IDENTIFYING STRUCTURED DATA TYPES AS REQUIRING DESIGNATED INITIALIZERS

• US 20090300581A1
• Filed: 06/03/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Triplett, Joshua A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,689,195 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/112
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/436 Semantic checking

Abstract

A technique for enforcing the use of designated initializers in structured type initializations may include determining whether structured data type requires designated initialization, determining whether an initialization of a structured variable declared to use the structured data type employs an improper initializer that is inconsistent with said structured data type, and performing a diagnostic action if the initialization comprises an improper initializer.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method for enforcing the use of designated initializers in structured data type initializations, comprising:

determining whether a structured data type requires designated initialization;

determining whether an initialization of a structured variable declared to use said structured data type employs an improper initializer that is inconsistent with said structured data type; and

performing a diagnostic action if said initialization comprises an improper initializer.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said structured data type is defined using a syntax for specifying that said structured data type requires designated initialization, and wherein determining whether said structured data type requires designated initialization comprises evaluating said syntax.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said structured data type is defined using a designated initializer attribute, and wherein determining whether said structured data type requires designated initialization comprises identifying said attribute.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein said designated initializer attribute is individually associated with one or more elements of said structure data type definition.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein determining whether said structured data type definition requires designated initialization comprises consulting a resource identifying data types that require designated initialization, said resource being maintained with source code that contains said initialization, or with resources of a project that utilizes said source code, or with a language processor that processes said source code.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, further including providing the ability to selectively disable enforcement of the use of designated initializers.

7. A system for enforcing the use of designated initializers in structured data type initializations, comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory coupled to said one or more processors, said memory including a computer useable medium tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by said processor to perform operations, comprising;

determining whether a structured data type requires designated initialization;

determining whether an initialization of a structured variable declared to use said structured data type employs an improper initializer that is inconsistent with said structured data type; and

performing a diagnostic action if said structured variable initialization comprises an improper initializer.

8. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said structured data type is defined using a syntax for specifying that said structured data type requires designated initialization, and wherein determining whether said structured data type requires designated initialization comprises evaluating said syntax.

9. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said structured data type is defined using a designated initializer attribute, and wherein determining whether said structured data type requires designated initialization comprises identifying said attribute.

10. A system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said designated initializer attribute is individually associated with one or more elements of said structure data type definition.

11. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein determining whether said structured data type definition requires designated initialization comprises consulting a resource identifying data types that require designated initialization, said resource being maintained with source code that contains said initialization, or with resources of a project that utilizes said source code, or with a language processor that processes said source code.

12. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said operations further comprise providing the ability to selectively disable enforcement of the use of designated initializers.

13. A computer program product for enforcing the use of designated initializers in structured type declarations, comprising:

one or more machine-useable media;

logic provided by said one or more media for programming a data processing platform to operate as by;

determining whether a structured data type requires designated initialization;

determining whether an initialization of a structured variable declared to use said structured data type employs an improper initializer that is inconsistent with said structured data type; and

performing a diagnostic action if said structured variable initialization comprises an improper initializer.

14. A computer program product in accordance with claim 13, wherein said structured data type is defined using a syntax for specifying that said structured data type requires designated initialization, and wherein determining whether said structured data type requires designated initialization comprises evaluating said syntax.

15. A computer program product in accordance with claim 13, wherein said structured data type is defined using a designated initializer attribute, and wherein determining whether said structured data type requires designated initialization comprises identifying said attribute.

16. A computer program product in accordance with claim 15, wherein said designated initializer attribute is individually associated with one or more elements of said structure data type definition.

17. A computer program product in accordance with claim 13, wherein determining whether said structured data type definition requires designated initialization comprises consulting a resource identifying data types that require designated initialization, said resource being maintained with source code that contains said initialization, or with resources of a project that utilizes said source code, or with a language processor that processes said source code.

18. A computer program product in accordance with claim 13, wherein said logic provided by said one or more media are for programming a data processing platform to further operate by providing the ability to selectively disable enforcement of the use of designated initializers.

19. A method for enforcing the use of designated initializers in structured type declarations, comprising:

accessing source code comprising a definition for a structured data type;

determining whether said structured data type requires designated initialization;

accessing source code comprising an initialization of a structured variable conforming to said structured data type;

parsing said structured variable initialization;

performing a diagnostic action if said structured variable initialization comprises an improper initializer;

said structured data type definition using a syntax for specifying that said structured data type requires designated initialization, and wherein determining whether said structured data type requires designated initialization comprises evaluating said syntax;

said syntax including a designated initializer attribute associated with said structured data type definition or with one or more elements of said structure data type definition.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19, further including providing the ability to selectively disable enforcement of the use of designated initializers.