Processing database queries embedded in application source code from within integrated development environment tool

• US 9,489,418 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brodsky, Stephen Andrew, Jamshidi, Ardeshir, Nin, Rebecca B., Payton, Brian Gerrit, Surange, Sonali
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, TUAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/741,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,483 Days
• Field of Search: 717/101, 717/140, 717/168, 707/7, 707/102, 707/4, 707/762, 719/319, 719/328, 709/227
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/33 Intelligent editors

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide database integration within an integrated development environment (IDE) tool for displaying database structure and other database information, query editing and execution, and error detection for database statements embedded in program source code. Embodiments of the invention integrate database connectivity and error detection into the IDE tool, thereby potentially reducing the time required for database-aware application development.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to debug database statements embedded in program source code, during development of the program source code and prior to successfully compiling the program source code, the computer-implemented method comprising:

updating a graphical user interface (GUI) of an integrated development environment (IDE) tool during development of the program source code, wherein the GUI of the IDE tool is updated based on user input specifying to modify the program source code;

upon detecting modification of the program source code to include a database statement embedded as a text string in the program source code, causing evaluation of the embedded database statement, wherein the embedded database statement contains a plurality of syntax elements of different types, of which a first syntax element is auto-completed by the IDE tool without requiring user input explicitly specifying the entirety of the first syntax element, thereby avoiding any syntactic error in the first syntax element, wherein the IDE tool visually distinguishes different types of syntax elements from one another via different syntax colors for display;

upon identification of a semantic error in a second of the plurality of syntax elements during evaluation of the embedded database statement, generating output visually conveying the identified semantic error and one or more auto-proposed fixes applicable, upon user selection via the IDE tool, to correct the identified semantic error, thereby improving a measure of efficiency of debugging the embedded database statement; and

subsequent to correction of the identified semantic error, and responsive to receiving a request to compile the program source code, compiling the program source code in order to generate an application for execution, wherein the program source code is successfully compiled only upon identifying no compilation error in the program source code and no syntactic error and no semantic error in the embedded database statement;

wherein the IDE tool is configured to identify;

(i) at least one syntactic error comprising a misspelled keyword and (ii) at least one semantic error comprising an incorrect table name or an incorrect column name.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the embedded database statement is evaluated without requiring any user input explicitly specifying to evaluate the embedded database statement, wherein the embedded database statement during development of the program source code is debugged by identifying the embedded database statement as a source of run-time errors associated with the program source code while avoiding a cost incurred in compiling or recompiling the program source code, wherein the cost includes a time delay, wherein the plurality of syntax elements includes a third syntax element containing a syntactic error, wherein the third syntax element was not auto-completed by the IDE, wherein both of the syntactic and semantic errors are identified, conveyed, and corrected, wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

prior to compiling the program source code, and responsive to receiving a request to test execution of the embedded database statement during development of the program source code, causing execution of the embedded database statement without additional user intervention and without compilation of the program source code; and

generating output conveying, via the GUI of the IDE tool, a query result obtained from execution of the embedded database statement, in order to debug the embedded database statement during development of the program source code, wherein query-debugging functionality is integrated into the IDE tool.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the IDE tool is operatively connected to a query tool, wherein the query statement is passed from the IDE tool to the query tool by operation of one or more computer processors and without executing any application resulting from compilation of the program source code, wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

prior to passing the embedded database statement to the query tool, passing the embedded database statement to a query parser operatively connected to the IDE tool, whereupon the query parser parses the embedded database statement in order to evaluate the embedded database statement in terms of both syntactic correctness and semantic correctness and generate a parser result, wherein the parser result is returned to the IDE tool; and

indicating unsuccessful compilation of the program source code upon each of;

(i) identifying a compilation error in the program source code outside of the text string;

(ii) identifying a syntactic error in the embedded database statement; and

(iii) identifying a semantic error in the embedded database statement.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the program source code is composed according to a predefined programming language, wherein the embedded database statement is composed according to a predefined query language different from the predefined programming language, wherein the syntactic error comprises a misspelled database keyword, wherein the semantic error comprises a misspelled database object name;

wherein the embedded database statement is passed to the query tool in a first instance and only upon determining that the parser result indicates that the embedded database statement is both syntactically and semantically correct, in which case the parser result is not presented in the interface provided by the IDE tool;

wherein in a second instance and upon the parser result indicating that the embedded database statement is syntactically incorrect, the parser result is presented in the interface provided by the IDE tool without passing the embedded database statement to the query tool;

wherein in a third instance and upon the parser result indicating that the embedded database statement is semantically incorrect, the parser result is presented in the interface provided by the IDE tool without passing the embedded database statement to the query tool.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising conveying, in the interface within the IDE tool:

(i) tables and table properties in a schema specified in the embedded database statement;

(ii) columns and column properties of a table specified in the embedded database statement;

(iii) keys and key properties of the table specified in the embedded database statement;

(iv) a definition of at least one host variable specified in the embedded database statement.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

upon determining that the embedded database statement includes a reference to the at least one host variable, prompting for values for the at least one host variable prior to passing the embedded database statement to the query tool;

wherein in respective instances;

(i) the query result is a database error, wherein presenting the query result comprises displaying an error message returned by the query tool to the IDE tool; and

(ii) the embedded database statement is a query for at least one data record stored in the database, wherein presenting the query result comprises displaying the at least one data record retrieved from the database in response to the query.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein executing the embedded database statement modifies at least one record in the database, wherein presenting the query result comprises displaying an indication that the modification was successfully performed by the query tool in the interface provided by the IDE tool, wherein the predefined query language comprises Structured Query Language (SQL), wherein the IDE tool provides a programming environment used to develop a database-aware application having the program source code, wherein the IDE tool comprises a plurality of components including a graphical text editor component and a compiler component.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the predefined programming language comprises Java, wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises, in respective instances and after the query result is received by the IDE tool:

rolling back a first transaction performed by executing the embedded database statement; and

committing a second transaction performed by executing the embedded database statement;

wherein the first transaction comprises a first one of an insert transaction and an update transaction, wherein the second transaction comprises a second one of the insert transaction and the update transaction, different from the first transaction.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the embedded database statement during development of the program source code is debugged by identifying the embedded database statement as a source of run-time errors associated with the program source code while avoiding a cost incurred in compiling or recompiling the program source code.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of syntax elements includes a third syntax element containing a syntactic error, wherein the third syntax element was not auto-completed by the IDE, wherein both of the syntactic and semantic errors are identified, conveyed, and corrected.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to compiling the program source code, and responsive to receiving a request to test execution of the embedded database statement during development of the program source code, causing execution of the embedded database statement without additional user intervention and without compilation of the program source code.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the IDE tool is operatively connected to a query tool, wherein the query statement is passed from the IDE tool to the query tool without executing any application resulting from compilation of the program source code.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to passing the embedded database statement to a query tool, passing the embedded database statement to a query parser operatively connected to the IDE tool, whereupon the query parser parses the embedded database statement in order to evaluate the embedded database statement in terms of both syntactic correctness and semantic correctness and generate a parser result, wherein the parser result is returned to the IDE tool.

14. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a program executable to perform an operation to debug database statements embedded in program source code, during development of the program source code and prior to successfully compiling the program source code, the operation comprising:

updating a graphical user interface (GUI) of an integrated development environment (IDE) tool during development of the program source code, wherein the GUI of the IDE tool is updated based on user input specifying to modify the program source code;

upon detecting modification of the program source code to include a database statement embedded as a text string in the program source code, causing evaluation of the embedded database statement, wherein the embedded database statement contains a plurality of syntax elements of different types, of which a first syntax element is auto-completed by the IDE tool without requiring user input explicitly specifying the entirety of the first syntax element, thereby avoiding any syntactic error in the first syntax element, wherein the IDE tool visually distinguishes different types of syntax elements from one another via different syntax colors for display;

upon identification of a semantic error in a second of the plurality of syntax elements during evaluation of the embedded database statement, generating output visually conveying the identified semantic error and one or more auto-proposed fixes applicable, upon user selection via the IDE tool, to correct the identified semantic error, thereby improving a measure of efficiency of debugging the embedded database statement; and

subsequent to correction of the identified semantic error, and responsive to receiving a request to compile the program source code, compiling the program source code in order to generate an application for execution, wherein the program source code is successfully compiled only upon identifying no compilation error in the program source code and no syntactic error and no semantic error in the embedded database statement;

wherein the IDE tool is configured to identify;

(i) at least one syntactic error comprising a misspelled keyword and (ii) at least one semantic error comprising an incorrect table name or an incorrect column name.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the embedded database statement during development of the program source code is debugged by identifying the embedded database statement as a source of run-time errors associated with the program source code while avoiding a cost incurred in compiling or recompiling the program source code.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the plurality of syntax elements includes a third syntax element containing a syntactic error, wherein the third syntax element was not auto-completed by the IDE, wherein both of the syntactic and semantic errors are identified, conveyed, and corrected.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the operation further comprises:

prior to compiling the program source code, and responsive to receiving a request to test execution of the embedded database statement during development of the program source code, causing execution of the embedded database statement without additional user intervention and without compilation of the program source code.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the IDE tool is operatively connected to a query tool, wherein the query statement is passed from the IDE tool to the query tool without executing any application resulting from compilation of the program source code.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the operation further comprises:

prior to passing the embedded database statement to a query tool, passing the embedded database statement to a query parser operatively connected to the IDE tool, whereupon the query parser parses the embedded database statement in order to evaluate the embedded database statement in terms of both syntactic correctness and semantic correctness and generate a parser result, wherein the parser result is returned to the IDE tool.

20. A system to debug database statements embedded in program source code, during development of the program source code and prior to successfully compiling the program source code, the system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

a memory containing a program which, when executed by the one or more computer processors, performs an operation comprising;

updating a graphical user interface (GUI) of an integrated development environment (IDE) tool during development of the program source code, wherein the GUI of the IDE tool is updated based on user input specifying to modify the program source code;

upon detecting modification of the program source code to include a database statement embedded as a text string in the program source code, causing evaluation of the embedded database statement, wherein the embedded database statement contains a plurality of syntax elements of different types, of which a first syntax element is auto-completed by the IDE tool without requiring user input explicitly specifying the entirety of the first syntax element, thereby avoiding any syntactic error in the first syntax element, wherein the IDE tool visually distinguishes different types of syntax elements from one another via different syntax colors for display;

upon identification of a semantic error in a second of the plurality of syntax elements during evaluation of the embedded database statement, generating output visually conveying the identified semantic error and one or more auto-proposed fixes applicable, upon user selection via the IDE tool, to correct the identified semantic error, thereby improving a measure of efficiency of debugging the embedded database statement; and

subsequent to correction of the identified semantic error, and responsive to receiving a request to compile the program source code, compiling the program source code in order to generate an application for execution, wherein the program source code is successfully compiled only upon identifying no compilation error in the program source code and no syntactic error and no semantic error in the embedded database statement;

wherein the IDE tool is configured to identify;

(i) at least one syntactic error comprising a misspelled keyword and (ii) at least one semantic error comprising an incorrect table name or an incorrect column name.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the embedded database statement during development of the program source code is debugged by identifying the embedded database statement as a source of run-time errors associated with the program source code while avoiding a cost incurred in compiling or recompiling the program source code.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the plurality of syntax elements includes a third syntax element containing a syntactic error, wherein the third syntax element was not auto-completed by the IDE, wherein both of the syntactic and semantic errors are identified, conveyed, and corrected.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the operation further comprises:

prior to compiling the program source code, and responsive to receiving a request to test execution of the embedded database statement during development of the program source code, causing execution of the embedded database statement without additional user intervention and without compilation of the program source code.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the IDE tool is operatively connected to a query tool, wherein the query statement is passed from the IDE tool to the query tool without executing any application resulting from compilation of the program source code.