Method selection in an external language based on output parameters

• US 9,710,242 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Peermohammed, Fazil, Foti, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough, H S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoang, Phuong N
• Application Number:
  US12/895,129
• Time in Patent Office: 2,483 Days
• Field of Search: 717136-137, 719328, 707706, 707723, 707748-749
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/41 Compilation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/51 Source to source
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4484 Executing subprograms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/449 Object-oriented method invocation or resolution

Abstract

A method and apparatus, including a computer program apparatus, which facilitate invoking methods defined within a second language system from a first language system. When a method is invoked from the first language system, the techniques automatically compare the output parameters of the first language system method with the number and data-types of parameters output by methods defined within the second language system. Based on this comparison, the invention selects a method that best matches the output signature of the invoked method. The invention, therefore, allows a user to easily invoke methods from external objects, such as C# objects, directly from the first language system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a signature of a first language system method call,

the first language system method call originating in a first language system, and

the receiving performed by a computing device;

analyzing the signature of the first language system method call, the analyzing performed by the computing device;

determining;

zero or more input parameters of the first language system method call, and

one or more output parameters of the first language system method call, where;

the determining is based on the analyzing,

the determining is performed by the computing device, and

an output signature of the first language system method call, wherein the output signature of the first language system method call comprises an indication of a number of the one or more output parameters of the first language system method call; and

interacting with a second language system,

the second language system including a plurality of method implementations,

the second language system including a second language,

the second language system being distinct with respect to the first language system, and

the interacting performed by the computing device;

determining an output signature of a second language system method, wherein the output signature of the second language system method comprises an indication of a number of output parameters of the second language system method;

calculating fitness values for multiple ones of the plurality of method implementations, each fitness value indicating a fitness of a respective one of the plurality of method implementations relative to the first language system method call;

selecting a second language system method implementation from the plurality of method implementations,

the selecting based on the interacting, and

the selecting performed by the computing device, wherein the selecting is performed based on the calculated fitness values; and

wherein the selecting of the second language system method implementation comprises;

identifying a parameter type for each output parameter of the output signature of the first language system method call; and

for each identified parameter type, determining a type capable of accepting the identified parameter type in the output signature of the second language system method by determining a casting type into which the identified parameter type may be cast without a loss of information;

mapping the first language system method call to the selected second language system method, wherein the mapping comprises casting the identified parameter type into the determined casting type, the mapping used when calling the second language system method in response to the first language system method call.

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

calling the second language system method in response to the first language system method call.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second language system method is selected based on a definition of at least one second language system method signature.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second language system method is selected based on a method call of the second language system method.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the output signature of the second language system method from the signature of the second language system method further comprises:

determining at least one reference parameter in the output signature of the second language system method, wherein the at least one reference parameter acts as an output parameter and comprises at least a part of the output signature of the second language system method.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein selecting the second language system method based on the zero or more input parameters of the first language system method call and the one or more output parameters of the first language system method call further comprises:

matching at least one output parameter from the one or more output parameters of the first language system method call to the at least one reference parameter in the output signature of the second language system method; and

selecting the second language system method when the at least one output parameter is matched to the at least one reference parameter.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein selecting the second language system method further comprises:

matching at least one input parameter from the zero or more input parameters of the first language system method call to the at least one reference parameter in the output signature of the second language system method; and

selecting the second language system method when the at least one input parameter is matched to the at least one reference parameter.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the output signature of the second language system method from the output signature of the second language system method further comprises:

determining at least one output parameter in the output signature of the second language system method.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second language system is a system that supports object-oriented constructs or the first language system is at least a partially dynamically typed language system.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein selecting the second language system method further comprises:

examining the plurality of method implementations in the second language system;

determining at least two potential matching methods in the second language system from among the plurality of method implementations, the at least two potential matching methods being potential matches for the first language system method call;

prioritizing the at least two potential matching methods relative to each other, the at least two potential matching methods prioritized based at least in part on a fitness of each of the potential matching methods as a match for the first language system method call such that a potential matching method having a better fitness as a match for the first method call is assigned a higher priority; and

selecting the potential matching method having the highest priority as the second language system method.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the prioritizing further comprises:

prioritizing based on relative matches between input parameters of the first language system method call and input parameters of the at least two potential matching methods.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the prioritizing further comprises:

prioritizing based on relative matches between the output parameters of the first language system method call and input or output parameters of the at least two potential matching methods.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the prioritizing further comprises:

prioritizing based on at least one or a combination of;

a number of the output parameters of the first language system method call, types of the output parameters of the first language system method call, and a dimensionality of an output parameter of the first language system method call.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second language system supports object-oriented constructs.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the second language system is at least one or a combination of:

.NET, Java, Javascript, C#, or C++.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first language system is compatible with at least a subset of the MATLAB programming language.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first language system is at least a partially dynamically typed language system.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first language system is a system supporting multiple output arguments.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second language system is a system capable of supplying or accessing class libraries.

20. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a signature of a first language system method call,

the first language system method call originating in a first language system, and

the receiving performed by a computing device;

analyzing the signature of the first language system method call, the analyzing performed by the computing device;

determining;

zero or more input parameters of the first language system method call, and

one or more output parameters of the first language system method call, where;

the determining is based on the analyzing,

the determining is performed by the computing device, and

an output signature of the first language system method call, wherein the output signature of the first language system method call comprises an indication of a number of the one or more output parameters of the first language system method call; and

interacting with a second language system,

the second language system including a plurality of method implementations,

the second language system including a second language,

the second language system being distinct with respect to the first language system, and

the interacting performed by the computing device;

determining an output signature of a second language system method, wherein the output signature of the second language system method comprises an indication of a number of output parameters of the second language system method;

calculating fitness values for multiple ones of the plurality of method implementations, each fitness value indicating a fitness of a respective one of the plurality of method implementations relative to the first language system method call;

selecting a second language system method implementation from the plurality of method implementations,

the selecting based on the interacting, and

the selecting performed by the computing device, wherein the selecting is performed based on the calculated fitness values;

the selecting comprises;

identifying, for each parameter of the output signature of the first language system method call, a parameter dimensionality; and

determining a corresponding dimensionality in a corresponding parameter in the output signature of the second language system method, comprising determining a dimensionality that is higher than the parameter dimensionality of the parameter of the output signature of the first language system method call.

21. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer, cause the processor to;

receive a signature of a first language system method call, the first language system method call originating in a first language system;

analyze the signature of the first language system method call;

determine;

zero or more input parameters of the first language system method call,

one or more output parameters of the first language system method call,

an output signature of the first language system method call, wherein the output signature of the first language system method call comprises an indication of a number of the one or more output parameters of the first language system method call, and

an output signature of a second language system method, wherein the output signature of the second language system method comprises an indication of a number of output parameters of the second language system method;

calculate fitness values for multiple ones of the plurality of method implementations, each fitness value indicating a fitness of a respective one of the plurality of method implementations relative to the first language system call;

select the second language system method, wherein;

the second language system method;

is associated with a second language system distinct from the first language system, and

is selected from among a plurality of method implementations in the second language system, and

the selecting is performed based on the calculated fitness values;

wherein the selecting of the second language system method implementation comprises;

identifying a parameter type for each output parameter of the output signature of the first language system method call; and

for each identified parameter type determining a type capable of accepting the identified parameter type in the output signature of the second language system method by determining a casting type into which the identified parameter type may be cast without a loss of information;

map the first language system method call to the second language system method, wherein the mapping comprises casting the identified parameter type into the determined casting type, the mapping used when calling the second language system method in response to the first language system method call.

22. A system comprising:

a storage for storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to choose, based on a method call in a first language system, a corresponding method in a second language system distinct from the first language system; and

a processor for

determining an output signature of the first language system method call, wherein the output signature of the first language system method call comprises an indication of a number of the one or more output parameters of the first language system method call;

receiving a signature of the first language system method call;

analyzing the signature of the first language system method call to determine;

zero or more input parameters of the first language system method call, and

one or more output parameters of the first language system method call;

determining an output signature of a second language system method, wherein the output signature of the second language system method comprises an indication of a number of output parameters of the second language system method;

calculating fitness values for multiple ones of the plurality of method implementations, each fitness value indicating a fitness of a respective one of the plurality of method implementations relative to the first language system method call;

selecting the second language system method, wherein;

the second language system method is selected from among a plurality of method implementations in the second language system, and

the selecting is performed based on the calculated fitness values;

the selecting comprises;

identifying, for each parameter of the output signature of the first language system method call, a parameter dimensionality; and

determining a corresponding dimensionality in a corresponding parameter in the output signature of the second language system method, comprising determining a dimensionality that is higher than the parameter dimensionality of the output signature of the first language system method call; and

mapping the first language system method call to the second language system method, the mapping used when calling the second language system method in response to the first language system method call.

23. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer, cause the processor to;

receive a signature of a first language system method call,

the first language system method call originating in a first language system, and

the receiving performed by a computing device;

analyze the signature of the first language system method call, the analyzing performed by the computing device;

determine;

zero or more input parameters of the first language system method call, and

one or more output parameters of the first language system method call, where;

the determining is based on the analyzing,

the determining is performed by the computing device, and

an output signature of the first language system method call, wherein the output signature of the first language system method call comprises an indication of a number of the one or more output parameters of the first language system method call; and

interact with a second language system,

the second language system including a plurality of method implementations,

the second language system including a second language,

the second language system being distinct with respect to the first language system, and

the interacting performed by the computing device;

determine an output signature of a second language system method, wherein the output signature of the second language system method comprises an indication of a number of output parameters of the second language system method,

calculate fitness values for multiple ones of the plurality of method implementations, each fitness value indicating a fitness of a respective one of the plurality of method implementations relative to the first language system method call;

select a second language system method implementation from the plurality of method implementations,

the selecting based on the interacting, and

the selecting performed by the computing device, wherein the selecting is performed based on the calculated fitness values;

the selecting comprises;

identifying, for each parameter of the output signature of the first language system method call, a parameter dimensionality; and

determining a corresponding dimensionality in a corresponding parameter in the output signature of the second language system method, comprising determining a dimensionality that is higher than the parameter dimensionality of the output signature of the first language system method call; and

determine a dimensionality that is higher than the parameter dimensionality of the parameter of the output signature of the first language system method call.