System, method, and computer readable medium for integrating an original language application with a target language application

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/086,101 entitled SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM FOR INTEGRATING APPLICATIONS IN MULTIPLE SOFTWARE LANGUAGES, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/086,121 entitled SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM FOR INTEGRATING AN ORIGINAL APPLICATION WITH A REMOTE APPLICATION, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/086,211 entitled SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM FOR INTEGRATING APPLICATIONS IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/086,102 entitled SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM FOR NORMALIZING SOURCE FILES IN MULTIPLE SOFTWARE LANGUAGES, the disclosures all of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to integrating applications, and, more specifically to a system, method, and computer readable medium for integrating an original language application with a target language application.

Various limitations are associated with integrating applications such as difficulty in sharing the structure of application data and application programming interfaces (classes). As such, it is cumbersome for an application written in one language to access a functionality provided by an application written in a different language. It is currently tedious to integrate these applications because a common structure must be defined in a third language (such as Extensible Markup Language, Common Object Request Broker Architecture Event Definition Language, etc.).

The present invention overcomes these problems and limitations by providing a system, method, and computer readable medium for integrating an original language application with a target language application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, a method for integrating an original language application with a target language application comprises receiving properties related to a source file in the original language application, parsing the source file based on the received properties into a common format for the original language application and the target language application, receiving the parsed source file by a repository module, and placing contents of the received parsed source file on an interface.

In another embodiment, a method for integrating an original language application with a target language application comprises receiving properties related to a source file in the original language application and parsing the source file based on the received properties into a common format for the original language application and the target language application.

In a further embodiment, a computer readable medium comprises instructions for: receiving properties related to a source file in an original language, parsing the source file based on the received properties into a common format for the original language and a target language, and receiving the parsed source file by a repository module.

In yet another embodiment, a method for integrating an original language application with a target language application comprises receiving information from an interface, wherein the information includes at least one of: a class, methods of the class, and fields of the class, wherein the methods of the class include at least one of: parameters of the method, result of the method, exceptions of the method, a data type of the parameter, a data type of the result, and a data type of the exception, wherein the fields of the class include at least one data type of the field, and integrating the original language application with the target language application based on the received information.

In yet a further embodiment, a computer readable medium comprises instructions for: receiving information from an interface, wherein the information includes at least one of: a class, methods of the class, and fields of the class, and integrating an original language application with a target language application based on the received information.

In yet another embodiment, a method for integrating an original language application with a target language application comprises receiving properties related to a target language and generating integration classes in the target language based on the received properties, wherein the generated integration classes in the target language correspond to classes in an original language.

In yet a further embodiment, a computer readable medium comprises instructions for: receiving properties related to a target language and generating integration classes in the target language based on the received properties, wherein the generated integration classes in the target language correspond to classes in an original language.

In yet another embodiment, a system for integrating applications in multiple languages comprises: a module adapted to: create a repository structure, receive properties related to an application in an original language, import source files related to the application into the repository, place contents of the repository on an interface, and receive information from the interface, wherein the information is adapted to integrate the original language application with a target language application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a flow diagram describing an integration of applications in multiple languages in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 depicts a flow diagram describing importing a file in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 depicts a flow diagram describing a mapping function in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 depicts a flow diagram describing a generating function in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, a system 10 of the present invention is depicted. The system 10 includes a user's environment application files module 12, that includes various file formats 14 such as Java™, a programming language that derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities, C++ (or cpp), and C# (or C sharp, cs), a user interface 16, a current project module 18, and a folder/repository 20. At step 31, a user (or software application) starts the user interface 16 and creates a project in the user interface. A project captures all the activities performed by the user on the user interface 16. The user imports source files 32 from his/her programming environment 12, potentially in multiple languages. The user performs a selection of classes and methods 33 in the imported files and optionally performs a mapping of parameter/return/exception data types in a source language to a target language.

The user interface 16 creates 34 a project file 18 on the computer storing the information at the project level including importing properties and generation projects. The project file 18 also contains the list of files imported into a project. The user interface 16 also creates a distinct repository file 20 for each imported source language file 22-26. A normalization function 36 in the user interface 16 normalizes the constructs in different languages into a common representation to be used by the display, and mapping and generator modules (to be described later) in the user interface.

Referring now to FIG. 2, another embodiment 40 of the present invention is depicted. After creating a project in the system, the user provides 71 generation properties for the various languages 46. Generation properties include namespaces to be used, directories where files are created and others. After creating a project in the system, the user provides 72 importing properties from a properties module 48 for the various languages. Importing properties include: directories, macro definitions, compiler flags and others for C++, class path, source path, VM parameters and others for JAVA™, a programming language that derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities, and reference libraries, compiler flags and others for C#. The properties module user interface saves 73 the properties information into the project file 18. The user can optionally change 74 the properties information provided at project creation, before importing a source language file.

The user can select the importing function in the system which displays a file chooser 56 for the user to select a file 54 (in this example, a .java file). The user interface 16 invokes the parser module 58 for JAVA™, a programming language that derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities, and passes 76 it the importing parameters so that the imported source language file can be successfully parsed. The parser module 58 for JAVA™, a programming language that derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities, uses the repository module 52 to create 77 a repository file 20 for the imported source language file. The repository module, 52 also creates 78 a repository file 20. The user interface 16 updates 79 the view with the new data in the repository corresponding to the newly imported file.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a further embodiment 80 of the present invention is depicted. After a source language file is imported into the system, the user interface 16 displays the classes in the repository (in a class explorer type view). The user performs a selection 92 of classes and methods in the classes that are of interest or should be exported to the target language application. The user or software maps 93 data types in the source language to data types in the target language, if required, using a mapping module function in the user interface. The mapping module 84 updates 94 the repository 20 in memory with the new data. The repository 20 makes 95 the user's choice persistent in a file 88 on the computer when the user chooses the save option on the user interface. The user interface 16 then updates the class view with the new data.

Referring now to FIG. 4, another embodiment 100 of the present invention is depicted. If C++ is selected as one of the target languages, the user interface verifies 121a the repository to see if the user has accurately provided all the information needed to perform such mapping. If C# is selected as one of the target languages, the user interface verifies 121b the repository to see if the user has accurately provided all the information needed to perform such mapping. The user interface verifies 121c the repository to see if the user has accurately provided all the information needed to perform mapping of the source language data types.

If CPP is selected as a target language by the user: the user interface invokes 122 the CPP generator module 46c to generate the necessary classes. The CPP generator module 46c generates 123: Proxy Classes in C++ 112, Streamer Classes in C++ 114, and Data Classes in C++ 116. It should be noted that since CPP is not the original source language, adapter classes are not generated. For Java source language applications: the user interface invokes 124 the JAVA generator module 46b to generate the necessary classes. The JAVA generator module 46b generates 125: Adapter Classes in JAVA 110 and Streamer Classes in JAVA 114. It should be noted that since JAVA is the original source language, proxy classes and data classes are not generated. If C# is selected as a target language by the user: the user interface invokes 126 the Csharp generator module 46a to generate the necessary classes. The Csharp generator module 46a generates: Proxy Classes in Csharp 112, Streamer Classes in Csharp 114, and Data Classes in Csharp 116. It should be noted that since Csharp is not the original source language, adapter classes are not generated.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for integrating an original language application with a target language application comprises receiving properties related to a source file in the original language application, parsing the source file based on the received properties into a common format for the original language application and the target language application, receiving the parsed source file by a repository module, and placing contents of the received parsed source file on an interface. The method further comprises storing the received parsed source file in a repository file.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for integrating an original language application with a target language application comprises receiving information from an interface, wherein the information includes at least one of: a class, methods of the class, and fields of the class, wherein the methods of the class include at least one of: parameters of the method, result of the method, exceptions of the method, a data type of the parameter, a data type of the result, and a data type of the exception, wherein the fields of the class include at least one data type of the field, and integrating the original language application with the target language application based on the received information, wherein the received information is at least one of: a non-complex class and a complex class. The method further comprises: mapping of the complex class to at least one target language, a pre-defined mapping of the non-complex class to at least one target language. The method also comprises repeating the steps in the method for at least one of a following construct including: classes, fundamental data types, structures, unions, type definitions, interfaces, enumerations, reference types, pointer types, and template types.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method for integrating an original language application with a target language application comprises receiving properties related to a target language, and generating integration classes in the target language based on the received properties, wherein the generated integration classes in the target language correspond to classes in an original language. The method further comprises generating adapter classes related to the original application, generating proxy classes related to the target application, wherein the proxy classes are adapted to communicate with the adapter classes, generating data types related to the target application, wherein the data types related to the remote application are equivalent to the data types related to the original application, and generating streamers related to the target application, wherein the streamers related to the remote application are adapted to be utilized by the proxy classes, wherein the adapter classes are adapted to provide access to functions of the original application.

The communication comprises sending input parameters, related to the original application, to the adapter classes, receiving output parameters, return values, and exceptions, related to the original application, at the proxy classes, receiving input parameters, related to the original application, at the adapter classes, and sending output parameters, return values, and exceptions, related to the original application, to the proxy classes, wherein the streamers related to the remote application are adapted to: convert data communicated by the proxy classes to the adapter classes and convert data communicated by the adapter classes to the proxy classes, wherein the data is converted into a neutral data format (marshaling), and wherein the streamers are adapted to receive the data in neutral data format and convert the data to corresponding data types (unmarshaling).

Although an exemplary embodiment of the system and method of the present invention has been illustrated in the accompanied drawings and described in the foregoing detailed description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth and defined by the following claims. For example, the functionality performed by the various modules described above, can be performed by one or more of the module in the current architecture, a distributed architecture and on or via any electronic device. Further, such functionality may be performed by described, depicted, un-described and/or un-depicted contents of the modules.