AIDA - A SYSTEM COMBINING AI AND ADA TO SUPPORT RAPID PROTOTYPING AND THE RE-USE OF GENETIC SOFTWARE PACKAGES

AS SOFTWARE GROWS IN COMPLEXITY AND COST, VALIDATING SOFTWARE DESIGN BEFORE ACTUAL DEVELOPMENT BECOMES VITAL. THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO DO THIS IS A SYSTEM THAT AUTOMATICALLY GENERATES PROTOTYPE SOFTWARE DIRECTLY FROM SPECIFICATIONS. EFFECTIVELY CONTROLLING THE GROWING COMPLEXITY AND COST OF SOFTWARE ALSO REQUIRES VIEWING SOFTWARE COMPONENTS AS "PARTS." ALTHOUGH GENERIC SOFTWARE PACKAGES USING THE ADA PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE ARE BEING DEVELOPED, AN AUTOMATED SELECTION AND CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT TOOL IS VITAL TO THEIR EFFECTIVE USE. AIDA IS A SOFTWARE SYSTEM WHICH USES THE TECHNIQUES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND THE FEATURES OF ADA TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF RAPID PROTOTYPING AND COMPONENT REUSABILITY. IT IS DESIGNED TO CONTROL THE COMPLEXITY AND COST OF SOFTWARE BY SUPPORTING RAPID PROTOTYPING AND THE RE-USE OF GENERIC SOFTWARE PACKAGES.