COMPONENT CONFIGURATION UTILIZING VAGUE SPECIFICATIONS

• US 20090037714A1
• Filed: 08/03/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeWeerdt, Ronald Harold, Vasudevan, Cheranellore
• Granted Patent: US 9,043,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse

Abstract

A computer implemented method, data processing system, and a computer program product configures components in a data processing system. A request for a vaguely specified component for implementation into a data processing system is received. Responsive to receiving the request, at least one corresponding component is identified. The corresponding component is then displayed to a user for implementation of the corresponding component.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for configuring components in a data processing system comprising:

receiving a request for a vaguely specified component for implementation into a data processing system;

responsive to receiving the request, identifying at least one corresponding component; and

displaying the corresponding component.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request includes a class of the vaguely specified component, a property of the vaguely specified component, and a distinct part designation of the vaguely specified component.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the distinct part designation is a range indicating a minimum number of the at least one corresponding component and a maximum number of the at least one corresponding component to incorporate into the data processing system.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein the minimum number of the at least one corresponding component indicates that the at least one corresponding component is not required, but can be selected if the at least one corresponding component is otherwise available.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein the maximum number of the at least one corresponding component is equal to a total number of the at least one corresponding component identified.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying at least one corresponding component comprises parsing a database of all available components.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein the step of identifying at least one corresponding component further comprises:

comparing a class of the vaguely specified component to a list of component classes contained in the database, and

comparing a property of the vaguely specified component to a list of properties contained in the database, wherein the at least one corresponding component is identified if either the class of the vaguely specified component matches a class entry in the list of component classes, or the property of the vaguely specified component matches a property entry in the list of properties contained in the database.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein the request includes a first class of the vaguely specified component and a first property of the vaguely specified component;

and wherein the database of all available components comprises a second class and a second property;

and wherein the at least one corresponding component is identified from the database of all available components based on matching the first class to the second class, and matching the first property to the second property.

9. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium in a computer readable medium having computer usable program code for configuring components in a data processing system, the computer program product comprising;

computer usable program code for receiving a request for a vaguely specified component for implementation into a data processing system;

computer usable program code, responsive to receiving the request, for identifying at least one corresponding component; and

computer usable program code, responsive to identifying the at least one corresponding component, for displaying the at least one corresponding component.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the request includes a class of the vaguely specified component, a property of the vaguely specified component, and a distinct part designation of the vaguely specified component.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the distinct part designation is a range indicating a minimum number of the at least one corresponding component and a maximum number of the at least one corresponding component to incorporate into the data processing system.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the minimum number of the at least one corresponding components indicates that the at least one corresponding component is not required, but can be selected if the at least one corresponding component is otherwise available.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the maximum number of the at least one corresponding component is equal to a total number of the at least one corresponding component identified.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer usable program code for identifying at least one corresponding component comprises parsing a database of all available components.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer usable program code identifying at least one corresponding component further comprises comparing a class of the vaguely specified component to a list of component classes contained in the database, and comparing a property of the vaguely specified component to a list of properties contained in the database, wherein the at least one corresponding component is identified if either the class of the vaguely specified component matches a class entry in the list of component classes, or the property of the vaguely specified component matches a property entry in the list of properties contained in the database.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the request includes a first class of the vaguely specified component and a first property of the vaguely specified component;

and wherein the database of all available components comprises a second class and a second property; and

wherein the at least one corresponding component is identified from the database of all available components based on matching the first class to the second class, and matching the first property to the second property.

17. A data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device includes computer usable program code; and

a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit executes the computer usable program to receive a request for a vaguely specified component for implementation into a data processing system, responsive to receiving the request, identify at least one corresponding component, and display the corresponding component.

18. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the request includes a class of the vaguely specified component, a property of the vaguely specified component, and a distinct part designation of the vaguely specified component.

19. The data processing system of claim 18, wherein the distinct part designation is a range indicating a minimum number of the at least one corresponding component and a maximum number of the at least one corresponding component to incorporate into the data processing system.

20. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the minimum number of the at least one corresponding component indicates that the at least one corresponding component is not required, but can be selected if the at least one corresponding component is otherwise available.

21. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the maximum number of the at least one corresponding component is equal to a total number of the at least one corresponding component identified.

22. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the step of identifying at least one corresponding component comprises parsing a database of all available components.

23. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein the step of identifying at least one corresponding component further comprises comparing a class of the vaguely specified component to a list of component classes contained in the database, and comparing a property of the vaguely specified component to a list of properties contained in the database, wherein the at least one corresponding component is identified if either the class of the vaguely specified component matches a class entry in the list of component classes, or the property of the vaguely specified component matches a property entry in the list of properties contained in the database.

24. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein the request includes a first class of the vaguely specified component and a first property of the vaguely specified component;

and wherein the database of all available components comprises a second class and a second property; and

wherein the at least one corresponding component is identified from the database of all available components based on matching the first class to the second class, and matching the first property to the second property.

32. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the third instructions include including those of the available components, having a second class of the group of classes that matches the first class, in a first group.

33. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the third instructions include excluding components of the first group, having a second property of the group of properties that does not match the first property, from a second group.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the first distinct part designation is a range indicating a minimum number of the at least one corresponding component and a maximum number of the at least one corresponding component to incorporate into the data processing system, the computer implemented method further comprising verifying that the second group falls within the range.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the minimum number of the at least one corresponding component indicates that the at least one corresponding component is not required, but can be selected if the at least one corresponding component is otherwise available.

36. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the maximum number of the at least one corresponding component is equal to a total number of the at least one corresponding component identified.

25. A computer implemented method for configuring components in a data processing system comprising:

receiving a request for a vaguely specified component for implementation into a data processing system, the request comprising a first class of the vaguely specified component, a first property of the vaguely specified component, and a first distinct part designation of the vaguely specified component;

parsing a list of available components from a database, each of the available components including one of a group of classes and at least one of a group or properties;

identifying at least one of available components from the list of available components wherein the at least one of a group of classes matches the first class and at least one of a group or properties matches the first property; and

displaying the at least one available component.

26. The computer implemented method of claim 25, wherein identifying at least one of available component from the list of available components includes including those of the available components, having a second class of the group of classes that matches the first class, in a first group.

27. The computer implemented method of claim 26, wherein the step of identifying at least one of available components from the list of available components includes excluding components of the first group, having a second property of the group of properties that does not match the first property, from a second group.

28. The computer implemented method of claim 27, wherein the first distinct part designation is a range indicating a minimum number of the at least one corresponding components and a maximum number of the at least one corresponding components to incorporate into the data processing system, the computer implemented method further comprising verifying that the second group falls within the range.

29. The computer implemented method of claim 28, wherein the minimum number of the at least one corresponding component indicates that the at least one corresponding component is not required, but can be selected if the at least one corresponding component is otherwise available.

30. The computer implemented method of claim 28, wherein the maximum number of the at least one corresponding component is equal to a total number of the at least one corresponding component identified.

31. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for configuring components in a data processing system comprising:

first instructions for receiving a request for a vaguely specified component for implementation into a data processing system, the request comprising a first class of the vaguely specified component, a first property of the vaguely specified component, and a first distinct part designation of the vaguely specified component;

second instructions for parsing a list of available components from a database, each of the available components including one of a group of classes and at least one of a group or properties;

third instructions for identifying at least one of available component from the list of available components wherein the at least one of a group of classes matches the first class and at least one of a group or properties matches the first property; and

fourth instructions for displaying the at least one available component.