Verifying intermediate language code

A method of verifying a current code frame of intermediate language code for execution within a runtime call stack of a runtime environment, the intermediate language code being compiled from source code in one or more high level languages, the method comprising:

• receiving the current code frame of intermediate language code;
• identifying a reference-based parameter in the current code frame, the reference-based parameter referencing a memory location within the runtime environment;
• identifying a programmed operation operating on the reference-based parameter within the current code frame;
• and
• evaluating the current code frame to determine whether the programmed operation on the reference-based parameter satisfies one or more verification conditions that ensure that the memory location referenced by the reference-based parameter will be valid when accessed during execution within the runtime call stack.

A verification module embodied in a computer system for verifying a current code frame of intermediate language code received from a loader for execution within a runtime call stack of a runtime environment, the intermediate language code being compiled from source code in one or more high level languages, the verification module comprising:

• a parameter identification module identifying a reference-based parameter in the current code frame, the reference-based parameter referencing a memory location within the runtime environment;
• an operation identification module identifying a programmed operation operating on the reference-based parameter within the current code frame;
• and
• an evaluation module evaluating the current code frame to determine whether the programmed operation on the reference-based parameter satisfies one or more verification conditions that ensure that the memory location referenced by the reference-based parameter will be valid when accessed during execution within the runtime call stack.

A computer program product encoding a computer program for executing on a computer system a computer process for deferring selection of a size of a data type in intermediate language code until after source code compilation to optimize execution for an execution platform architecture having a native register size, the computer process comprising:

• compiling source code containing a value of the data type to generate the intermediate language code;
• generating metadata describing the data type as having a natural data type size;
• reading the metadata to determine that the selection of the size of the data type has been deferred;
• determining the native register size of the execution platform architecture;
• and
• compiling the intermediate code to allocate the size of the value in accordance with the native register size of the execution platform architecture.

A method of deferring selection of a size of a data type in intermediate language code until after source code compilation to optimize execution for an execution platform architecture having a native register size, the method comprising:

• compiling source code containing a value of the data type to generate the intermediate language code;
• generating metadata describing the data type as having a natural data type size;
• reading the metadata to determine that the selection of the size of the data type has been deferred;
• determining the native register size of the execution platform architecture;
• and
• compiling the intermediate code to allocate the size for the value in accordance with the native register size of the execution platform architecture.

A computer program product encoding a computer program for executing on a computer system a computer process for verifying a current code frame of intermediate language code for execution within a runtime call stack of a runtime environment, the intermediate language code being compiled from source code in one or more high level languages, the computer process comprising:

• receiving the current code frame of intermediate language code;
• identifying a value class parameter having a type in the current code frame;
• identifying an instruction within the current code frame programmed to communicate the value class parameter with another code frame;
• and
• evaluating the current code frame to determine whether the instruction satisfies one or more verification conditions that ensure that the type of the value class parameter is consistently defined in both the current code frame and the other code frame.

A method of verifying a current code frame of intermediate language code for execution within a runtime call stack of a runtime environment, the intermediate language code being compiled from source code in one or more high level languages, the method comprising:

• receiving the current code frame of intermediate language code;
• identifying a value class parameter having a type in the current code frame;
• identifying an instruction within the current code frame programmed to communicate the value class parameter with another code frame;
• and
• evaluating the current code frame to determine whether the instruction satisfies one or more verification conditions that ensure that the type of the value class parameter is consistently defined in both the current code frame and the other code frame.