System and method for implementing application code from application requirements

• US 9,063,673 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Updraft LLC
• Original Assignee: UniqueSoft, LLC
• Inventors: Weigert, Thomas, Weil, Francis Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Das, Chameli
• Application Number:
  US13/222,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20130055194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3672 Test management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/355 Round-trip engineering

Abstract

A method for execution by a processing module begins with receiving application requirements and parameters. The method continues by generating application code based on the application requirements, the parameters, and the feedback. For a current implementation of the application code, the method continues by entering a loop that begins by selecting an implementation tool in accordance with implementation constraints and a previous implementation result. The loop continues by generating a current implementation result based on an application of the implementation tool, one or more of the application requirements, one or more of the parameters, and the previous implementation. The loop continues by receiving current feedback regarding the current implementation result. The loop continues by determining whether the current implementation result is at a desired level of correctness based on the current feedback. When the current implementation result is not at the desired level of correctness, the loop repeats otherwise it is exited.

Claims

1. A method for execution by a processing module, the method comprises:

receiving application requirements and parameters from a requirements unit;

receiving feedback from a testing unit regarding testing of application code as the application code is being generated; and

generating, in a plurality of phases, the application code based on the application requirements, the parameters, and the feedback, wherein, for a current iteration of a plurality of iterations of a phase of the plurality of phases, entering a loop, wherein the loop includes;

selecting an implementation tool from a plurality of implementation tools in accordance with implementation constraints and a previous implementation result;

generating a current implementation result based on an application of the implementation tool, one or more of the application requirements, one or more of the parameters, and the previous implementation result;

receiving current feedback of the feedback regarding the current implementation result;

determining whether the current implementation result meets the one or more of the application requirements and passes a current iteration of testing as indicated by the current feedback;

when the current implementation result does not meet the one or more of the application requirements or does not pass the current iteration of the testing;

adjusting one or more of selecting the implementation tool and the one or more of the application requirements to produce an adjusted implementation set; and

repeating the loop using the adjusted implementation set and based on the current feedback; and

when the current implementation result meets the one or more of the application requirements and passes a current iteration of testing, exiting the loop.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

the parameters including one or more of an application system behavioral constraint, an application system correctness condition, an application system platform, a behavior definition, and a data definition; and

the application requirements including a plurality of application system state transitions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the previous and current implementation results comprises at least one of:

a message diagram, a state machine diagram, a state table, a state/event matrix, pseudo code, a structure diagram, a model, a diagram of a modeling language, code in a programming language, an activity diagram, and business process diagram.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the implementation tool comprises at least one of:

a specific use implementation tool for implementing the current implementation of the incremental phase of generating the application code for a particular target processor and other constraint parameters; and

a general use implementation tool for implementing the current implementation of the incremental phase of generating the application code in accordance with non-targeted processor common computing principles.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the implementation tool comprises at least one of:

an artificial intelligence (Al) based planning system implementation tool;

a predetermined algorithm tool;

a consultation system tool; and

an evolutionary programming principles tool.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the implementation tool comprises at least one of:

a compiler, a program rewriting system tool, a term rewriting system tool, a tree rewriting system tool, a graph transformation system tool, a model transformation system tool, a macro expansion system tool, an aspect-oriented development system tool, a source-to-source translator, a data-type refinement system tool, a program slicing system tool, a program pre-processor, a program comprehension system tool, a program morphing system tool, an algebraic manipulation system tool, and an optimizations system tool.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting an implementation tool further comprises:

selecting the implementation for at least one repeating of the loop;

selecting the implementation tool based on one or more of;

the application requirements, the previous implementation result, the current feedback, previously used implementation tools, previous feedback regarding the current implementation of the incremental phase of generating the application code, a number of iterations for which the implementation tool has been used, an available implementation tools of the plurality of implementation tools;

selecting the implementation tool by consulting an expert system that has captured programming knowledge;

selecting the implementation tool by executing a predetermined implementation tool selection algorithm;

selecting the implementation tool by based on evolutionary programming principles; and

selecting the implementation tool by an artificial-intelligence-based planning system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating application code further comprises:

the plurality of process phases including;

an architecture level design process phase;

a high-level design (HLD) process phase;

a low-level design (LLD) process phase; and

a code development process phase.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting one or more of selecting the implementation tool and the one or more of the application requirements to produce an adjusted implementation set comprises at least one of:

reverting to a previously selected implementation tool;

selecting a different implementation tool from the plurality of implementation tools; and

revising the one or more of the application requirements.

10. An implementation unit comprises:

an input/output module operably coupled to a memory

receive application requirements from a requirements unit;

receive parameters; and

receive feedback from a testing unit regarding testing of application code as the application code is being generated; and

a processing module operably coupled to;

generate, in a plurality of phases, the application code based on the application requirements, the parameters, and the feedback, wherein, for a current iteration of a plurality of iterations of a phase of the plurality of phases, entering a loop, wherein the loop includes;

select an implementation tool from a plurality of implementation tools in accordance with implementation constraints and a previous implementation result;

generate a current implementation result based on an application of the implementation tool, one or more of the application requirements, one or more of the parameters, and the previous implementation result;

receive current feedback of the feedback regarding the current implementation result;

determine whether the current implementation result meets the one or more of the application requirements and passes a current iteration of testing as indicated by the current feedback;

when the current implementation result does not meet the one or more of the application requirements or does not pass the current iteration of the testing;

adjust one or more of selecting the implementation tool and the one or more of the application requirements to produce an adjusted implementation set; and

repeat the loop using the adjusted implementation set and based on the current feedback; and

when the current implementation result meets the one or more of the application requirements and passes the current iteration of testing, exit the loop.

11. The implementation unit of claim 10 further comprises:

the parameters including one or more of an application system behavioral constraint, an application system correctness condition, an application system platform, a behavior definition, and a data definition;

the application requirements including a plurality of application system state transitions; and

each of the previous and current implementation results including at least one of;

a message diagram, a state machine diagram, a state table, a state/event matrix, pseudo code, a structure diagram, a model, a diagram of a modeling language, code in a programming language, an activity diagram, and business process diagram.

12. The implementation unit of claim 10, wherein the implementation tool comprises at least one of:

a specific use implementation tool for implementing the current implementation of the incremental phase of generating the application code for a particular target processor and other constraint parameters; and

a general use implementation tool for implementing the current implementation of the incremental phase of generating the application code in accordance with non-targeted processor common computing principles.

13. The implementation unit of claim 10, wherein the implementation tool comprises at least one of:

an artificial intelligence (Al) based planning system implementation tool;

a predetermined algorithm tool;

a consultation system tool; and

an evolutionary programming principles tool.

14. The implementation unit of claim 10, wherein the implementation tool comprises at least one of:

a compiler, a program rewriting system tool, a term rewriting system tool, a tree rewriting system tool, a graph transformation system tool, a model transformation system tool, a macro expansion system tool, an aspect-oriented development system tool, a source-to-source translator, a data-type refinement system tool, a program slicing system tool, a program pre-processor, a program comprehension system tool, a program morphing system tool, an algebraic manipulation system tool, and an optimizations system tool.

15. The implementation unit of claim 10, wherein the processing module selects the implementation tool further by:

selecting the implementation for at least one repeating of the loop;

selecting the implementation tool based on one or more of;

the application requirements, the previous implementation result, the current feedback, previously used implementation tools, previous feedback regarding the current implementation of the incremental phase of generating the application code, a number of iterations for which the implementation tool has been used, an available implementation tools of the plurality of implementation tools;

selecting the implementation tool by consulting an expert system that has captured programming knowledge;

selecting the implementation tool by executing a predetermined implementation tool selection algorithm;

selecting the implementation tool by based on evolutionary programming principles; and

selecting the implementation tool by an artificial-intelligence-based planning system.

16. The implementation unit of claim 10, wherein the processing module generates the application code further by:

the plurality of process phases including;

an architecture level design process phase;

a high-level design (HLD) process phase;

a low-level design (LLD) process phase; and

a code development process phase.

17. The implementation unit of claim 10, wherein the processing module adjusts one or more of selecting the implementation tool and the one or more of the application requirements to produce an adjusted implementation set comprises at least one of:

reverting to a previously selected implementation tool;

selecting a different implementation tool from the plurality of implementation tools; and

revising the one or more of the application requirements.