Data processing: software development – installation – and managem – Software program development tool – Translation of code
Reexamination Certificate
1993-08-12
2001-04-17
Coulter, Kenneth R. (Department: 2154)
Data processing: software development, installation, and managem
Software program development tool
Translation of code
C717S152000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06219831
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention is related to a device and method for converting computer programming languages, and particularly, to a highly versatile device and method for converting computer programming languages that can be used for converting programs between a number of computer programming languages without being limited to conversion of programs between two specific programming languages.
A program that gives a job procedure to a computer is written in computer programming language (programming language). There are many computer programming languages. When viewed in terms of language level, there are languages that are directly dependent on the computer, which are called machine languages, and languages that are much closer to human languages, which are called high-level languages. When viewed in terms of language application, there is FORTRAN, which is a scientific computation-oriented language and COBOL, which is a business-oriented language. Some languages are developed for specific computers by specific laboratories or enterprises. In recent years, there have been general-user-oriented languages, called 4th generation languages, that are closer to the applications. In addition, there may be several different dialects because of differences in level, even in the same types of language. There are many cases where a program written in a computer programming language (e.g., FORTRAN) must be converted into a program written in another computer programming language (e.g., COBOL). This situation arises when it is desired to run a program written in a language for a certain computer on another computer and there is a need to rewrite that program into a language for the other different computer.
Therefore, a device for converting computer programming languages that converts programs between different computer languages (hereinafter, the unconverted language is called the original language and the converted language is called the target language) is needed. Here, conversion means to change the program from one language (original language) into another language (target language).
Many computer programming language converters have been proposed in the past. The problem of the conventional computer programming language converters is that it is necessary to modify the built-in converter program even if only the level of the unconverted original language is changed, because the conversion method between the different languages in the converter built-in program is fixed. Furthermore, it is necessary to closely investigate the differences between the unconverted original language and the converted target language at the stage of making a converter. Besides this, it takes a tremendous amount of time to make a programming language converter because all the specifications will be different in conversion between different languages, for example, between FORTRAN and COBOL, or between application languages called 4th generation languages. Furthermore, engineers who know both the unconverted original language and the converted target language well are needed to make a programming language converter, but these kinds of engineers cannot be obtained easily.
A programming language translator, for example, such as is disclosed in PUPA No. 2-10434, has been proposed in the past to solve this kind of problem. This is for providing a comparison table of basic syntax (instruction statements) between original language and target language, for analyzing the unconverted program syntax, and for selecting an appropriate basic syntax for the target language from the table. In this translator disclosed in PUPA No. 2-10434, making use of a new original language and the target language only requires storing that new basic syntax in the table. However, the basic syntax in this table stores sections expressing those functions, for example, the GO TO section (hereafter called key words), and variable sections, for example, (hereafter called word) together. For the conversion into the target language in the corresponding table, the key words of the basic syntax and words are converted together. Therefore, in this conventional translator example, since key words and words are dealt with as one set and converted together, it is impossible to convert words themselves according to independent rules. This means it lacks versatility as a programming language translator.
In addition, in PUPA No. 2-183339, another conventional example, a method to obtain versatility in a computer programming language converter by incorporating lexical analysis and syntax analysis as independent routines not based on the original language and target language is proposed. However, there is also no suggestion in this conventional example about a method to provide a computer programming language converter with higher versatility by separating the instruction statements into a key word section expressing functions and a word section expressing variables for conversion, and by carrying out these conversions independently.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a device and method for converting computer programming languages that have much higher versatility than conventional ones, and which can convert programs between many more computer programming languages. According to this invention, conversion rules are generated automatically when an operator inputs a conversion model on the computer input screen that converts from a model statement of an original language to a model statement of a target language. At this time, a device and method for converting computer programming languages which have high versatility, which can give instructions to convert key words expressing functions and words expressing variables in the instruction statements according to separate rules are provided.
Means for Solving the Problems
This device for converting computer programming languages of the invention has a conversion rule input means, a conversion rule generation means, and a conversion rule drive means. The conversion rule input means has an original language input section that describes and inputs modelled instruction statements in the original language in which the unconverted program is written according to the syntax of the original language, a target language input section that describes and inputs modelled instruction statements in the post-conversion target language, which perform the functions of the instruction statements in the original language, and a word conversion input section that describes and inputs the rules to convert individual variables, that is, words, that form the instruction statements in the original language into variables of the instruction statements in the target language.
The conversion rule generation means generates a conversion rule search key by using the input model statements that were inputted in the original language input section, generates a word conversion table or a word conversion program call function by using the rules that were inputted in the word conversion input section, generates a target language generation program by using the output model statements that were inputted in the target language input section, and generates a conversion rule taking these as a set. This conversion rule is stored in the conversion rule database.
When an unconverted original program is inputted, the conversion rule drive means analyzes the original program and fetches conversion rules to convert the instruction statements in original language from the conversion rule database by using a conversion rule search key. The conversion rule drive means further converts the words of the unconverted instruction statements into the words of the instruction statements of the converted program by using a word conversion table call function that is contained in the fetched conversion rule, and further, generates and outputs instruction statements in the converted target language by using a target language generation program that is also contained
Coulter Kenneth R.
Cutter Lawrence D.
International Business Machines - Corporation
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