Jonathan Gray

Object-based modeling of parallel programs

The Parse Project has been investigating software development issues covering a range of parallel applications. Parse itself is an object-based design methodology that incorporates design management strategies based on data and function encapsulation, hierarchical decomposition, and staged refinement. Parse represents parallel software designs with a graphical notation called process graphs. After capturing a designs important structural features, this notation systematically derives the designs skeletal dynamic properties. For this, it can use either a behavioral specification language or formal methods such as CSP (Communicating Sequential Processes) or Petri nets. Parse builds on existing parallel software design techniques that are based on dataflow and object-oriented approaches. Parse attempts to capture precise object interactions and synchronization in an abstract, architecture-independent notation. To do so, it combines the strengths of various object-oriented techniques and extends the abilities of real-time design methodologies. The Parse project has tried to promote recognized software engineering techniques and extend them to incorporate high-level abstractions for parallel software design. Using systematic transformation techniques, system designers then can methodically refine their designs into formal notations to promote verification and into programming languages for easy implementation. >

Issues in software engineering tool construction

Abstract A brief introduction to software engineering tools is presented, and issues involved in the construction of these tools are discussed. Some of the current issues concerning tool developers are highlighted, which include: metaCASE technology, cognitive support, evaluation and validation of tools and data interchange. Some recent developments in tool construction techniques are examined, and opportunities for further research and development in tool building are identified.

Special issue on constructing software engineering tools

Automated tools play an important role in the promotion and adoption of software engineering methods and processes, both within a particular organisation and within the software engineering community generally. The development of these tools is itself a significant software engineering task, requiring a considerable investment of time and resources. There are a large number of different kinds of automated software engineering tools, variously known as Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE), Computer Aided Method Engineering (CAME), Integrated Project Support Environments (IPSE), Software Engineering Environments (SEE), and metaCASE tools. Although these tools differ in the particular methods, activities, and phases of the software development cycle to which they are applied, constructors of these tools often face similar implementation issues. Decisions about host computing platform, implementation language, conformance with standards and reference models, choice of repository, integration and interoperability mechanisms, and user interface style have to be made. The different strategies adopted by tool constructors when solving these tool development challenges is the theme of this special issue. The papers published in this special issue are a selection of the papers presented at The First International Symposium on Constructing Software Engineering Tools (CoSET’99), 17–18 May 1999, Airport Marriott Hotel, Los Angeles, USA. This symposium brought together a community of software engineering practitioners and researchers with an interest in constructing software engineering tools. The symposium focused on practical issues of the design, implementation, and operation of these tools. The participants in this symposium reported on tool building activities covering a wide range of topics including metaCASE approaches, component based technologies, repository organisation, distribution and configuration, data interchange, HCI/GUI, and cognitive and social aspects of tool development. This special issue comprises a number of high quality papers from the symposium designed to provide readers of Information and Software Technology with a representative picture of current issues in software engineering tool construction.

Software engineering tools

Automated tools play an important role in the promotion and adoption of software engineering methods and processes. The development of these tools is itself a significant software engineering task, requiring a considerable investment of time and resources. There are a large number of different kinds of automated software engineering tools, variously known as Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE), Computer Aided Method Engineering (CAME), Integrated Project Support Environment (IPSE), Software Engineering Environment (SEE), and metaCASE tools. Although these tools differ in the particular methods, activities, and phases of the software development cycle to which they are applied, constructors of these tools often face similar implementation issues. Decisions about host computing platform, implementation language, conformance with standards and reference models, choice of repository, integration and interoperability mechanisms, and user interface style have to be made. This mini-track is based around the experience reports of researchers and practitioners actively involved in software engineering tool development.

Designing parallel database programs using PARSE

The problems of constructing parallel programs are considered and the aims of the PARSE parallel software engineering methodology are introduced. PARSE is a multi-stage methodology that covers logical and physical design, design verification, and implementation strategy. The first stage in the methodology involves the use of process graphs which provide a language and architecture independent notation for partitioning the problem into processes and specifying the communication relationships between them. This paper gives an outline of the PARSE methodology and describes the process graph notation. The use of the notation is illustrated with an example of a design for a parallel database system.<<ETX>>

The Second International Symposium on Constructing Software Engineering Tools (CoSET2000) (workshop session)

1 THEMES AND GOALS Automated tools play an important role in the promotion and adoption of software engineering methods and processes, both within a particular organisation and within the software engineering community generally. The development of these tools is itself a significant software engineering task, requiring a considerable investment of time and resources. There are a large number of different kinds of automated software engineering tool, variously known as Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE), Computer Aided Method Engineering (CAME), Integrated Project Support Environments (IPSE), Software Engineering Environments (SEE), and meta-CASE tools. Although these tools differ in the particular methods, activities, and phases of the software development cycle to which they are applied, constructors of these tools often face similar implementation issues. Decisions about host computing platform, implementation language, conformance with standards and reference models, choice of repository, integration and interoperability mechanisms, and user interface style have to be made. The different strategies adopted by tool constructors when solving these tool development problems is the theme of this symposium.

Common Architectures for Databases and Knwoledge-Based Systems

Common Architectures research programme is proposed to address performance issues common to both database and KBS technologies. With the goal of harnessing the massive processing power of large distributed-memory parallel machines, the research programme is concentrating on common design strategies, computational models, and abstract architectures applicable to both databases and KBS. The projects within the research programme include: an investigation into frame-based and object-oriented approaches; and the design of a Parallel Logic System. The Parallel Logic System has already been partially implemented on transputer-based parallel hardware, and further implementations are planned on a new generation of transputer-based machines. The Abstract Architecture and computational model, originally defined for the parallel logic system, are also being assessed for their wider applicability within the AI and KBS fields.