System and methodology for supporting a platform independent object format for a run-time environment
View Patent ↗A computer-implemented method and software are provided for supporting a platform independent object format for a run-time environment in which a definition of an object in terms of a composition of one or more primitive types and a platform-specific description of the one or more primitive types are accessed. A layout for the object is then generated in a high-order language based on the definition of the object and the platform-specific description.
1. A method for supporting a platform independent object format for a run-time environment, comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
accessing a definition of an object in terms of a composition of one or more primitive types;
accessing a platform-specific description of size and alignment of the one or more primitive types; and
generating a layout for the object in a high-order language based on the definition of the object and the size and alignment of the one or more primitive types.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of generating instructions for an accessor operation to access a slot in the object holding a value for one of the one or more primitive types.
3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of generating instructions for a get operation to fetch a value for one of the one or more primitive types from a slot in the object.
4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of generating instructions for a set operation to store a value for one of the one or more primitive types from a slot in the object.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more primitive types includes one or more of the following types: integer, floating point, and reference.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the primitive reference type is one of a native machine pointer type and a numeric reference type.
7. A method for supporting an object format for a plurality of incompatible platforms for a run-time environment, comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
accessing a definition of an object as a plurality of slots containing a primitive type;
accessing a plurality of platform-specific descriptions of layout parameters of the one or more primitive types, said platform-specific descriptions corresponding respectively to the incompatible platforms; and
generating a plurality of layouts, corresponding respectively to the incompatible platforms, for the object in a high-order language based on the definition of the object and the platform-specific descriptions.
8. The method according to claim 7 , where the slots are located in the layouts for the incompatible platforms, when compiled by a corresponding platform-specific compiler, at same offsets.
9. A computer-readable storage medium bearing instructions for supporting a platform independent object format for a run-time environment, said instructions being arranged to cause one or more processors upon execution thereby to perform the steps of:
accessing a definition of an object in terms of a composition of one or more primitive types;
accessing a platform-specific description of size and alignment of the one or more primitive types; and
generating a layout for the object in a high-order language based on the definition of the object and the size and alignment of the one or more primitive types.
10. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein said instructions are further arranged for performing the step of generating instructions for an accessor operation to access a slot in the object holding a value for one of the one or more primitive types.
11. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein said instructions are further arranged for performing the step of generating instructions for a get operation to fetch a value for one of the one or more primitive types from a slot in the object.
12. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein said instructions are further arranged for performing the step of generating instructions for a set operation to store a value for one of the one or more primitive types from a slot in the object.
13. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more primitive types includes one or more of the following types: integer, floating point, and reference.
14. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13 , wherein the primitive reference type is one of a native machine pointer type and a numeric reference type.
15. A computer-readable storage medium bearing instructions for supporting an object format for a plurality of incompatible platforms for a run-time environment, said instructions being arranged to cause one or more processors upon execution thereby to perform the steps of:
accessing a definition of an object as a plurality of slots containing a primitive type;
accessing a plurality of platform-specific descriptions of layout parameters of the one or more primitive types, said platform-specific descriptions corresponding respectively to the incompatible platforms; and
generating a plurality of layouts, corresponding respectively to the incompatible platforms, for the object in a high-order language based on the definition of the object and the platform-specific descriptions.
16. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the slots are located in the layouts for the incompatible platforms, when compiled by a corresponding platform-specific compiler, at same offsets.
17. The method according to claim 8 , wherein:
one of the platform-specific descriptions corresponding to one of the incompatible platforms specifies that the primitive type has a first size;
another of the platform-specific descriptions corresponding to another of the incompatible platforms specifies that the primitive type has a second size greater than the first size; and
said generating the layouts includes:
generating one of the layouts corresponding to said one of the incompatible platforms;
generating another of the layouts corresponding to said another of the incompatible platforms; and
generating a padding element in said one of the layouts.
18. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein:
one of the platform-specific descriptions corresponding to one of the incompatible platforms specifies that the primitive type has a first size; and
another of the platform-specific descriptions corresponding to another of the incompatible platforms specifies that the primitive type has a second size greater than the first size; and
said generating the layouts includes:
generating one of the layouts corresponding to said one of the incompatible platforms;
generating another of the layouts corresponding to said another of the incompatible platforms; and
generating a padding element in said one of the layouts.
19. A method for supporting an object format for a run-time environment, comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
accessing a definition of an object as including at least one slot containing a primitive type;
accessing a first layout description for the primitive type corresponding to a first platform;
generating a first layout for the slot of the object in a high-order language based on the definition of the object and the first layout description; and
accessing a second layout description for the primitive type corresponding to a second platform; and
generating a second layout for the slot of the object in a high-order language based on the definition of the object and the first layout description;
wherein the first layout for the slot and the second layout for the slot have a same size when compiled by a first compiler of the high-order language on the first platform and a second compiler of the high-order language on the second platform; and
the first layout for the slot of the object in the high-order language includes a padding element and the second layout for the slot of the object in the high-order language does not include the padding element.
20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein:
the first layout description for the primitive type specifies a first size for the primitive type; and
the second layout description for the primitive specifies a second size for the primitive type greater than the first size.
21. The method according to claim 19 , wherein:
the first layout description for the primitive type specifies a first alignment restriction for the primitive type; and
the second layout description for the primitive specifies a second alignment restriction for the primitive type stricter than the first alignment restriction.