Method and system of retrieving program specification and linking the specification by concept to retrieval request for reusing program parts

• US 5,123,103 A
• Filed: 10/15/1987
• Issued: 06/16/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nagai, Yoshiaki, Magamatsu, Yuji, Ohtaki, Noriko, Chigira, Eiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coleman, Eric
• Application Number:
  US07/109,269
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

Herein discolosed is a software information reusing system comprising: a data base for storing software information; a dialogue display terminal; thereby processing the information inputted from the display terminal. First retrieval information of the software information is registered as data related with a link of a data information related concept. If second retrieval information is not in the registered data, it is judged on the basis of the link of the related concept whether or not third retrieval information related therewith exists. The data base is retrieved on the basis of the third retrieval information. As a result, it is possible: to form a dictionary data base including a noun dictionary and a synonym dictionary for analyzing and generalizing the data object of the specification to be newly registered; for a user unacquainted with the business knowledge to automatically extract a proper retrieval keyword from a retrieval request sentence describing the software coming into the mind of the user; and to judge from the relations between the keyword information and the before and behind words whether or not even a composed word left either unregistered as one word or unknown is the retrieval keyword, if even one of elements composing the composed word is found to have the corresponding keyword information.

Claims

1. A program specification reusing method for use in a software information reusing system having a data base for storing program specifications, a dialogue display terminal, and a processor for processing information inputted by use of said display terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a program specification in said data base;

automatically extracting by the processor from said program specification a data object comprising a data type and an operation for processing said data type, as a first retrieval information;

storing said first retrieval information in said data base as a datum having a pertinent relational position of a link of a data information related concept comprising a hierarchical expression of data objects including a combination of said data type and said operation;

automatically extracting by the processor of a second retrieval information from an inputted retrieval request information;

consulting said data information related concept for determining whether said second retrieval information is stored in said link in said data base;

linking by the processor of said second retrieval information with one of the first retrieval information stored in said data base as a concept expression link, when said second retrieval information is stored as a first retrieval information in said data base; and

,

if said second retrieval information is not stored, judging by the processor whether a third retrieval information, comprising a synonym or a similar information of said second retrieval information, exists in said link in said data base.

2. A program specification reusing method according to claim 1, wherein said link in said data base includes a concept abstracted link and a partitioned link between at least a pair of said data type and said operation of said data objects.

3. A program specification reusing method according to claim 2, wherein when said second retrieval information is not in said link in said data base, said judging step analyzes and abstracts the data object extracted from said specification.

4. A program specification reusing method according to claim 1, wherein said system has a terminology dictionary containing information for determining a retrieval keyword for said retrieval request information as to whether a word selected as a candidate for said retrieval keyword is qualified as said retrieval keyword when it is solely used and whether said word is qualified as said retrieval keyword in the case of what position of a composed word said word appears in, so that only an effective word and not a meaningless one may be selected as said retrieval keyword from the words selected as the candidate for said retrieval keyword.

5. A program specification reusing method according to claim 4, wherein when said second retrieval information is a composed word which is not registered as one word or including an unknown word, said judging step judges said retrieval keyword from the relationships between the retrieval keyword and the elements composing said composed word and the before and behind words of said composed word.

6. A program specification reusing method according to claim 1, wherein said at least a synonym or a similar information further contains an abstract information, a lower level information and a partitioning information.

7. A program specification reusing method according to claim 1, wherein said retrieval request information is in a natural language.

8. A program specification retrieving system comprising:

a data base for storing program specification information;

a dialogue display terminal;

means for automatically extracting a data object comprising a data type and an operation for processing said data type, in a program specification as a first retrieval information when said program specification is stored;

means for storing said first retrieval information as a datum in a pertinent relational position of a link of a data information related concept including a combination of said data type and said operation, in said data base;

means for automatically extracting a second retrieval information from a retrieval request information;

means for consulting said link of said related concept as to whether said second retrieval information is stored in said link;

means for linking said second retrieval information with said first retrieval information stored in said data base as a concept expression link, when said second retrieval information is stored as said first retrieval information in said data base; and

,

means for judging, if said second retrieval information is not stored, a third retrieval information comprising a synonym or of similar information of said second retrieval information, exists in said link in said data base.

9. A program specification retrieving system according to claim 8, wherein said means for storing further has means for storing said operation in a frame wherein said data object is abstracted and hierarchised, and said system further has means for extracting nouns expressing said data type and said operation from a natural language of a retrieval request made in a natural language inquiry in case said nouns are not in a first inquiry so that a data base information requested by a user is retrieved from a corresponding type and operation in said data base.

10. An information retrieving method for use with a system having a data base for storing software specification information, a dialogue display terminal, a memory for storing a concept data dictionary, and a computer for processing input information inputted by use of said display terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

inputting a natural language sentence describing a retrieval request for retrieving a software specification stored in said data base;

analyzing, with said processor, the syntax of said inputted natural language sentence to extract a data name and an operation name as key information to retrieve said software specification;

consulting, with the processor, said dictionary, which defines data objects containing at least a data name and an operation for processing said data name in respective pertinent relational positions of data links of related concepts, for identifying a concept related to said key information; and

,

retrieving a first software specification by consulting a data object link linking said related concepts of data name and operation name of said first software specification in said data base, when said concepts related to said key information exists.

11. A program parts retrieving method for use with a software information reusing system having a data base for storing software specification information, a dialogue display terminal, and a computer for processing input information inputted by use of said display terminal, the program parts retrieving method comprising the steps of:

storing a program specification of a program part in said data base;

automatically extracting, using said processor, at least a data type and a stem of a verb as a first retrieval information from said program specification;

storing, using said processor, said first retrieval information as a datum in a pertinent relational position of a first link of a data information related concept including a combination of said data type and said stem of a verb, in said data base;

inputting a definition sentence to retrieve a program part from said data base;

automatically extracting at least a step of a verb expressing an operation of a processing as a second retrieval information from said definition sentence, for consulting said first link in said data base;

retrieving a program part named in relation to said first retrieval information in said data base, by consulting said first link in said data base as to whether said second retrieval information exists, said retrieving a program part step being performed by said processor;

automatically generating a program skeleton according to said definition sentence, said automatically generating step performed by said processor; and

,

automatically generating a program by using said skeleton and said retrieved program part.

12. A program parts retrieving method according to claim 11, wherein the operation of retrieving said program part further comprises the steps of:

transforming the stem of said verb, if the corresponding program part is not found, into an auxiliary program name and said data into an argument of said auxiliary program with characters;

inquiring a user through said dialogue display terminal, of a definition of the body of said auxiliary program to refine said definition sentence; and

,

repeatingly automatically extracting data and a stem of a verb from the definition sentence of the auxiliary program inputted to retrieve said program part.

13. A program parts retrieving method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

changing the formats of the data in the retrieval program part to those of said skeleton, said changing step performed by said computer.

14. An information retrieving system having a data base and a processor for storing program specifications, the program specification retrieving method comprising the steps of:

storing said program specification in said data base;

automatically extracting by the processor of a data object containing at least a data type and an operation for processing said data type, as a first retrieval information from said program specification;

storing said first retrieval information in said data base as a datum in a pertinent relational position of a link of a data information related concept comprising a hierarchical expression of data objects in combination of said data type and said operation;

inputting a request specification sentence for retrieving a program specification in said data base;

automatically extracting a word in said request specification sentence;

judging whether said word is qualified as a retrieval keyword when it is solely used, by consulting said link, and a terminology dictionary having relational structures among a plurality of terminologies, said judging step performed by said processor;

judging whether said word is qualified as said retrieval keyword when it appears at a position of a composed word by consulting said dictionary, said judging step performed by said processor;

composing a word as a keyword in accordance to said position of the composed word and the before and behind words of said composed word, said composing step performed by said processor; and

,

judging whether said composed word is qualified as a keyword by consulting said link and said terminology dictionary.

15. A method of registering information of a new program specification to facilitate reusing program parts of a software program specified by the new program specification for consistent and efficient software development, the method being used in a system having a data base storing preexisting other program specifications, comprising the steps of:

storing the new program specification in said data base for said reusing software program;

selectively extracting by the processor of a keyword comprising a data type and an operation for processing said data type, of the new specification as a retrieval information representative of the new specification;

storing said retrieval information as a datum in a pertinent relational position of a link of a data information related concept including a combination of said data type and said operation, in said data base;

analyzing by the processor of the keyword for identifying a related concept on the basis of a dictionary having relational structures among a plurality of concepts as related retrieval information representative of the new program specification;

comparing the related concept with other concepts previously stored in the link and when no corresponding concepts are found, storing the related concept; and

,

linking the retrieval information to said related retrieval information for the new program specification whereby a programmer may reuse the program part.

16. A method of registering information of a new program specification according to claim 15, wherein:

said related concept to be compared with the other concepts previously stored in the link is a synonym, a similar word, an abstracted concept, or a partitioned concept of said keyword.

17. A program specification reusing method for use in a software information reusing system having a data base for storing program specifications, a dialogue display terminal, and a processor for processing information inputted by use of said display terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a program specification in said data base;

automatically extracting by the processor from said program specification a data object comprising a data type and an operation for processing said data type, as a first retrieval information;

storing said first retrieval information in said data base as a datum having a pertinent relational position of a link of a data information related concept comprising a hierarchical expression of data objects including a combination of said data type and said operation;

automatically extracting by the processor of a second retrieval information from an inputted retrieval request information;

consulting said data information related concept for determining whether said second retrieval information is stored in said link in said data base;

linking by the processor of said second retrieval information with one of the first retrieval information stored in said data base as a concept expression link, when said second retrieval information is stored as a first retrieval information in said data base; and

,

if said second retrieval information is not stored, judging by the processor whether a third retrieval information, comprising a synonym or a similar information of said second retrieval information, exists in said link in said data base wherein the judging comprises analyzing and abstracting the data object.