US 7,689,979 B1Granted

Methods and apparatus to improve application launch time

AssigneeAdobe Systems Incorporated

InventorsDavid G. Sawyer, Dylan Ashe, Brent E. Rosenquist

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Abstract

Modification of source code reduces a launch time associated with an application program so that the application program more quickly responds to input from a user after startup. One technique of modifying source code includes converting globally defined variables in the source code to local static variables associated with respective newly created functions. Inclusion of the globally defined variables in the source code impacts application launch time because a compiler creates initialization code associated with the globally defined variables that must be run at launch time to initialize the variables in case they are used by functions in the application program. On the other hand, local static variables are initialized when the function that contains them is first called. Thus, use of local static variables in respective newly created functions in lieu of globally defined variables reduce application program launch time.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A method for enhancing performance of code at application launch time, the method comprising:

identifying a location in which a global element is initialized in a sequence of code, the global element being accessible throughout the sequence of code;
eliminating the global element at the location in the sequence of code;
adding a new function to the sequence of code, the new function providing functionality associated with the global element;
identifying at least one reference to the global element in the sequence of code;
replacing the at least one reference to the global element with a respective reference to the new function;
creating the new function in the sequence of code to support at least a portion of functionality previously provided by the eliminated global element;
wherein identifying the at least one reference to the global element in the sequence of code includes identifying a given function in the sequence of code, the given function referencing the global element being eliminated from the location;
and
wherein replacing the at least one reference to the global element with a respective reference to the new function includes:
eliminating a reference in the given function, the reference in the given function referring to the global element being eliminated from the location;
and
in place of the reference being eliminated from the given function, adding a reference to the new function, the reference to the new function enabling the given function to obtain a data value associated with the global element from the new function instead of the global element in the location.

9 more elements

A computer program product including a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon for processing data information, such that the instructions, when carried out by a processing device, enable the processing device to perform the operations of:

identifying a location in which a global element is initialized in source code, the global element being accessible throughout the source code;
eliminating the global element at the location in the source code;
adding a new function to the sequence of code, the new function providing functionality associated with the global element;
identifying at least one reference to the global element in the source code;
and
replacing the at least one reference to the global element in the source code with a respective reference to the new function;
creating the new function in the sequence of code to support at least a portion of functionality previously provided by the eliminated global element;
wherein identifying the at least one reference to the global element in the sequence of code includes identifying a given function in the sequence of code, the given function referencing the global element being eliminated from the location;
and
wherein replacing the at least one reference to the global element with a respective reference to the new function includes:
eliminating a reference in the given function, the reference in the given function referring to the global element being eliminated from the location;
and
in place of the reference being eliminated from the given function, adding a reference to the new function, the reference to the new function enabling the given function to obtain a data value associated with the global element from the new function instead of the global element in the location.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.