Synopsis Language Support for Exploiting Software Structure Specifications

Precise specification of the architecture and design of software is a good practice. Such specifications contain a lot of information about the software that can potentially be exploited by tools, to reduce redundancy in software writing by automating routine tasks, as well as giving valuable feedback on the software. In this synopsis we introduce the domain of ‘exploiting software structure specifications’, and classify exploitations based on their intent, and look at some of the issues involved in writing them. Most of these exploitations are programmed using conventional programming languages that do not provide primitives that are routinely required. We identify some patterns that are seen while exploiting software structure specifications and abstract them out into a language specially designed for the purpose. Our effort is a language called LEADS, where we attempt to make writing such tools a lot easier, modular, organized and portable. LEADS is based on the Pattern-Action approach, where one specifies the pattern of information of interest and the actions to be taken when it is found. The patterns are specified using a custom declarative language that is enriched with special primitives for routinely occurring constructs. LEADS also decouples itself from the specification environments and formats thereby ensuring wide applicability. This enables LEADS scripts to be ported across design environments with minimal effort. The following sections in the synopsis provide an overview of the thesis, and highlight the various issues dealt in detail in the thesis. Exploiting software structure specifications Software engineering as a discipline has progressed a lot in the past decades. The need to build software in an organized and coordinated manner has encouraged modelling of the software system at varying degrees of detail before it is actually developed. To enable accurate and precise modelling, several modelling and description languages have been proposed over the years. Models assist decomposition of a complex problem, and make the responsibilities of the various constituents of the software system clear. A software system can be modelled at various levels. Models can capture the early thought process in the conception of a software product, the issues