Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A development system having a compiler, a linker, and an interface is described. The compiler, which generates or 'compiles' source listings into object modules, includes a parser for parsing information. Parsed information, which is initially stored in a parse tree, is further processed. A hash table is initialized for storing a unique address or signature for a particular data object (or set) of the tree. The nodes of the parse tree are processed in a 'preorder' traversal. If a node under examination is not stored in the hash table, it is installed in the table and its address (hash address) is returned for storage in the tree. Other nodes of the tree are (recursively) processed in a similar manner. Two identical trees encountered in a parse will hash to the same address and thus need only be stored once. If two trees differ by only a small amount, only the difference and the left edge of the second tree will be stored in addition to the first. In this manner, the compiler may efficiently store parse trees that have duplicated nodes, such as those produced when a text file is included more than once in a program. The memory storage required is dramatically decreased because the approach eliminates storage of redundant information.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim