A system and method improves a process of creating software programs for a variety of existing computing platforms. In particular, a developer receives an input file. The developer generates a formatted data file as a function of the input file. If the input file includes data, then the data contained within the formatted data file is stored in a predetermined format compatible with each of a plurality of computing platforms. Then the developer generates a common generation file using a predetermined programming language which is a lowest common denominator language utilized by each of the plurality of computing platforms. The common generation file is capable of creating a predefined output file compatible with each of the plurality of computing platforms. The formatted data file is modified to create a modified formatted data file. Finally, the common generation file is compiled with the modified data file to generate the predefined output file for the corresponding platform.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/186,560 filed on Mar. 2, 2000 and entitled "Method and System for Modular Software Architecture for Peer-to-Peer Management of Network Devices" and is expressly incorporated herein, in its entirety, by reference. Additionally, the application entitled "System and Method for utilization of a Command Structure Representation", Ser. No. 09/845,414, to the named inventors Lee Chang and Shawn-Lin Dzeng, filed on an even date herewith and the application entitled "System and Method for Automatic Software Code Generation", Ser. No. 09/797,922, to the named inventors Lee Cheng and Shawn-Lin Dzeng, filed on an even date herewith, both of which are assigned to the Assignee of the present application, are expressly incorporated herein, in their entirety, by reference.
Interoperability of a first framework or platform (e.g., COM) and a second different framework or platform (e.g., .NET) is provided via an attribute mechanism. The attribute mechanism is provided in a non-COM based platform (e.g., .NET) to expose classes to COM. In this manner, a compiler (e.g., the .NET compiler) creates class and events interfaces and adds attributes to the class and interfaces as appropriate for correct interoperability and marshaling. By adding this attribute mechanism to a class in .NET, the .NET compiler is able to use the class declarations (such as public methods, properties, and events) to automatically generate a class interface and an events interface, including appropriate dispatch IDs and GUIDs. Validation is performed on the class being mapped to provide an indication, such as an error message or warning, to the user that the underlying framework marshaling layer cannot marshal certain data types as desired or expected.
