General-purpose software development support system

• US 20030066047A1
• Filed: 09/06/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Watase, Shinichiro
• Application Number:
  US10/235,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20030066047A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design

Abstract

The general-purpose software development support system 1 includes a drawing tool part 10 that provides a user with a user interface for defining the flow of processes among a plurality of software components as a connection relationship of the icons on the tool screen 41. The system 1 also includes a definition file storing part 37 that stores a framework definition file 30 including definition files 31, 32, 33 and 34; and a customizing part 20 that customizes the user interface provided by the drawing tool part 10, on the basis of the definition files 31, 32, 33 and 34 stored in said definition file storing part 37. The definition files 31, 32, 33 and 34 includes definition information and design information with respect to each of the software components, which specify a setting and an operation of the user interface provided by the drawing tool part 10.

Claims

1. A general-purpose software development support system for supporting a development of a software product consisting of a plurality of software components, said system comprising:

a drawing tool part that provides a user with a user interface for defining a flow of processes among a plurality of software components by connecting icons of said software components by lines on a tool screen;

a definition file storing part that stores a definition file including definition information and design information with respect to each of said software components, said definition information and said design information specifying

a setting and an operation of said user interface provided by said drawing tool part; and

a customizing part that customizes said user interface provided by said drawing tool part, on the basis of said definition file stored in said definition file storing part.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said customizing part includes an interpretation executing part that interprets said definition file stored in said definition file storing part to set an operation of said user interface on the basis of said definition information and said design information of each of said software components included in said definition file.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said customizing part further includes an interface operation control part that controls an operation of said user interface on the basis of interpretation results obtained by said interpretation executing part.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said definition file is described in a versatile specification description language.

5. A general-purpose software development support method for supporting a development of a software product consisting of a plurality of software components, providing a user with a user interface for defining a flow of processes among said software components by connecting icons of said software components by lines on a tool screen, said method comprising the steps of:

preparing a definition file including definition information and design information with respect to each of said software components, said definition information and said design information specifying a setting and an operation of said user interface; and

setting an operation of said user interface on the basis of said definition information and said design information of each of said software components included in said definition file.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of controlling an operation of said user interface, while interpreting said definition information and said design information of each of said software components included in said definition file.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein said definition file is described in a versatile specification description language.

8. A general-purpose software development support program product for supporting a development of a software product consisting of a plurality of software components, providing a user with a user interface for defining a flow of processes among said software components by connecting icons of said software components by lines on a tool screen, said program product make a computer execute the procedures of:

preparing a ;

definition file including definition information and design information with respect to each of said software components, said definition information and said design information specifying a setting and an operation of said user interface; and

setting an operation of said user interface on the basis of said definition information and said design information of each of said software components included in said definition file.

9. The program product according to claim 8, further making a computer execute the procedure of controlling an operation of said user interface, while interpreting said definition information and said design information of each of said software components included in said definition file.

10. The program product according to claim 8, wherein said definition file is described in a versatile specification description language.

11. A software component adapted to be used with a general-purpose software support system that interprets a definition file to customize a user interface, said software component comprising:

an execution code for executing a process of said software component on a computer; and

a definition file accompanying said execution code, said definition file including definition information and design information inherent to said software component, said definition information and said design information specifying a setting and an operation of said user interface.

12. The software component according to claim 11, wherein said definition file is described in a versatile specification description language.