Method and Apparatus for Synchronization Annotation

A computing system for providing synchronization of a multi-threaded application, comprising:

• a compiler configured to analyze a source file of the application to identify one or more synchronization annotations contained therein, the source file including procedural code and the synchronization annotations, the synchronization annotations include one or more declarative statements that are different from procedural statements implementing business logic within the procedural code, the compiler further configured to
• examine the source file to identify declarations contained therein;
• collect information related to the declarations, wherein the collected information identifies attributes of the declarations;
• analyze the synchronization annotations encountered in the source file using the collected information related to the declarations, the analysis of the synchronization annotations identifying attributes that are used to determine appropriate synchronization annotation processors for processing the synchronization annotations;
• a plurality of synchronization annotation processors to process the synchronization annotations identified in the source file and generate one or more code files, wherein each of the plurality of synchronization annotation processors is configured to process one or more kinds of synchronization annotations, the generated code files returned to the compiler,
• wherein the compiler is configured to compile the procedural code of the source file to generate one or more class files, compile the code files to generate one or more class files, wherein the class files associated with the procedural code and the code files are linked such that the class files associated with the code files are used by multiple threads during execution of the multi-threaded application to arbitrate access to methods and data manipulated by classes within the class files associated with the procedural code.

A method for providing synchronization of a multi-threaded application, comprising:

• implementing functional logic using procedural code statements for one or more methods into a source file of the application;
• annotating each of the methods that needs synchronization using synchronization annotations, wherein the annotating of the methods includes performing annotations for one or more variables used in the one or more methods or for one or more portions of the functional logic within the one or more methods, the synchronization annotations defined as declarative statements that are different from procedural code statements of the functional logic within the one or more methods in the source file, the synchronization annotations describing synchronization requirements of each method;
• identifying one or more annotation processors to process the synchronization annotations, wherein each of the one or more annotation processors is distinct and is configured to process one or more kinds of synchronization annotation;
• and
• compiling the source file using a compiler to generate one or more class files, the compiling includes,
• invoking the one or more annotation processors for processing the synchronization annotations contained within the source file to generate synchronization code that encapsulates the synchronization requirements specified for each method;
• compiling the procedural code statements within the one or more methods to generate a set of class files;
• processing the synchronization code to generate one or more code files;
• and
• compiling the one or more code files to generate the one or more class files, wherein the class files associated with the code files are used by multiple threads during execution of the multi-threaded application to arbitrate access to methods and data manipulated by classes within the class files associated with the procedural code.