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Grammar-based Rapid Application Development (GRAD)

United Space Alliance

600 Gemini Ave.

Houston, Texas 77058

Abstract

The Grammar-based Rapid Application Development (GRAD) system is an interface generator between Python and legacy languages. To allow the interface generator to work with multiple languages, the interface is based upon a grammar for a given language. Currently, the C++ language has had its interface compiler created and successfully emits the necessary binding code to make C++ code accessible from Python.

The GRAD process is non-intrusive so the legacy code does not have to be modified in order for the interface to work. No superclasses or include files are added to the existing code and changes in the interface generator system itself do not require changes in the legacy code. Changes in the target legacy code naturally requires the regeneration of the interface but no manual editing of the generated interface is needed, so the interface generation can be made part of the build process.

Using GRAD, the promise of entire new applications written rapidly in the high level language Python is attainable while still preserving much of the operational advantages of, and investments in, existing compiled and tested code.

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