US 7,681,184 B1Granted

System and methodology for cross language type system compatibility

AssigneeBorland Software Corporation

InventorsJonathan K. Weedon, Vijaykumar Natarajan

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Abstract

A system and methodology for cross language type system compatibility is described. In one embodiment, for example, a system for translation of data types between a first application in a first language and a second application in a second language is described that comprises: a formal mapping between data types of the first language and data types of the second language; translators for translating data types between the first language and the second language based on the formal mapping; a translation mapping to the translators based on actual data types of the first application and formal data types of the second application; and a module for selecting an appropriate translator for translating between a particular data type in the first language and a data type in the second language based on the translation mapping in response to invocation of a method of the first application with the particular data type.

Claims39

Dependent claims

A system for translation of data types between a first application in a first language and a second application in a second language, the system comprising:

a computer having at least one processor and a memory configured to generate:
a formal mapping between data types of the first language and data types of the second language;
translators for translating data types between the first language and the second language based on the formal mapping;
a translation mapping to the translators based on actual data types of the first application and formal data types of the second application;
and
a module for automatically selecting an appropriate translator for translating between a particular data type in the first language and a data types in the second language based on the translation mapping in response to invocation of a method of the first application with the particular data type,
wherein the module for selecting the appropriate translator is configured to perform at least a two-level lookup in the translation mapping to select the appropriate translator,
wherein a first level of the two-level lookup includes a lookup of a full inheritance hierarchy of the actual type to determine a candidate set of translators and,
wherein a second level lookup of the two-level lookup includes a lookup based on a formal data type of the second application and selection of an appropriate translator from the candidate set of translators determined by the first level of the two-level lookup.

6 more elements

A method for translation of data types between a first component in a first language and a second component in a second language, the method comprising:

using a computer having a processor and a memory, the computer being configured to:
define a formal mapping between data types of the first language and data types of the second language;
implement translators based on the formal mapping for translating data types between the first language and the second language;
produce a programming interface for the first component based upon the formal mapping and the second component's programming interface;
generate a translation mapping to the translators based on actual data types of the first component and formal data types of the second component as defined in the first component's programming interface;
in response to invocation of a method defined in the first component's programming interface with a particular data type, automatically select translator based on the translation mapping and the particular data type;
and
translate the particular data type to a data type of the second language using the selected translator,
wherein automatically selecting the translator includes performing a two-level lookup in the translation mapping,
wherein performing a first level of the two-level lookup includes looking up a full inheritance hierarchy of the actual type to determine a candidate set of translators, and
wherein performing a second level of the two-level lookup includes a lookup based on a formal data type of the second component and selection of an appropriate translator from the candidate set of translators determined by the first level of the two-level lookup.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.