Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for pre-processing and packaging class files

US5966702A · kind A · utility

183Cited by
10References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 31, 1997
Grant dateOct 12, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 31, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99937
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for pre-processing and packaging class files. Embodiments remove duplicate information elements from a set of class files to reduce the size of individual class files and to prevent redundant resolution of the information elements. Memory allocation requirements are determined in advance for the set of classes as a whole to reduce the complexity of memory allocation when the set of classes are loaded. The class files are stored in a single package for efficient storage, transfer and processing as a unit. In an embodiment, a pre-processor examines each class file in a set of class files to locate duplicate information in the form of redundant constants contained in a constant pool. The duplicate constant is placed in a separate shared table, and all occurrences of the constant are removed from the respective constant pools of the individual class files. During pre-processing, memory allocation requirements are determined for each class file, and used to determine a total allocation requirement for the set of class files. The shared table, the memory allocation requirements and the reduced class files are packaged as a unit in a multi-class file.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.