Systems and methods for software specification and design using a unified document

• US 8,347,276 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2010
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gunther Schadow
• Original Assignee: Gunther Schadow
• Inventors: Schadow, Gunther
• Primary Examiner(s): Rutten, James D
• Application Number:
  US12/684,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20110167409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 717/137
• US Class Current: 717/137
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design

Abstract

A system for improving software specifications and design using a unified document, in one example embodiment, comprises a subsystem to automatically receive a formatted unified document, which can include a plurality of fragments having content formatted and labeled according to predetermined formatting and labeling criteria. The system can further include a subsystem to automatically transform the unified document into a plurality of documents including source code files. The source code files can be immediately executable or executable after being compiled into an executable code. The documents can further include test documents, installation documents, configuration documents, user documents, and edited versions of the unified document. The edited versions of the unified document can be visible by users with appropriate permissions. The formatting of the unified document can comprise assuring that each of multiple parts is formatted according to the appropriate category and selectively labeling each part. The labels can designate descriptions, outlines of data, examples, and assertion statements. The predetermined transformation rules can include transforming the descriptions into data models, transforming the examples into test cases, and transforming the assertion statements into formal assertions of an expression language.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for improving software specifications and design using a unified document, the method comprising:

receiving a master document, the master document being dissected into one or more parts;

automatically assuring, using a non-Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema, that each of the one or more parts is formatted according to a category specified in predetermined formatting criteria;

based on the category of each of the one or more parts, selectively labeling the one or more parts according to predetermined labeling criteria to produce a plurality of fragments having content formatted according to the predetermined formatting criteria and labeled with a plurality of labels;

based on formatted content, automatically receiving a formatted unified document, the unified document including the plurality of fragments, each fragment of the plurality of the fragments having the content formatted according to the predetermined formatting criteria; and

automatically transforming the unified document into a plurality of documents according to predetermined transformation rules, the plurality of documents including one or more source code files.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the unified document is originated by a business person using predetermined labels to mark sections of one or more of the following:

sections of the unified document, introductory and guiding text, markup language, and business rule statements.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein a technical analyst adds first text related to first computer language assertion format and second text related to second computer language assertion format to the unified document, the first computer assertion format to enable evaluation of the business rule statements to true for all correct statements and the second computer assertion format to enable evaluation of the business rules statements to false for all correct statements.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the technical analyst adds computer language assertions to encode the business rules statements submitted by the business person into computer language statements.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising automatically extracting the business rules statements and/or the computer language statements and transforming each pair into a single element according to the computer language formats defined by the technical specialist.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising automatically validating the business rules by determining a Boolean associated with each statement according to the formal language format defined by the technical specialist.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising inflecting the text of the unified document using Natural Language Processing (NPL) to change the grammar of the text from declarative mood to imperative mood, the imperative mood becoming errors utilized during the validating of the business rules.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein an executable file of Schematron contains a query language for selected erroneous nodes from XML data submissions enabling a declarative language to make an executable validator to validate the business rules.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the validator processes the unified document and generates errors in a natural language.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more source code files include one or more of the following:

a Schematron document, an XSLT transform, a Java program, a C++ program, a Groovy file, and a Javascript file.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of documents further includes one or more of the following:

a test document, an installation document, a configuration document, a user document, and/or an edited version of the unified document, the edited version being visible to a user with permission privileges associated with the edited version.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the test document includes one or more of executable test cases.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined transformation rules include combining the plurality of the fragments into the plurality of documents.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of labels includes one or more of the following:

a description, an outline of data, an example, and an assertion statement.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined transformation rules include one or more of the following:

transforming the description into a data model, transforming the example into a test case, and transforming the assertion statement into a formal assertion of an expression language.

16. A computer-implemented system for improving software specifications and design using a unified document, the system comprising a processor configured to:

automatically receive a formatted unified document, wherein formatting is based on;

receiving a master document, the master document being dissected into one or more parts;

automatically assuring, using a non-XML schema, that each of the one or more parts is formatted according to a category specified in predetermined formatting criteria;

based on the category of each of the one or more parts, selectively labeling the one or more parts according to predetermined labeling criteria to produce a plurality of fragments having content formatted according to the predetermined formatting criteria and labeled with a plurality of labels;

the unified document including the plurality of fragments, each fragment of the plurality of the fragments having the content formatted according to the predetermined formatting criteria; and

automatically transform the unified document into a plurality of documents according to predetermined transformation rules, the plurality of documents including one or more source code files.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of documents further includes one or more of the following:

a test document, an installation document, a configuration document, a user document, and an edited version of the unified document, the edited version being visible to a user with permission privileges associated with the edited version.

18. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for improving software specifications and design using a unified document, which when implemented by one or more processors, performs the following operations:

automatically receive a formatted unified document, wherein formatting is based on;

receiving a master document, the master document being dissected into one or more parts;

automatically assuring, using a non-XML schema, that each of the one or more parts is formatted according to a category specified in predetermined formatting criteria;

based on the category of each of the one or more parts, selectively labeling the one or more parts according to predetermined labeling criteria to produce a plurality of fragments having content formatted according to the predetermined formatting criteria and labeled with a plurality of labels;

the unified document including the plurality of fragments, each fragment of the plurality of the fragments having the content formatted according to the predetermined formatting criteria; and

automatically transform the unified document into a plurality of documents according to predetermined transformation rules, the plurality of documents including one or more source code files.