

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for generating high-level program code of a rule-based application for interpreting and executing business rules. In one exemplary embodiment, a method is provided that comprises retrieving high-level program code capable of performing the functionality of a business rule called by the rule-based application, wherein the high-level program code includes an annotated set of instructions for the dynamic generation of generated code. The method may also comprise processing the annotated set of instructions with a generator component to create generated code from the high-level program code, mapping the generated code to the called business rule, and utilizing the generated code to execute the functionality of the called business rule.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating high-level program code of a rule-based application for interpreting and executing business rules, comprising:

retrieving high-level program code capable of performing the functionality of a business rule called by the rule-based application, wherein the high-level program code includes a set of instructions that are annotated so that the instructions avoid processing by a compiler;

processing the annotated set of instructions with a generator component to create generated code from the high-level program code;

mapping the generated code to the called business rule; and

utilizing the generated code to execute the functionality of the called business rule,

wherein at least one instance of data exchange among objects of the high-level program code is removed from the generated code, and

wherein at least one instance of data exchange between an object of the high-level program code and a data repository is removed from the generated code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotated set of instructions also includes instructions for optimizing the generated code and processing the annotated set of instructions with the generator component to optimize the structure and content of the generated code and create optimized generated code.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein optimizing the structure and content of the generated code includes combining similar routines within the generated code.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein optimizing the structure and content of the generated code includes buffering intermediate results.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving high-level program code with an annotated set of instructions is performed by a business rule engine.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method for generating high-level program code of a rule-based application for interpreting and executing business rules, the method comprising:

retrieving high-level program code capable of performing the functionality of a business rule called by the rule-based application, wherein the high-level program code includes a set of instructions that are annotated so that the instructions avoid processing by a compiler;

processing the annotated set of instructions with a generator component to create generated code from the high-level program code;

mapping the generated code to the called business rule; and

utilizing the generated code to execute the functionality of the called business rule,

wherein at least one instance of data exchange among objects of the high-level program code is removed from the generated code, and

wherein at least one instance of data exchange between an object of the high-level program code and a data repository is removed from the generated code.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the annotated set of instructions also includes instructions for optimizing the generated code and processing the annotated set of instructions with the generator component to optimize the structure and content of the generated code and create optimized generated code.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein optimizing the structure and content of the generated code includes combining similar routines within the generated code.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein optimizing the structure and content of the generated code includes buffering intermediate results.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein retrieving high-level program code with an annotated set of instructions is performed by a business rule engine.

11. A computer comprising a processor, and further comprising a business rule engine for generating high-level program code of a rule-based application for interpreting and executing business rules, the business rule engine comprising:

a processor;

an interpreter component for performing an interpretation process, wherein a graphical user interface representation of a business rule may be mapped to retrieved high-level program code needed to execute the functionality of a business rule; and

a generator component for dynamically generating code in accordance with a set of instructions in retrieved high-level program code,

wherein the set of instructions are annotated so that the instructions avoid processing by a compiler,

wherein at least one instance of data exchange among objects of the high-level program code is removed from the generated code, and

wherein at least one instance of data exchange between an object of the high-level program code and a data repository is removed from the generated code.

12. The computer of claim 11, wherein the annotated set of instructions are delineated by symbols not processed by a compiler of the high-level program code.

13. The computer of claim 11, wherein the annotated set of instructions also includes instructions for optimizing the generated code and the generator component optimizes the generated code, based on the annotated set of instructions, by combining similar routines within the generated code.

14. The computer of claim 13, wherein the generator component optimizes the generated code, based on the annotated set of instructions, by buffering intermediate results.