Ignoring output arguments of functions in programming environments

• US 8,458,668 B1
• Filed: 01/03/2012
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Junchun
• Application Number:
  US13/342,667
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 717/126
• US Class Current: 717/126
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4484 Executing subprograms

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for ignoring one or more output arguments of a function in a programming environment. Users or programmers may designate one or more output arguments that are not desired by the users. The called function determines which output arguments are designated by the users. The one or more output arguments designated by the users are ignored by the function. The called function may reclaim memory space for the output arguments designated by the users. The called function may also avoid operations for generating values for the output arguments designated by the users. The called function does not need to return values for the output arguments designated by the users.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, the medium storing one or more instructions for:

providing first code that includes a function defined to perform a plurality of operations for generating a plurality of output arguments;

providing second code that includes a caller calling the function, the caller designating, with a predefined designator, at least one of the plurality of output arguments to be ignored; and

processing the first and second code such that one or more of the operations for generating the at least one of the plurality of output arguments to be ignored are avoided.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising one or more instructions for:

processing the first code such that one or more allocated resources, associated with the at least one of the plurality of output arguments to be ignored, is reclaimed.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 wherein the one or more allocated resources includes memory space.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the first code is provided in a dynamically typed programming environment.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the predefined designator is a tilde (˜

) character.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more instructions for processing the first and second code includes one or more instructions for:

inhibiting the function from producing a value for the at least one of the plurality of output arguments to be ignored.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the caller is selected from the group consisting of:

a program routine;

a subroutine; and

a user entered command.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein

the plurality of output arguments of the function are designated by name or by ordinal position, and

the predefined designator is a missing output argument.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein

the first code complies with a programming language, and

the predefined designator is not a legal syntax of the programming language for an output argument.

10. A computational device comprising:

a memory that stores a function that is defined to perform a plurality of operations for generating a plurality of output arguments when the function is executed; and

a processing element coupled to the memory, the processing element configured to;

receive a call to the function, the call designating, with a predefined designator, at least one of the plurality of output arguments to be ignored;

execute the call to the function; and

execute the function such that one or more of the operations for generating the at least one of the plurality of output arguments to be ignored is avoided.

11. The computational device of claim 10 wherein the processing element is further configured to:

execute the function such that one or more allocated resources, associated with the at least one of the plurality of output arguments to be ignored, is reclaimed.

12. The computational device of claim 11 wherein the one or more allocated resources includes memory space.

13. The computational device of claim 10 wherein the function is provided in a dynamically typed programming environment.

14. The computational device of claim 10 wherein the predefined designator is a tilde (˜

) character.

15. The computational device of claim 10 wherein the execution of the function includes:

inhibiting the function from producing a value for the at least one of the plurality of output arguments to be ignored.

16. The computational device of claim 10 wherein the call is received from a caller and the caller is selected from the group consisting of:

a program routine;

a subroutine; and

a user entered command.

17. The computational device of claim 10 wherein

the plurality of output arguments of the function are designated by name or by ordinal position, and

the predefined designator is a missing output argument.

18. The computational device of claim 10 wherein

the function complies with a programming language;

and

the predefined designator is not a legal syntax of the programming language for an output argument.

19. A method comprising:

storing, in a memory, first code that includes a function defined to perform a plurality of operations for generating a plurality of output arguments;

providing second code that includes a caller calling the function, the caller designating, with a predefined designator, at least one of the plurality of output arguments to be ignored; and

executing, by a processor coupled to the memory, the first and second code such that one or more of the operations for generating the at least one of the plurality of output arguments to be ignored are avoided.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

processing the first code such that one or more allocated resources, associated with the at least one of the plurality of output arguments to be ignored, is reclaimed.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the one or more allocated resources includes memory space.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the first code is provided in a dynamically typed programming environment.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the predefined designator is a tilde (˜

) character.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the executing the first and second code includes:

inhibiting the function from producing a value for the at least one of the plurality of output arguments to be ignored.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein the caller is selected from the group consisting of:

a program routine;

a subroutine; and

a user entered command.

26. The method of claim 19 wherein

the plurality of output arguments of the function are designated by name or by ordinal position, and

the predefined designator is a missing output argument.

27. The method of claim 19 wherein

the first code complies with a programming language, and

the predefined designator is not a legal syntax of the programming language for an output argument.

28. An apparatus comprising:

means for providing first code that includes a function defined to perform a plurality of operations for generating a plurality of output arguments;

means for providing second code that includes a caller calling the function, the caller designating, with a predefined designator, at least one of the plurality of output arguments to be ignored; and

a processor configured to execute the first and second code such that one or more of the operations for generating the at least one of the plurality of output arguments to be ignored are avoided.