COMPUTER FILE PROCESSING
A method and apparatus for processing of computer files. An embodiment of a method for processing computer files includes receiving a serial data stream input, where the serial data stream input represents a set of computer files. The method further includes scanning the serial data stream input to extract selected data elements occurring in the set of computer files, and outputting the selected data elements in a serial data stream output.
1 . A method for processing of computer files comprising:
receiving a serial data stream input, the serial data stream input representing a set of computer files;
scanning the serial data stream input to extract selected data elements occurring in the set of computer files; and
outputting the selected data elements in a serial data stream output.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the computer files are Java class files.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising converting the set of computer files to generate the serial data stream input.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein scanning the serial data stream input comprises scanning each element of the serial data stream input no more than once.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a selected data element in the computer files is an annotation.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a selected data element is an occurrence of a particular class of computer file.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a format of the serial data stream input is the same as a format of the serial data stream output.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the serial data stream output to a data consumer.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising processing the serial data stream output to extract selected data elements from the contents of the serial data stream output.
10 . A system comprising:
a data input, the data input to receive a serial data stream input, the serial data stream input representing a set of computer files;
a processing module, the processing module to scan the serial data stream input to identify one or more elements in the set of computer files; and
a data output, the data output providing an extracted serial data stream output representing the identified elements of input data stream.
11 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising a conversion module to convert the set of computer files to the serial data stream input.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the set of computer files comprises a set of Java class files.
13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the serial data stream input and the serial data stream output have the same data format.
14 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising a second processing module, the second processing module receiving the serial data stream output as an input for additional processing.
15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein an identified element in the computer files is an annotation.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an identified element in the computer files is an occurrence of a particular class of computer file.
17 . An article of manufacture comprising:
a computer-readable medium including instructions that, when accessed by a processor, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:
converting a set of computer files to generate a serial data stream input;
scanning the serial data stream input to extract selected data elements occurring in the set of computer files; and
outputting the selected data elements in a serial data stream output.
18 . The article of manufacture of claim 17 , wherein each computer file is a Java class file.
19 . The article of manufacture of claim 17 , wherein scanning the serial data stream input comprises scanning each element of the serial data stream input no more than once.
20 . The article of manufacture of claim 17 , wherein a selected data element in the computer files is an annotation.
21 . The article of manufacture of claim 17 , wherein a selected data element in the computer files is an occurrence of a particular class of computer file.
22 . The article of manufacture of claim 17 , wherein a format of the serial data stream input is the same as a format of the serial data stream output.
23 . The article of manufacture of claim 17 , wherein the medium further includes instructions that, when accessed by a processor, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:
providing the serial data stream output to a data consumer.
24 . The article of manufacture of claim 17 , wherein the medium further includes instructions that, when accessed by a processor, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:
processing the serial data stream output to extract selected data elements from the contents of the serial data stream output.