Automated generation of bridging code to augment a legacy application using an object-oriented language

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9740459-B2
Application number	US-201414497033-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2014
Priority date	Sep 7, 2011
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A legacy machine-oriented language interface definition is received of a new module to be implemented, using an object-oriented language, to provide a new feature within a legacy machine-oriented language application that is executable within a legacy application execution platform. An object-oriented class definition and bridging code that interfaces the object-oriented class definition to the legacy machine-oriented language interface definition are generated. An updated version of the object-oriented class definition is received that includes object-oriented code that implements functionality of the new feature within the new module. A new executable version of the legacy machine-oriented language application is built. The new executable version of the legacy machine-oriented language application is executable within the legacy application execution platform, and includes the new module as a new object accessible using the legacy machine-oriented language interface definition with the functionality of the new feature as implemented by the object-oriented code.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, at a processor, a legacy machine-oriented language interface definition of a new module to be implemented, using an object-oriented language, to provide a new feature within a legacy machine-oriented language application that is executable within a legacy application execution platform;
generating, via the processor, an object-oriented class definition and bridging code that interfaces the object-oriented class definition to the legacy machine-oriented language interface definition, further comprising creating the object-oriented class definition as an object-oriented class prototype usable to instantiate the new module as the new object within the new executable version of the legacy machine-oriented language application;
receiving an updated version of the object-oriented class definition that comprises object-oriented code that implements functionality of the new feature within the new module; and
building a new executable version of the legacy machine-oriented language application, executable within the legacy application execution platform, and comprising the new module within the new executable version as a new object accessible via the legacy machine-oriented language interface definition and with the functionality of the new feature as implemented by the object-oriented code in the updated version of the object-oriented class definition.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising implementing the new executable version of the legacy machine-oriented language application comprising the new module within the legacy machine-oriented language application platform.

3. The method of claim 1 , where receiving, at the processor, the legacy machine-oriented language interface definition of the new module to be implemented, using the object-oriented language, to provide the new feature within the legacy machine-oriented language application that is executable within the legacy application execution platform comprises receiving the legacy machine-oriented language interface definition of the new module as input during invocation of a build process for the new executable version of the legacy machine-oriented language application.

4. The method of claim 1 , where the legacy machine-oriented language application comprises a programming language/cross system (PL/X) customer information control system transaction server application.

5. The method of claim 1 , where the new module comprises a new gate of a domain within a programming language/cross system (PL/X) customer information control system transaction server application.

6. A system, comprising:
a memory; and
a processor programmed to:
receive a legacy machine-oriented language interface definition of a new module to be implemented, using an object-oriented language, to provide a new feature within a legacy machine-oriented language application that is executable within a legacy application execution platform;
generate an object-oriented class definition and bridging code that interfaces the object-oriented class definition to the legacy machine-oriented language interface definition, comprising the processor being further programmed to create, within the memory, the object-oriented class definition as an object-oriented class prototype usable to instantiate the new module as the new object within the new executable version of the legacy machine-oriented language application;
receive an updated version of the object-oriented class definition that comprises object-oriented code that implements functionality of the new feature within the new module; and
build, within the memory, a new executable version of the legacy machine-oriented language application, executable within the legacy application execution platform, and comprising the new module within the new executable version as a new object accessible via the legacy machine-oriented language interface definition and with the functionality of the new feature as implemented by the object-oriented code in the updated version of the object-oriented class definition.

7. The system of claim 6 , where the processor is further programmed to implement the new executable version of the legacy machine-oriented language application comprising the new module within the legacy machine-oriented language application platform.

8. The system of claim 6 , where, in being programmed to receive the legacy machine-oriented language interface definition of the new module to be implemented, using the object-oriented language, to provide the new feature within the legacy machine-oriented language application that is executable within the legacy application execution platform, the processor is programmed to receive the legacy machine-oriented language interface definition of the new module as input during invocation of a build process for the new executable version of the legacy machine-oriented language application.

9. The system of claim 6 , where the legacy machine-oriented language application comprises a programming language/cross system (PL/X) customer information control system transaction server application.

10. The system of claim 6 , where the new module comprises a new gate of a domain within a programming language/cross system (PL/X) customer information control system transaction server application.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium including computer readable program code, where the computer readable program code when executed on a computer causes the computer to:
receive a legacy machine-oriented language interface definition of a new module to be implemented, using an object-oriented language, to provide a new feature within a legacy machine-oriented language application that is executable within a legacy application execution platform;
generate an object-oriented class definition and bridging code that interfaces the object-oriented class definition to the legacy machine-oriented language interface definition, comprising the computer readable program code when executed on the computer further causing the computer to create the object-oriented class definition as an object-oriented class prototype usable to instantiate the new module as the new object within the new executable version of the legacy machine-oriented language application;
receive an updated version of the object-oriented class definition that comprises object-oriented code that implements functionality of the new feature within the new module; and
build a new executable version of the legacy machine-oriented language application, executable within the legacy application execution platform, and comprising the new module within the new executable version as a new object accessible via the legacy machine-oriented language interface definition and with the functionality of the new feature as implemented by the object-oriented code in the updated version of the object-oriented class definition.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , where the computer readable program code when executed on the computer further causes the computer to implement the new executable version of the legacy machine-oriented language application comprising the new module within the legacy machine-oriented language application platform.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 , where in causing the computer to receive the legacy machine-oriented language interface definition of the new module to be implemented, using the object-oriented language, to provide the new feature within the legacy machine-oriented language application that is executable within the legacy application execution platform, the computer readable pro

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bohm Fraser P
• Flamini Elisabetta
• Mitchell Ian J

Classifications

• G06F9/44

  Arrangements for executing specific programs · CPC title

• G06F8/36

  Software reuse · CPC title

• G06F8/315 Primary

  Object-oriented languages · CPC title

• G06F8/30 Primary

  Creation or generation of source code · CPC title