International Business Machines Corporation

Patrick Boeuf

Marc Charles Fiammante

Eric Menguy

Jean-Christophe Dupuy

R&eacute;mi Piro

Martine Linares-Langloys

A method for translating source code programs written in a procedural computer language in source code programs written in an Object Oriented language. The method of the invention provides a parser which adds to the lexicographic and syntactical analysis of the source code a semantic analysis: a parser is written for identifying the semantic patterns in the source code. At execution, the parser reads the instructions of the procedural language and classify the sequences of instructions identified as using a known pattern. According to the matched patterns, the parser creates different categories of classes containing both functional (linearly translated code) or references to other object instances. Each time an object is discovered in the code it is stored in an Object Dictionary with its description and reused when referred later in the code. The parser is executed for each program and at each execution new classes and new objects are created; when all the programs are translated the OO classes and objects form the target object model.

Enhanced source code translator from procedural programming language (PPL) to an object oriented programming language (OOPL)

For storing and retrieving data, the present invention enhances performance by allocating a single oversized contiguous storage area and by allowing data wrapping. Reliability is insured by verifying the coherence of stored variable length records at each READ operation. The coherence verification is optimized because the information required for verification, comprising a set of key values, is stored in the records themselves.

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La Gaude, France

Patrick Boeuf