Defining a Standard Fourth Generation Language for Interface Specification and Simulation

Advances in system development technology have resulted in tools to support applications development, primarily for man-machine interface applications. This effort seeks to define a test tool and associated fourth generation language (4GL) to support the design, specification, and test of system (machine-machine) interfaces. The proposed multi-purpose, reconfigurable communications test suite will be capable of simultaneous simulation/stimulation of multiple interfaces through consistent, repeatable, user-defined, scenario-driven tests. The 4GL will provide a user-friendly interface to define the application layer and message processing logic for simulation of dither side of an interface. The innovative message processing logic includes message identification and definition, field parsing and data substitution algorithms, and automatic generation of both scenario initiated (unsolicited) and response (solicited) messages. By creating the appropriate scenario events and response message formats, any sequential message exchange scenario between the test tool and the system under test can be simulated. The proposed system design will be demonstrated in Phase II by development of a required software and integrating commercially available hardware and software components. The prototype will be converted into a viable product in Phase III and offered as an integrated, standalone test tool with a wide variety of both commercial and military applications.