PROGRAMMING IN A PRECISE SYNTAX USING NATURAL LANGUAGE

• US 20130125094A1
• Filed: 11/15/2012
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wolfram Alpha LLC (Wolfram Research Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Wolfram Alpha LLC (Wolfram Research Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wolfram, Stephen, Gray, Theodore W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,851,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/109
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/40 Processing or translation of natural language natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code

Abstract

A method facilitates development of instructions in a precise syntax, such as software source code or built-in functions of a computational system, using natural language (NL) input. A user may enter NL input in a workspace. An NL processing system may process the NL input to generate instruction(s) in a precise syntax that corresponds to the NL input. The instruction(s) in the precise syntax then may be included in the workspace.

Claims

1. A method for assisting with software programming, comprising:

receiving, via a user interface device, user input in an imprecise syntax, the user input indicating an instruction in a precise syntax, wherein an application, when executed by one or more computing devices, is configured to evaluate instructions in the precise syntax;

after receiving the user input in the imprecise syntax, displaying, on a display device, the user input in the imprecise syntax in a workspace, wherein the workspace is for entering instructions to be evaluated by the application;

determining, with one or more computing devices, the instruction in the precise syntax based on the user input in the imprecise syntax;

after determining the instruction in the precise syntax, including, with one or more computing devices, the instruction in the precise syntax in the workspace such that the application executed by one or more computing devices can evaluate the instruction in the precise syntax, wherein including the instruction in the precise syntax in the workspace comprises simultaneously displaying, on the display device, the user input in the imprecise syntax and the instruction in the precise syntax on the workspace; and

after including the instruction in the precise syntax in the workspace, evaluating, with the application executed by one or more computing devices, the instruction in the precise syntax.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

after simultaneously displaying the user input in the imprecise syntax and the instruction in the precise syntax on the workspace, hiding the user input in the imprecise syntax on the workspace in response to activation of a first user interface mechanism such that the user input in the imprecise syntax is not displayed on the display device.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

after simultaneously displaying the user input in the imprecise syntax and the instruction in the precise syntax on the workspace, hiding the instruction in the precise syntax on the workspace in response to activation of a second user interface mechanism such that the instruction in the precise syntax is not displayed on the display device.

4. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

after hiding the user input in the imprecise syntax on the workspace in response to activation of the first user interface mechanism, re-displaying the user input in the imprecise syntax on the workspace in response to activation of a second user interface mechanism such that the user input in the imprecise syntax is displayed again on the display device.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the instruction in the precise syntax comprises:

transmitting, with one or more computing devices, the user input in the imprecise syntax to a server via a communication network; and

receiving, at one or more computing devices, the instruction in the precise syntax from the server via the communication network, wherein receiving the instruction in the precise syntax from the server is responsive to transmitting the user input in the imprecise syntax to the server.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the instruction in the precise syntax comprises:

generating, with one or more computing devices, an application programming interface (API) call that includes the user input in the imprecise syntax;

sending, with one or more computing devices, the API call to a software development assistance system; and

receiving the instruction in the precise syntax from the software development assistance system, wherein receiving the instruction in the precise syntax from the software development assistance system is responsive to sending the API call to the software development assistance system.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein simultaneously displaying the user input in the imprecise syntax and the instruction in the precise syntax on the workspace comprises:

displaying, on the display device, a display portion at a location in the workspace at which the user input in the imprecise syntax was displayed prior to determining the instruction in the precise syntax;

wherein the display portion simultaneously includes the user input in the imprecise syntax and the instruction in the precise syntax.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a user indication that the received user input is in an imprecise syntax rather than the precise syntax;

wherein determining the instruction in the precise syntax is responsive, at least in part, to the user indication.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the user indication is received prior to receiving the user input in the imprecise syntax.

10. A tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage medium or media storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

after a user input in an imprecise syntax has been received via a user interface device, cause the user input in the imprecise syntax to be displayed in a workspace on a display device, wherein the workspace is for entering instructions to be evaluated by an application executed by one or more computing devices, wherein the application, when executed by one or more computing devices, is configured to evaluate instructions in the precise syntax;

determine the instruction in the precise syntax based on the user input in the imprecise syntax;

after determining the instruction in the precise syntax, include the instruction in the precise syntax in the workspace such that the application executed by one or more computing devices can evaluate the instruction in the precise syntax, wherein including the instruction in the precise syntax in the workspace comprises causing the user input in the imprecise syntax and the instruction in the precise syntax to be displayed simultaneously in the workspace on the display device; and

after including the instruction in the precise syntax in the workspace, evaluate, with the application executed by one or more computing devices, the instruction in the precise syntax.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, via a user interface device, first user input in a precise syntax, the first user input including a first keyword corresponding to a first instruction, wherein an application, when executed by one or more computing devices, is configured to evaluate instructions in the precise syntax including the first instruction and a second instruction;

including, with one or more computing devices, the first instruction in the precise syntax in a workspace displayed on a display device;

receiving, via the user interface device, second user input in an imprecise syntax, the second user input indicating an argument of the first instruction;

determining, with one or more computing devices and based on the second user input in the imprecise syntax, that the second user input in the imprecise syntax corresponds to the second instruction in the precise syntax;

after determining that the second user input in the imprecise syntax corresponds to the second instruction in the precise syntax, including, with one or more computing devices, the second instruction in the precise syntax in the workspace such that the application executed by one or more computing devices can evaluate the second instruction in the precise syntax, and such that the second instruction is included in the workspace as an argument of the first instruction;

after including the second instruction in the precise syntax in the workspace as an argument of the first instruction, evaluating, with the application executed by one or more computing devices, the first instruction and the second instruction.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

after determining that the second user input in the imprecise syntax corresponds to the second instruction in the precise syntax, simultaneously displaying, on the display device, the second user input in the imprecise syntax and the second instruction in the precise syntax on the workspace.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

after simultaneously displaying the second user input in the imprecise syntax and the second instruction in the precise syntax on the workspace, hiding the second user input in the imprecise syntax on the workspace in response to activation of a first user interface mechanism such that the second user input in the imprecise syntax is not displayed on the display device.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

after hiding the second user input in the imprecise syntax on the workspace in response to activation of the first user interface mechanism, re-displaying the second user input in the imprecise syntax on the workspace in response to activation of a second user interface mechanism such that the second user input in the imprecise syntax is displayed again on the display device.

15. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

prior to determining that the second user input in the imprecise syntax corresponds to the second instruction in the precise syntax, including, with one or more computing devices, the second user input in the imprecise syntax in the workspace displayed on a display device;

wherein simultaneously displaying the second user input in the imprecise syntax and the second instruction in the precise syntax on the workspace comprises displaying, on the display device, a display portion at a location in the workspace at which the second user input in the imprecise syntax was displayed prior to determining that the second user input in the imprecise syntax corresponds to the second instruction in the precise syntax;

wherein the display portion simultaneously includes the second user input in the imprecise syntax and the second instruction in the precise syntax.

16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising, in response to a user selection of the second instruction in the precise syntax in the display portion, removing the second user input in the imprecise syntax from the workspace such that the second user input in the imprecise syntax is not displayed on the display device.

17. A method according to claim 11, further comprising receiving a user indication that the received second user input is in an imprecise syntax rather than the precise syntax;

wherein determining that second user input in the imprecise syntax corresponds to the second instruction in the precise syntax is responsive, at least in part, to the user indication.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the user indication is received prior to receiving the second user input in the imprecise syntax.

19. A tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage medium or media storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

after first user input in a precise syntax has been received via a user interface device, the first user input including a first keyword corresponding to a first instruction, include the first instruction in the precise syntax in a workspace displayed on a display device, wherein the workspace is for entering instructions to be evaluated by an application executed by one or more computing devices, wherein the application, when executed by one or more computing devices, is configured to evaluate instructions in the precise syntax including the first instruction and a second instruction;

after second user input in an imprecise syntax has been received via the user interface device, the second user input indicating an argument of the first instruction, determine, based on the second user input in the imprecise syntax, that the second user input in the imprecise syntax corresponds to the second instruction in the precise syntax;

after determining that the second user input in the imprecise syntax corresponds to the second instruction in the precise syntax, include the second instruction in the precise syntax in the workspace such that the application executed by one or more computing devices can evaluate the second instruction in the precise syntax, and such that the second instruction is included in the workspace as an argument of the first instruction; and

after including the second instruction in the precise syntax in the workspace as an argument of the first instruction, evaluate, with the application executed by one or more computing devices, the first instruction and the second instruction.

20. A tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage medium or media according to claim 19, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

after determining that the second user input in the imprecise syntax corresponds to the second instruction in the precise syntax, cause the second user input in the imprecise syntax and the second instruction in the precise syntax to be displayed simultaneously in the workspace on a display device.