Method and system for using idiom recognition during a software translation process

1. A method for using idiom recognition during a software translation process, comprising:

accessing non-native instructions of a non-native application;

determining whether an instruction pattern of the non-native instructions is recognized from a previous execution;

if a message digest corresponding to the instruction pattern is recognized, retrieving translated instructions corresponding to the non-native instructions; and

executing the translated instructions.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating the message digest from the non-native instructions of the non-native application; and

determining whether the instruction pattern of the non-native instructions is recognized from the previous execution by determining whether the message digest is recognized.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

determining whether the instruction pattern of the non-native instructions is recognized by comparing the message digest of the non-native instructions with an index.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the translated instructions are retrieved from an external memory.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the translated instructions are retrieved from a disk drive.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the instruction pattern of the non-native instructions comprises an instruction pattern of a page of non-native instructions.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein, if the instruction pattern is recognized, translated instructions corresponding to the page of non-native instructions are retrieved.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the translated instructions comprise pipeline instructions.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the pipeline instructions comprise VLIW instructions.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-native instructions comprise x86 instructions and the non-native application comprises an x86 application.

11. A method for using idiom recognition during a software translation process, comprising:

accessing non-native instructions of a non-native application;

generating a message digest of the non-native instructions;

determining whether the instruction pattern of the non-native instructions is recognized from a previous execution by comparing the message digest with an index;

if the instruction pattern is recognized, retrieving translated instructions corresponding to the non-native instructions; and

executing the translated instructions.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining whether the instruction pattern of the non-native instructions is recognized from the previous execution by determining whether the message digest matches an entry of the index.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

if the instruction pattern is not recognized, translated the non-native instructions into resulting translated instructions;

executing the resulting translated instructions;

storing the message digest as an entry in the index; and

storing the resulting translated instructions corresponding to the message digest.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the resulting translated instructions are stored in an external memory.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the resulting translated instructions are stored in a disk drive.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the instruction pattern of the non-native instructions comprises an instruction pattern of a page of non-native instructions.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein, if the instruction pattern is recognized, translated instructions corresponding to the page of non-native instructions are retrieved.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the translated instructions comprise VLIW instructions and the non-native instructions comprise x86 instructions.

19. A computer readable media for implementing idiom recognition during a software translation process, the media storing computer readable code which when executed by a processor causes the processor to implement a method comprising:

accessing non-native instructions of a non-native application;

generating a message digest of the non-native instructions;

determining whether the instruction pattern of the non-native instructions is recognized from a previous execution by comparing the message digest with an index;

if the instruction pattern is recognized, retrieving translated instructions corresponding to the non-native instructions; and

executing the translated instructions.

20. The computer readable media of claim 19 further comprising:

determining whether the instruction pattern of the non-native instructions is recognized from the previous execution by determining whether the message digest matches an entry of the index.

21. The computer readable media of claim 20 further comprising:

if the instruction pattern is not recognized, translating the non-native instructions into resulting translated instructions;

executing the resulting translated instructions;

storing the message digest as an entry in the index; and

storing the resulting translated instructions corresponding to the message digest.

22. The computer readable media of claim 21 wherein the resulting translated instructions are stored in an external memory.

23. The computer readable media of claim 21 wherein the resulting translated instructions are stored in a disk drive.

24. The computer readable media of claim 19 wherein the instruction pattern of the non-native instructions comprises an instruction pattern of a page of non-native instructions.

25. The computer readable media of claim 24 wherein, if the instruction pattern is recognized, translated instructions corresponding to the page of non-native instructions are retrieved.

26. The computer readable media of claim 19 wherein the translated instructions comprise VLIW instructions and the non-native instructions comprise x86 instructions.