Borland International, Inc.

Peter Kukol

Anders Hejlsberg

John G Bennett

Jeffrey Stock

Alex Shtaygrud

A development system having a compiler that allows programmers and software developers to more efficiently develop compiled applications with runtime exception handling support is described. The compiler implements methods for handling of exceptions, which may occur during runtime execution of the program. In an exemplary embodiment, the system of the present invention registers exception handling information (e.g., an Exception Registration Record) with the underlying operating system, during execution of prolog code for each function (or other discrete section of code). The method is implemented so that the Exception Registration Record (ERR) resides at the bottom of the stack (or top of stack, for stack-based systems whose system stack grows upward) so that the information is positioned at one end of the stack during execution of the function. In this manner, the method allows the system of the present invention to readily and efficiently register an exception handler with the operating system, by merely executing a series of efficient machine instructions for pushing data members of the ERR onto the stack (including 'pushing' the value of zero for data members which are to be cleared).

Systems and methods and implementing exception handling using exception

An object-oriented development system of the present invention includes a language compiler having an optimizer for generating computer applications with improved speed and size. C++ optimization methods of the present invention are described, including virtual function and base optimization, using thunks for virtual member pointers, and passing classes by value. An object-oriented calling convention of the present invention, which affords rapid and efficient access to data and methods of objects, is also described.

System and methods for optimizing object-oriented compilations

A computer system for executing application programs with limited available main memory capacity includes a main memory management system. The architecture of the stub vectors of a swappable code object and the protocol for referencing the stubs in active call frames reduces the overhead time of code object swapping. The stub vectors for a swappable code object are clustered together in memory; and each cluster comprises at least one entry stub and a return stub. A return stub vector is referenced in an active call frame only when its associated code object is not resident in main memory or when the code object has been placed on probation in contemplation of moving the object out of main memory. A linked list of resident code objects is employed in the selection of objects to be removed from main memory. A number of the least recently used code objects are put on probation in anticipation of the need to swap code between main memory and bulk memory. A call for or a return to an object on probation serves to remove the object from probation.

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Aptos, CA, United States of America

Peter Kukol