METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING INTERFACE COMPATIBILITY BASED ON COMPONENT MODEL

• US 20100192125A1
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KWON, Ja-Gun, SON, Kyoung-Ho
• Granted Patent: US 10,761,816 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/120
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse

Abstract

A method and system for determining interface compatibility between components are provided. In the system for determining interface compatibility in component model-based software design, the system includes a compatibility rule manager managing interface compatibility rules, and an interface compatibility validator verifying interface compatibility between components based on the interface compatibility rules.

Claims

1. A system for determining interface compatibility in component model-based software design, the system comprising:

a compatibility rule manager configured to manage interface compatibility rules; and

an interface compatibility validator configured to verify interface compatibility between components, based on the interface compatibility rules.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a variability analyzer configured to analyze interface variability of an interface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface compatibility encompasses interface connectivity corresponding to the capability to connect components, or interface substitutability corresponding to the capability to substitute a component.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interface applicator configured to connect components or replace one component with another, based on the result of verifying the interface compatibility.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a function set lister configured to describe a function set representing the functions of the interface.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a function set containing managing information about the function set described in the function set lister, for each interface.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a provide interface comprising a function set defining functions being provided by a component and a require interface containing a function set corresponding to the function set in the provide interface.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the compatibility rule manager is further configured to provide a rule dictating that the provide interface and the require interface can connect to each other if the function set in the provide interface encompasses the function set in the require interface.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the compatibility rule manager is further configured to provide a rule dictating that if a function set in a future provide interface to be substituted encompasses a function set in the existing provide interface, the future provide interface can be substituted for the existing provide interface.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the compatibility rule manager is further configured to provide a rule dictating that if a function set in a require interface to be substituted is encompassed by a function set in the existing require interface, the require interface can be substituted for the existing require interface.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein the interface variability comprises at least one of optional variability, alternative variability, and selective variability.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the compatibility rule manager is further configured to provide a rule dictating that if the type of the interface variability is optional, provide and require interfaces can connect to each other if a function set in the provide interface encompasses a function set in the require interface.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the compatibility rule manager is further configured to provide a rule dictating that if the type of the interface variability is alternative, provide and require interfaces can connect to each other if each function set in the require interfaces is encompassed by a function set in the provide interface.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the compatibility rule manager is further configured to provide a rule dictating that if the type of the interface variability is selective, provide and require interfaces can connect to each other if the sum of function sets in selected require interfaces is encompassed by a function set in the provide interface.

15. A method for determining interface compatibility in component model-based software design, the method comprising:

applying interface variability to an interface for a component; and

verifying interface compatibility between components using interface compatibility rules based on the type of interface variability.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising connecting components or replacing one component with another based on the result of verifying the interface compatibility.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the interface compatibility encompasses interface connectivity corresponding to the capability to connect components or interface substitutability corresponding to the capability to substitute a component.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the interface connectivity is determined by verifying whether functions in a function set of a provide interface correspondingly match functions in a function set of a require interface.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein if an interface to be substituted is a provide interface, interface substitutability is determined by verifying whether functions in a function set in the existing interface are included in a function set of the interface to be substituted.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein if an interface to be substituted is a require interface, interface substitutability is determined by verifying whether functions in a function set of the interface to be substituted are included in a function set in the existing interface.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the interface variability comprises at least one of optional variability, alternative variability, and selective variability.