System and methodology providing compiler-assisted refactoring

Patent 6804682 Issued on October 12, 2004. Estimated Expiration Date:

July 30, 2022. 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

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Inventors

Assignee

Borland Software Corporation

Application

No. 10209283 filed on 07/30/2002

US Classes:

707/103R, Object-oriented database structure717/120, Managing software components707/103Y, Object-oriented database structure processing717/130, Including instrumentation and profiling717/151, Optimization717/148Just-in-time compiling or dynamic compiling (e.g., compiling Java bytecode on a virtual machine)

Examiners

Primary: Mizrahi, Diane D.
Assistant: Wu, Yicun

Attorney, Agent or Firm

International Class

G06F 1730

Abstract

A system providing an improved method for compiler-assisted refactoring of a software application is described. Upon receiving a request for refactoring of a software application (e.g., changing a given symbol of the application), the binary files of the application are parsed to identify those binary files containing references to the given symbol. The source files of the identified binary files are then retrieved and fed into a compiler. The compiler is used to generate a list of all uses of the given symbol in the software application. This list includes not only the text name of the symbol, but also type information and position information regarding its location(s) in the source file. Based upon the list, changes are applied to the software application.