Hierarchical directives-based management of runtime behaviors

US9600272B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC · US

Inventors

• John Lawrence Hamby · Port Townsend, US
• David Charles Wrighton · Redmond, US
• Michal Strehovsky · Redmond, US
• Morgan Asher Brown · Bellevue, US
• Fadi M. Hanna · Bothell, US
• Turgut Isik · Bellevue, US
• Mircea Trofin · Sammamish, US
• Fatma Didem Gokbulut · Redmond, US
• Robert Yung-Yi Fu · Redmond, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 2, 2016
• Grant date: Mar 21, 2017
• Expiry date: Jun 2, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F11/3612
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Support for dynamic behavior is specified while reducing reliance on JIT compilation and large runtimes; semantic characteristics are selectively attached to types and type members outside source code. A directives document contains human-readable directives in a parsable format for submission to an innovative compiler. The directives specify whether a type T or type member M is required, optional, or prohibited in a runtime environment. Some reference an application, library, assembly, or namespace group, and others reference group components: type, type instantiation, method, method instantiation, field, property, or event. Some directives force a generic instantiation. Some directives indirectly reference a type through a parameter, type parameter, or generic directive. Some directives reference degrees to manage runtime activation of type instances, runtime introspection over types, reflection, and/or runtime or static serialization. Degrees may enable or disable types, instance constructors, property setters, property getters, fields, or all type members. Directives may be composed.