Generating code based at least on one or more output arguments designated as not being present

• US 8,621,425 B1
• Filed: 01/13/2010
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• 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): Deng, Anna
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Junchun
• Application Number:
  US12/686,482
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: 717/106
• US Class Current: 717/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4484 Executing subprograms

Abstract

In an embodiment, code may be acquired that calls a first function defined to return a plurality of output arguments. The code may designate, with a designator, one or more output arguments, in the plurality of output argument, that are not present. Processing logic may generate a second function based at least on the designated one or more output arguments being designated as not present.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

acquiring code that includes a call to a first function defined to return a plurality of output arguments, the call to the first function designating, with a designator, one or more output arguments, in the plurality of output arguments of the first function, that are not present; and

generating, using processing logic, a second function based at least on the designated one or more output arguments being designated as not present.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second function includes code or excludes code contained in the first function based at least on the designated one or more output arguments being designated as not present.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first function contains an expression or a statement that tests the designated one or more output arguments to determine whether the designated one or more output arguments are designated as not being present.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the expression or the statement includes one or more values which identify the designated one or more arguments.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the one or more values is

a name associated with the designated one or more output arguments or

a number that represents an ordinal position associated with the designated one or more output arguments.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the expression or the statement includes an operator that indicates that the designated one or more output arguments are to be tested to determine if the designated one or more output arguments are designated as being not present.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

evaluating an expression in the first function that tests for whether the designated one or more output arguments are designated as not present; and

including or excluding code in the second function based on an outcome of the evaluation of the expression.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

calling a routine that tests for whether the designated one or more output arguments are designated as not being present; and

including or excluding code in the second function based on an outcome of the evaluation of the expression.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the designator is a tilde character.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more output arguments designated with the designator as not present is either:

not returned by the first function, or

ignored by the acquiring code.

10. A method comprising:

acquiring code that includes a call to a first function defined to return a plurality of output arguments, the call to the first function designating, with a designator, one or more output arguments, in the plurality of output arguments of the first function, that are not present;

determining whether a second function already exists based at least on the designated one or more output arguments being designated as not present; and

omitting, using processing logic, the generation of the second function if the second function already exists.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

generating the second function based at least on the designated one or more output arguments being designated as not being present if the second function does not already exist.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein determining whether the second function already exists further comprises:

determining, based at least on a signature of the call to the first function, whether the second function already exists.

22. The method of claim 10 wherein the one or more output arguments designated with the designator as not present is either:

not returned by the first function, or

ignored by the acquiring code.

13. A method comprising:

calling a function defined to return a plurality of output arguments, the call to the function designating, with a designator, one or more output arguments, in the plurality of output arguments, that are not present;

receiving one or more values for the designated one or more output arguments; and

ignoring, using processing logic, the received one or more values for the designated one or more output arguments.

14. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media for storing computer-executable instructions executable by processing logic, the media storing one or more instructions for:

acquiring code that includes a call to a first function defined to return a plurality of output arguments, the call to the first function designating, with a designator, one or more output arguments, in the plurality of output arguments of the first function, that are not present; and

generating a second function based at least on the designated one or more output arguments being designated as not present.

15. The media of claim 14 wherein the second function includes code or excludes code contained in the first function based at least on the designated one or more output arguments.

16. The media of claim 14 further storing one or more instructions for:

evaluating an expression, in the first function, that tests for whether the designated one or more output arguments are present; and

including or excluding code in the second function based on an outcome of the evaluation of the expression.

23. The media of claim 14 wherein the one or more output arguments designated with the designator as not present is either:

not returned by the first function, or

ignored by the acquiring code.

17. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media for storing computer-executable instructions executable by processing logic, the media storing one or more instructions for:

acquiring code that includes a call to a first function defined to return a plurality of output arguments, the call to the first function designating, with a designator, one or more output arguments, in the plurality of output arguments of the first function, that are not present;

determining whether a second function already exists based at least on the designated one or more output arguments being designated as not being present; and

omitting, using processing logic, the generation of the second function if the second function already exists.

18. The media of claim 17 further storing one or more instructions for:

determining, based at least on a signature of the call to the first function, whether the second function already exists.

24. The media of claim 17 wherein the one or more output arguments designated with the designator as not present is either:

not returned by the first function, or

ignored by the acquiring code.

19. An apparatus comprising:

means for acquiring code that includes a call to a first function defined to return a plurality of output arguments, the call to the first function designating, with a designator, one or more output arguments of the first function, in the plurality of output arguments, that are not present; and

means for generating a second function based at least on the designated one or more output arguments being designated as not present.

25. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the one or more output arguments designated with the designator as not present is either:

not returned by the first function, or

ignored by the means for acquiring code.

20. A system comprising:

a memory storing code that includes a call to a first function defined to return a plurality of output arguments, the call to the first function designating, with a designator, one or more output arguments of the first function, in the plurality of output arguments, that are not present, and

processing logic coupled to the memory, the processing logic configured to;

generate a second function based at least on the designated one or more output arguments of the first function being designated with the designator as not present.

26. The system of claim 20 wherein the one or more output arguments designated with the designator as not present is either:

not returned by the first function, or

ignored by the code stored in the memory.

27. An apparatus comprising:

a memory storing code that includes a call to a first function defined to return a plurality of output arguments, the call to the first function designating, with a designator, one or more output arguments, in the plurality of output arguments of the first function, that are not returned by the first function; and

processing logic coupled to the memory, the processing logic configured to generate a second function based on the designated one or more output arguments being designated as not returned, wherein

the first function includes an expression or a statement that tests the designated one or more output arguments to determine whether the designated one or more output arguments are designated as not returned, and

the second function either includes code or excludes code from the first function based on the designated one or more output arguments being designated as not returned.