Method for generating a software module from multiple software modules based on extraction and composition

• US 6,757,887 B1
• Filed: 04/14/2000
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kaplan, Matthew, Ossher, Harold Leon, Tarr, Peri Lynn, Kruskal, Vincent Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): KENDALL, CHUCK O
• Application Number:
  US09/549,751
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 717/131-193, 717/159, 717/704-109, 717/162, 717/165, 717/114, 707/104, 707/103, 345/762, 345/763, 714/38, 714/37
• US Class Current: 717/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse

Abstract

There is provided a method for generating a software module based upon elements from multiple software modules. The method includes the step of extracting a plurality of sets of elements from the multiple software modules based upon at least one extraction criterion. Any elements in the sets that violate at least one correctness and completeness criterion are identified. The violating elements are automatically brought into compliance with the at least one correctness and completeness criterion. A plurality of single software modules is generated, wherein each of the single software modules contains one of the sets of elements. The plurality of single software modules are composed to form a final, single software module. The extracting step may include the steps of: classifying the elements in the multiple software modules according to concerns the elements pertain to; representing the concerns by a multi-dimensional space, wherein each dimension represents a type of concern, each coordinate on a dimension represents a concern of that type, and each point in the space represents an element; and representing the at least one extraction criterion in terms of the multi-dimensional space.

Claims

1. A method for generating a software module based upon elements from multiple software modules, the method comprising the steps of:

extracting a plurality of sets of elements from the multiple software modules based upon at least one extraction criterion;

identifying any elements in the sets that violate at least one correctness and completeness criterion, and automatically bringing the violating elements into compliance with the at least one correctness and completeness criterion;

generating a plurality of single software modules, wherein each of the single software modules contains one of the sets of elements; and

composing the plurality of single software modules with one another, with other software modules, or any combination thereof, to form a final, single software modules;

wherein said extracting step further comprises the steps of;

classifying the elements in the multiple software modules according to concerns the elements pertain to;

representing the concerns by a multi-dimensional space, wherein each dimension represents a type of concern, each coordinate on a dimension represents a concern of that type, and each point in the space represents an element; and

representing the at least one extraction criterion in terms of the multi-dimensional space.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of bringing the violating elements into compliance comprises at least one of the steps of:

adding at least one element to at least one of the sets of elements;

modifying at least one of the violating elements; and

modifying at least one of the non-violating elements.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one extraction criterion is one of predefined and specified by a user.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one correctness and completeness criterion is one of predefined and specified by a user.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one correctness and completeness criterion corresponds to a declarative correctness and completeness criterion.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the declarative correctness and completeness criterion comprises a specification that a given element referenced within a given set must also be declared in the given set in a manner that is compatible with all uses of the given element in the given set.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one extraction criterion identifies first elements that are to be extracted, and second elements that are not to be extracted in the event that such second elements are part of said first elements.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the software modules comprise software code or software design artifacts.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said composing step comprises the step of determining correspondence between the elements in the plurality of single software modules.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said composing step further comprises the step of combining corresponding elements into the final, single software module.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said composing step comprises the step of following a set of integration relationships that specify which of the elements in the single software modules correspond to one another, and how the corresponding elements should be combined.

12. A method for generating a software module based upon elements from multiple software modules, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the multiple software modules;

extracting a set of elements from the multiple software modules based upon at least one criterion;

analyzing the set to find any elements that are referenced within the set but are not declared within the set;

automatically adding declarations of the undeclared elements to the set, so that the set is declaratively complete; and

generating a single software module that contains the set of elements;

wherein each of the software modules comprise software code or software design artifacts.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one criterion is one of predefined and specified by a user.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one criterion identifies first elements that are to be extracted, and second elements that are not to be extracted in the event that such second elements are part of said first elements.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein said extracting step further comprises the steps of:

classifying the elements in the multiple software modules according to concerns the elements pertain to;

representing the concerns by a multi-dimensional space, wherein each dimension represents a type of concern, each coordinate on a dimension represents a concern of that type, and each point in the space represents an element; and

representing the at least one criterion in terms of the multi-dimensional space.

16. A method for generating a software module based upon elements from multiple software modules, the method comprising the steps of:

extracting a plurality of sets of elements from the multiple software modules based upon at least one criterion;

for each of the sets, identifying any elements that are referenced, but not declared, therein;

automatically adding declarations of the identified elements to the respective sets, so that each of the sets are declaratively complete;

generating a plurality of single software modules, wherein each of the single software modules contains one of the resulting sets of elements; and

composing the plurality of single software modules to form a final, single software module, wherein the final, single software module is a semantically correct entity;

wherein each of the software modules comprise software code or software design artifacts.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said composing step comprises the step of following a set of integration relationships that specify which of the elements in the single software modules correspond to one another, and how the corresponding elements should be combined.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein said extracting step further comprises the steps of:

classifying the elements in the plurality of software modules according to concerns the elements pertain to;

representing the concerns by a multi-dimensional space, wherein each dimension represents a type of concern, each coordinate on a dimension represents a concern of that type, and each point in the space represents an element; and

representing the at least one criterion in terms of the multi-dimensional space.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein said composing step comprises the step of determining correspondence between the elements in the plurality of single software modules.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said composing step further comprises the step of combining corresponding elements into the final, single software module.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the correspondence is based on at least element names.

22. A method for generating a software module based upon elements from multiple software modules, the method comprising the steps of:

extracting a plurality of sets of elements from the multiple software modules based upon at least one extraction criterion;

identifying any elements in the sets that violate at least one correctness and completeness criterion, and automatically bringing the violating elements into compliance with the at least one correctness and completeness criterion;

generating a plurality of single software modules, wherein each of the single software modules contains one of the sets of elements; and

composing the plurality of single software modules with one another, with other software modules, or any combination thereof, to form a final, single software module;

wherein said composing step comprises the step of following a set of integration relationships that specify which of the elements in the single software modules correspond to one another, and how the corresponding elements should be combined; and

wherein the set of integration relationships comprise general, default relationships that specify a composition strategy, and specific relationships that add details and handle exceptions.

23. A method for generating a software module based upon elements from multiple software modules, the method comprising the steps of:

extracting a plurality of sets of elements from the multiple software modules based upon at least one criterion;

for each of the sets, identifying any elements that are referenced, but not declared, therein;

automatically adding declarations of the identified elements to the respective sets, so that each of the sets are declaratively complete;

generating a plurality of single software modules, wherein each of the single software modules contains one of the resulting sets of elements; and

composing the plurality of single software modules to form a final, single software module, wherein the final, single software module is a semantically correct entity;

wherein said composing step comprises the step of following a set of integration relationships that specify which of the elements in the single software modules correspond to one another, and how the corresponding elements should be combined;

wherein the set of integration relationships comprise general, default relationships that specify a composition strategy, and specific relationships that add details and handle exceptions.

24. A method for generating a software module based upon elements from multiple software modules, the method comprising the steps of:

extracting a set of elements from the multiple software modules based upon at least one extraction criterion;

identifying any elements in the set that violate at least one correctness and completeness criterion, and automatically bringing the violating elements into compliance with the at least one correctness and completeness criterion; and

generating a single software module that contains the set of elements;

wherein each of the software modules comprise software code or software design artifacts; and

wherein said extracting step further comprises the steps of;

classifying the elements in the multiple software modules according to concerns the elements pertain to;

representing the concerns by a multi-dimensional space, wherein each dimension represents a type of concern, each coordinate on a dimension represents a concern of that type, and each point in the space represents an element; and

representing the at least one extraction criterion in terms of the multi-dimensional space.

25. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform steps for generating a software module based upon elements from multiple software modules, said method steps comprising:

extracting a plurality of sets of elements from the multiple software modules based upon at least one extraction criterion;

identifying any elements in the sets that violate at least one correctness and completeness criterion, and automatically bringing the violating elements into compliance with the at least one correctness and completeness criterion;

generating a plurality of single software modules, wherein each of the single software modules contains one of the sets of elements; and

composing the plurality of single software modules to form a final, single software module;

wherein each of the software modules comprise software code or software design artifacts; and

wherein said extracting step further comprises the steps of;

classifying the elements in the multiple software modules according to concerns the elements pertain to;

representing the concerns by a multi-dimensional space, wherein each dimension represents a type of concern, each coordinate on a dimension represents a concern of that type, and each point in the space represents an element; and

representing the at least one extraction criterion in terms of the multi-dimensional space.