US 5,175,856 AGranted

Computer with integrated hierarchical representation (IHR) of program wherein IHR file is available for debugging and optimizing during target execution

AssigneeSupercomputer Systems Limited Partnership

InventorsDon A. Van Dyke, Timothy J. Cramer, James C. Rasbold, Kelly T. O'Hair, David M. Cox, David A. Seberger, Linda J. O'Gara, Jon A. Masamitsu, Robert E. Strout, II, Ashok Chandramouli

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Abstract

A modular compilation system that utilizes a fully integrated hierarchical representation as a common intermediate representation to compile source code programs written in one or more procedural programming languages into an executable object code file. The structure of the integrated common intermediate representation supports machine-independent optimizations, as well as machine-dependent optimizations, and also supports source-level debugging of the executable object code file. The integrated hierarchical representation (IHR) is language independent and is shared by all of the components of the software development system, including the debugger.

Claims18

Dependent claims

In a computer processor, a computer implemented method for compiling and optimizing a source code file written in one or more high level programming languages to produce an object code file and an integrated hierarchical representation file (the IHR file) for the source code file associated with the object code, both the object code file and the IHR file to be stored as electronic data files in a memory device, the object code file to be executed on a target computer processing system, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) compiling the source code file by performing the steps of:
(a1) for each high level programming language, generating a HiForm (HF) machine independent representation of the high level program language, the HF representation to be stored as part of the IHR file;
(a2) combining the HF representation for each high level programming language into a single HF representation;
(a3) storing the single HF representation as part of the IHR file;
(a4) generating context information and debug information for the source code file using the single HF representation and the source code file;
and
(a5) storing the context information and debug information as part of the IHR file;
(b) optimizing the HF representation by performing the steps of:
(b1) in response to a first user-selected option, optimizing the single HF representation to reorganize the single HF representation and generate HF optimization information;
and
(b2) storing the HF optimization information as part of the IHR file;
(c) translating the HF representation into a LoForm (LF) representation for the target computer processing system by performing the steps of:
(c1) generating a LoForm (LF) machine dependent, hierarchical representation for the HF representation for the target computer processing system;
and
(c2) storing the LF representation as part of the IHR file;
(d) optimizing the LF representation by performing the steps of:
(d1) in response to a second user-selected option, optimizing the LF representation to reorganize the LF representation and generate LF optimization information;
and
(d2) storing the LF optimization information as part of the IHR file;
and
(e) generating the object code file by performing the steps of:
(e1) generating the object code file based upon the LF representation, including generating object code information;
(e2) storing the object code file in the memory device;
(e3) storing the object code information as part of the IHR file;
and
(e4) storing the IHR file in the memory device,
such that the information stored in the IHR file is available during execution of the object code file on the target computer processing system.

24 more elements

In a computer system having a data storage device for storing computer data, wherein data for an integrated hierarchical representation file (IHR file) of a computer program executed on said computer system is stored in a data storage device and implemented on said computer system according to a data structure, said computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors for compiling, optimizing and debugging a source code file for the computer program to produce an object code file to be executed on a target computer processing system, said source code file including a series of high level programming language statements defining operations executed by said target computer processing system;
said data structure for storing data in the data storage device for the IHR tile comprises:
scope node means for storing one or more items of context information which defines one or more scopes within the source code file;
for each scope within the source code file, a plurality of symbol node means, each symbol node means for storing all items of information about a unique named object included in the high level programming language statements of the source code file;
for each scope within the source code file, a plurality of statement node means, each statement node means for storing one or more machine independent, common intermediate statements generated by the computer processor for each of the high level programming language statements included in the source code file;
the statement node means being operably linked to one another in a lexical order;
for each statement node means;
one of more expression node means, each expression node means for storing an operator or operand that together with the other expression node means define the operation indicated by the associated statement node means;
literal node means for storing a value for each constant operated on by the operation indicated by the associated statement node means;
type node means for storing a data type for each named object operated on by the operation indicated by the associated statement node means;
and
LoForm node means for storing one or more machine dependent instruction generated for the target computer processing system for each expression node means;
wherein said computer system access said data structure to retrieve said information for compiling, optimizing and debugging said source code file for the computer program to produce said object code file executed on said target computer processing system.

10 more elements

In a computer processor, a computer implemented method for compiling and optimizing a source code file comprising one or more program modules written in one or more programming languages to produce an object code file to be executed on a target computer processing system and an integrated hierarchical representation file (the IHR file) for the source code file associated with the object code, both the object code file and the IHR file to be stored as data files in a memory device, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) compiling each program module by performing for each program module the steps of:
(a1) generating a HiForm (HF) machine and language independent representation of the program module, the HF representation to be stored as part of the IHR file;
(a2) storing the HF representation as part of the IHR file;
(a3) generating context information and debug information for the source code file using the HF representation of the program module;
and
(a4) storing the context information and debug information as part of the IHR file;
(b) optimizing the HF representation for each program module by performing the steps of:
(b1) in response to a first user-selected option, optimizing the HF representations of the program module to reorganize the HF representation and generate HF optimization information;
and
(b2) storing HF optimization information as part of the IHR file;
(c) translating the HF representation into a LoForm (LF) representation for the target computer processing system for each program module by performing the steps of:
(c1) generating a LoForm (LF) machine dependent, hierarchical representation for the HF representation of each program module for the target computer processing system;
and
(c2) storing the LF representation as part of the IHR file;
(d) optimizing the LF representation by performing the steps of:
(d1) in response to a second user-selected option, optimizing the LF representation of the one or more of the program modules to reorganize and generate LF optimization information;
and
(d2) storing LF optimization information as part of the IHR for the source code file;
and
(e) generating the object code file of the source code file based upon the LF representation of all of the program modules by performing the steps of:
(e1) generating the object code file based upon the LF representations of all of the program modules, including generating the object code information;
(e2) storing the object code information as part of the IHR file;
and
(e3) storing the object code file and the IHR file in the memory device,
such that the information stored in the IHR file is available during execution of the object code file on the target computer processing system.

22 more elements

A computer implemented method for electronically organizing and storing data for an integrated hierarchical representation file (the IHR file) of a computer program for use with a compilation system having one or more storage mechanisms for storing data and having one or more computer processors for compiling, optimizing and debugging a source code file for the computer program to produce an object code file to be executed on a target computer processing system, the source code file being stored in the storage mechanism for the compilation system and including a series of high level programming language statements defining operations to be executed by the target computer processing system, the method comprising:

(a) identifying, organizing and storing as part of the IHR file one or more items of context information which defines one or more scopes within the source code file;
each such item of context information designated as a scope node;
(b) for each scope within the source code file, identifying, organizing and storing as part of the IHR file all items of information about each unique named object included in the high level programming language statements of the source code file, each such item of information designated as a symbol node within each scope node;
(c) for each scope within the source code file, identifying, organizing and storing as part of the IHR file one or more machine independent, common intermediate statements generated by the computer processor for each of the high level programming language statements included in the source code file, each such statement designated as a statement node, the statement nodes being operably linked to one another in a lexical order;
(d) for each statement node;
(d1) identifying, organizing and storing as part of the IHR file an operator or operand that together with the other operators or operands define the operation indicated by the associated statement node, each such operator or operand designated as an expression node;
(d2) identifying, organizing and storing as part of the IHR file a value for each constant operated on by the operation indicated by the associated statement node, each such value designated as a literal node;
(d3) identifying, organizing and storing as part of the IHR file a data type for each named object operated on by the operation indicated by the associated statement node, each such data type designated as a type node;
and
(e) storing as part of the IHR file one or more machine dependent instruction generated for the target computer processing system for each expression node during the compilation process, each such instruction designated as a LoForm node,
such that the information stored in the IHR file is available during execution of the object code file on the target computer processing system.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/572,043Filed 23 Aug 1990 · continuation in part
Priority: 11 Jun 1990
Granted: 29 Dec 1992
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G06F 8/41
Transformation of program code: compilation
G06F 8/433
Checking; Contextual analysis: dependency analysis; Data or control flow analysis
G06F 8/445
Encoding: exploiting fine grain parallelism, i.e. parallelism at instruction level
G06F 8/45
Compilation: exploiting coarse grain parallelism in compilation, i.e. parallelism between groups of instructions