US 10,241,784 B2 · Hierarchical directives-based management of runtime behaviors

Abstract

Support for dynamic behavior is specified while reducing reliance on JIT compilation and large runtimes; semantic characteristics are selectively attached to types and type members outside source code. A directives document contains human-readable directives in a parsable format for submission to an innovative compiler. The directives specify whether a type T or type member M is required, optional, or prohibited in a runtime environment. Some reference an application, library, assembly, or namespace group, and others reference group components: type, type instantiation, method, method instantiation, field, property, or event. Some directives force a generic instantiation. Some directives indirectly reference a type through a parameter, type parameter, or generic directive. Some directives reference degrees to manage runtime activation of type instances, runtime introspection over types, reflection, and/or runtime or static serialization. Degrees may enable or disable types, instance constructors, property setters, property getters, fields, or all type members. Directives may be composed.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A management process performed by a processor for managing runtime behavior characteristics of types and type members of a computer program in an environment, the computer program having a source code which is written in at least one data-typed programming language, the process comprising the steps of:

a management process executed by the processor obtaining from at least one digital storage device a directives document;
and
the management process executed by the processor inspecting the directives document for directives which include a plurality of runtime behavior characteristic directives selected from the following:
directives which specify that a type T of the computer program source code is a required type, an optional type, or a prohibited type in the environment,
directives which specify that a type member M of the computer program source code is a required type member, an optional type member, or a prohibited type member in the environment, and
directives which specify that a degree D is enabled or disabled for a type T or a type member M in the environment.

3 more elements

A computer system comprising:

a logical processor;
a memory in operable communication with the logical processor;
a computer program source code residing in at least one source code file in the memory, the computer program source code written in one or more programming languages;
a compiler;
and
a directives document residing in the memory outside a portion of the computer program source code and having runtime behavior characteristic directives which are written in a software-parsable format and are not written in the programming languages;
and wherein
upon execution by the logical processor(s) the compiler compiles at least a compilation portion of the computer program source code from the source code file(s) as directed by the directives document, including performing at least one of the following:
(a) making a type T of the computer program source code be a required type, an optional type, or a prohibited type in the environment, (b) making a type member M of the computer program source code be a required type member, an optional type member, or a prohibited type member in the environment, or (c) enabling or disabling a degree D for a type T or a type member M in the environment.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Hierarchical directives-based management of runtime behaviors

Life of this patent

Hierarchical directives-based management of runtime behaviors

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20