Method and apparatus for compiling source programs using one or more libraries

A compiler system, embodied in a computer readable medium, the compiler system being operable to compile source programs written in one of the C++ and Ada programming languages into object files, the compiler system comprising:

• a source program;
• a library including at least one instance available for use by the source program, the at least one instance being a specialization of a generic template and its available operations and being identifiable by a linker symbol name, the generic template being expressed in the same programming language as the source program;
• and
• an enhanced compiler operable to compile source code into object files, wherein the enhanced compiler is operable to:
• access the library to identify the at least one instance available in the library by the linker symbol name of the at least one instance in a linker table and instance names made available in the library,
• use the linker symbol name of the instance as a reference to the instance already contained in the library, and
• use the identified instance within the library in creating the object files.

A method of compilation of a source program written in one of the C++ and Ada programming languages into an object file, using one or more associated libraries of instances, wherein each instance is a specialization of a generic template and its available operations and is identified by a linker symbol name, and wherein the generic template is expressed in the same programming language as the source program, the method comprising during compilation of the source program:

• examining a linker table and instance names made available in the one or more associated libraries;
• extracting from the linker name table one or more linker symbol names that are likely to correspond to instances;
• storing the one or more linker symbol names that have been extracted as one or more stored linker symbol names;
• receiving a request to create an instance, said instance having a linker symbol name;
• comparing the linker symbol name with the one or more stored linker symbol names;
• creating the instance only when said comparing indicates that the linker symbol name is not one of the stored linker symbol names;
• and
• using the stored linker symbol name corresponding to the linker symbol name in creating the object file when said comparing indicates that the linker symbol name is one of the stored linker symbol names.

A computer readable medium including computer program code for compilation of a source program written in one of the C++ and Ada programming languages into an object file, using one or more libraries of instances, wherein each instance is a specialization of a generic template and its available operations and is identified by a linker symbol name, and wherein the generic template is expressed in the same programming language as the source program, the computer readable medium comprising instructions operable to execute during compilation of the source program to:

• examine linker symbol names in linker tables and instance names made available in the one or more libraries;
• select linker symbol names that are likely to correspond to instances available for use in the one or more libraries;
• save the selected linker symbol names in an instance name storage;
• receive a request to create an instance;
• examine the instance name storage to determine whether the first instance is available for use in the one or more libraries;
• when the instance has not been identified in the one or more libraries, create the instance, and
• when the instance has been identified in the one or more libraries, use the linker symbol name of the instance as a reference to the instance already contained within the one or more libraries;
• and
• use either the newly created instance or the identified instance already contained within the one or more libraries to create the object file.