Method and device for program transformation using class hierarchy transformation based upon type constraint analysis

Patent 6230314 Issued on May 8, 2001. Estimated Expiration Date:

October 2, 2017. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

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Inventors

Application

No. 942520 filed on 10/02/1997

US Classes:

717/108, Object oriented717/154Including analysis of program

Examiners

Primary: Powell, Mark R.
Assistant: Ingberg, Todd

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Fleit, Kain, Gibbons, Gutman & Bongini P. L., Gibbons; Jon A., August; Casey P.

International Class

G06F 009/44

Abstract

A mechanism is provided that eliminates redundant components from objects of a program. Specifically, the mechanism is capable of detecting situations where a member of a given class is used by some, but not all instances of that class, and the elimination of this member from the instances where it is not needed. This is accomplished by an analysis of the program and its class hierarchy, followed by the construction of a new, specialized class hierarchy and a transformation of the program. These operations preserve the original behavior of the program, and have the effect of "optimizing away" unneeded class members from objects. The invention is also capable of replacing class hierarchies that exhibit virtual inheritance with class hierarchies that only exhibit nonvirtual inheritance, and is applicable across a broad spectrum of inheritance structures. Transformation of virtual into nonvirtual inheritance improves program performance because it reduces the time required to access members that are located in virtual base classes. In addition, it may reduce the space required to represent objects.

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