Method and system for analyzing a software design

• US 8,386,999 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2008
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infonovus Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Infonovus Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Skriletz, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Li B
• Assistant Examiner(s): COYER, RYAN D
• Application Number:
  US12/189,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20090100401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,660 Days
• Field of Search: 717/100, 717/104
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design

Abstract

A method and system of analyzing a software design includes receiving one or more specifications containing one or more design elements. One or more design elements not included in the one or more specifications are identified. One or more design elements not included in the one or more specifications are generated. The one or more generated design elements are added to the one or more specifications.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing a software design comprising:

receiving, by a processor, one or more specifications containing one or more design elements;

analyzing, by the processor, the one or more specifications to determine all possible design elements for the one or more specifications, wherein analyzing the one or more specifications to determine all possible design elements for the one or more specifications includes,

analyzing event triggers associated with one or more process actions included in the one or more specifications,

analyzing data captured by the one or more process actions included in the one or more specifications,

analyzing rules used by the one or more process actions included in the one or more specifications,

analyzing structures related to the one or more process actions included in the one or more specifications,

generating combinations of analyzed event triggers, data, process actions, rules, and structures contained in the one or more specifications,

identifying the possible design elements from the generated combinations of analyzed event triggers, data, process actions, rules, and structures associated with the event triggers associated with the one or more process actions,

identifying the possible design elements from the generated combinations of analyzed event triggers, data, process actions, rules, and structures associated with the data captured by the one or more process actions,

identifying the possible design elements from the generated combinations of analyzed event triggers, data, process actions, rules, and structures associated with the rules used by the one or more process actions,

identifying the possible design elements from the generated combinations of analyzed event triggers, data, process actions, rules, and structures associated with the structures related to the one or more process actions, and

identifying from the possible design elements all the possible design elements for the one or more specifications;

identifying, by the processor, one or more design elements not included in the one or more specifications;

generating, by the processor, the one or more design elements for the design elements not included in the one or more specifications; and

adding, by the processor, the one or more generated design elements to the one or more specifications.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the one or more specifications.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the design elements not included in the one or more specifications includes comparing the design elements included in the one or more specifications to the possible design elements for the one or more specifications.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the design elements for the design elements not included in the one or more specifications includes:

determining whether data of the one or more generated design elements not included in the one or more specifications exists within the one or more specifications;

determining whether a process action of the one or more generated design elements not included in the one or more specifications exists within the one or more specifications;

determining whether a user interface of the one or more generated design elements not included in the one or more specifications exists within the one or more specifications; and

determining whether rules of the one or more generated design elements not included in the one or more specifications exists within the one or more specifications.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the design elements for the design elements not included in the one or more specifications includes:

generating one or more data definitions that do not exist within the one or more specifications for the one or more design elements;

generating one or more process actions that do not exist within the one or more specifications for the one or more design elements;

generating one or more user interfaces that do not exist within the one or more specifications for the one or more design elements; and

generating one or more rules that do not exist within the one or more specifications for the one or more design elements.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein adding the one or more generated design elements to the one or more specifications includes:

adding one or more data definitions to the one or more specifications;

adding one or more process actions to the one or more specifications;

adding one or more user interfaces to the one or more specifications; and

adding one or more rules to the one or more specifications.

6. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory computer readable medium, having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving one or more specifications containing one or more design elements;

analyzing the one or more specifications to determine all possible design elements for the one or more specifications, wherein analyzing the one or more specifications to determine all possible design elements for the one or more specifications includes,

analyzing event triggers associated with one or more process actions included in the one or more specifications,

analyzing data captured by the one or more process actions included in the one or more specifications,

analyzing rules used by the one or more process actions included in the one or more specifications,

analyzing structures related to the one or more process actions included in the one or more specifications,

generating combinations of analyzed event triggers, data, process actions, rules, and structures contained in the one or more specifications,

identifying the possible design elements from the generated combinations of analyzed event triggers, data, process actions, rules, and structures associated with the event triggers associated with the one or more process actions,

identifying the possible design elements from the generated combinations of analyzed event triggers, data, process actions, rules, and structures associated with the data captured by the one or more process actions,

identifying the possible design elements from the generated combinations of analyzed event triggers, data, process actions, rules, and structures associated with the rules used by the one or more process actions,

identifying the possible design elements from the generated combinations of analyzed event triggers, data, process actions, rules, and structures associated with the structures related to the one or more process actions, and

identifying from the possible design elements all the possible design elements for the one or more specifications;

identifying one or more design elements not included in the one or more specifications;

generating the one or more design elements for the design elements not included in the one or more specifications; and

adding the one or more generated design elements to the one or more specifications.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein the operations further comprise storing the one or more specifications.

8. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein identifying the design elements not included in the one or more specifications includes comparing the design elements included in the one or more specifications to the possible design elements for the one or more specifications.

9. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein generating the design elements for the design elements not included in the one or more specifications includes:

determining whether data of the one or more generated design elements not included in the one or more specifications exists within the one or more specifications;

determining whether a process action of the one or more generated design elements not included in the one or more specifications exists within the one or more specifications;

determining whether a user interface of the one or more generated design elements not included in the one or more specifications exists within the one or more specifications; and

determining whether rules of the one or more generated design elements not included in the one or more specifications exists within the one or more specifications.

10. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein generating the design elements for the design elements not included in the one or more specifications includes:

generating one or more data definitions that do not exist within the one or more specifications for the one or more design elements;

generating one or more process actions that do not exist within the one or more specifications for the one or more design elements;

generating one or more user interfaces that do not exist within the one or more specifications for the one or more design elements; and

generating one or more rules that do not exist within the one or more specifications for the one or more design elements.

12. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein adding the one or more generated design elements to the one or more specifications includes:

adding one or more data definitions to the one or more specifications;

adding one or more process actions to the one or more specifications;

adding one or more user interfaces to the one or more specifications; and

adding one or more rules to the one or more specifications.