Programming Language Translation

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Programming Language Translation

• Jamie McAtamney

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Introduction

• Purpose to write a fully functional translator
• C to Java
• Hasnt been done before
• Java has some advantages over C
• Scope as wide as possible
• All the basics
• Will attempt to translate modules
• Might not get to graphics

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Background

• Lack of similar research
• Jazillian pay-per-program translation company
• Terekhov Verhoefs article on translation
  difficulties
• Sources of inspiration

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Methodology

• Approach
• Read up on differences between C and Java
• Make everything modular
• Add modules for different translations
• Have translate() methods to coordinate
  everything
• Cover most common aspects first, not just
  simplest

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Methodology

• Translation algorithm
• Tokenization
• Keywords and punctuation
• Keyword search-replace
• Ex char ? String
• Context-sensitive search
• Ex printf(\n) ? System.out.println()

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Methodology

• Timeline
• Currently on tokenization
• Problems writing in C
• Step 1 Whole-line translation
• Step 2 Primitive types
• Step 3 Input/output
• Step 4 Structs ? Classes
• Step 5 Modules
• Step 6 ???

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Methodology

• Testing Analysis
• Reading in old C programs
• More structure than functionality testing
• Mostly debugging so far

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Methodology

• Problems
• C tokenizer didnt work
• Translator moved C ? Java
• Limited test base
• Few basic structures
• Not always direct analogs

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Progress

• Preliminary Results
• Program works
• Full-line translation works
• Search-replace will work not yet implemented
• Still working on it at this point

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Progress

• Analysis
• Too early to draw conclusions
• No visuals
• No degrees of success
• No major changes in initial plan/hypothesis
• No great new insights/ideas yet
• Everythings on track