KNOWLEDGE-BASED REUSABLE SOFTWARE SYNTHESIS SYSTEM

SOFTWARE PRODUCTIVITY SOLUTIONS, INC. PROPOSES AN INNOVATIVEAPPROACH FOR DEVELOPING MISSION SOFTWARE SYSTEMS THROUGH THEAUTOMATED SYNTHESIS OF REUSABLE ADA COMPONENTS. THE APPROACH ADDRESSES THE PROBLEM OF REUSABILITY THROUGH A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERING, DATABASE MODELING AND KNOWLEDGE-BASED SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGIES. THE PLAN DESCRIBES THE PHASE I ACTIVITIES FOR DEVELOPING THE APPROACH FOR AN EXPERT SYSTEM THAT WILL ASSIST THE SOFTWARE DEVELOPER IN SYNTHESIZING A SYSTEM SOLUTION DURING THE REQUIREMENTS SPECIFICATION AND DESIGN PROCESSES. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR PHASE I ARE: 1. DEFINE A REUSABLE SOFTWARE SYNTHESIS METHODOLOGY THAT INTEGRATES REUSABILITY INTO THE TOP-DOWN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. 2. INVESTIGATE FORMAL LANGUAGES THAT WOULD BE APPLICABLE FOR SPECIFYING THE INTERFACE AND OPERATION OF REUSABLE COMPONENTS AND FOR SPECIFYING AN APPLICATION'S REQUIREMENTS TO ALLOW AUTOMATED SEARCH FOR REUSABLE COMPONENTS THAT MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS. 3. INVESTIGATE KNOWLEDGE AND DATABASE REPRESENTATIONS APPROPRIATE FOR ORGANIZING AND STORING THE REUSABLE COMPONENTS, APPLICATION DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE AND FOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. 4. DEVELOP THE APPROACH FOR AN EXPERT SYSTEM TO PROMOTE REUSABILITY AND DETERMINE ITS FEASIBILITY. THE EXPERT SYSTEM WOULD INTERPRET SOFTWARE REQUIRMENTS AND DESIGN STRUCTURES TO DERIVE REUSE POTENTIALS FROM THESE STRUCTURES, SEARCH THE COMPONENT DATABASE AND SYNTHESIZE A SOFTWARE SOLUTION FROM COMPONENTS.