Data processing: software development – installation – and managem – Software program development tool – Translation of code
Reexamination Certificate
1996-09-06
2001-04-03
Lee, Thomas C. (Department: 2782)
Data processing: software development, installation, and managem
Software program development tool
Translation of code
C717S152000, C717S152000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212677
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a specification generating method for generating a specification, for example, a design specification, from a computer program. More particularly, it relates to a specification generating method which can easily understand a flowchart of a computer program when generating the specification therefrom. Particularly, when a process moves from a main routine to a sub-routine in accordance with a conditional branch or a call operation, the present invention can easily understand the computer program.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a lot of time is required to understand the contents of a computer program when developing and maintaining the program. Particularly, when a computer designer develops a new computer program which is similar to an original one, many troublesome procedures are required for sorting the main/sub-routines of the original program in accordance with the contents of the process. As a result, almost all the time is spent on understanding the contents of the program before generating the specification of the computer program.
In a specification of a computer program in a conventional art, many specifications are formed in dependence of a structure (syntax) of the computer program, and they are not formed in accordance with a flowchart or a process chart of the program. Further, there is a known method of using a decision table when expressing a conditional branch in the conventional specification. In the conventional art, however, when any sub-routine is called from a main routine, it is very difficult to determine the destination of the call if no mark is provided for the destination of the call.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a specification generating method which can easily understand a flowchart of a computer program and easily generates the specification therefrom.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a specification generating method for a computer program comprising the steps of: analyzing the syntax of a predetermined computer program; generating a control flowchart based on the analyzed syntax; generating an intermediate expression table based on the control flowchart; providing block numbers for calls and branched destinations; attaching an item number and a heading to every call and branched destinations; and generating the specification of the computer program, using a natural language, based on the item number and the heading.
In a preferred embodiment, a specification generating method further comprises the step of: providing a block number for a sentence which indicates a continuation of a process (CONTINUE) in a conditional branched sentence; and attaching the item number and the heading thereto.
In another preferred embodiment, a specification generating method further comprises the step of: checking the destination of sub-routine after execution; determining whether there is a path which returns to a call source; describing a “return to call source after execution” when there is the path; determining whether there is another path which branches to another sub-routine when there is no path in above step; describing a “branch to another sub-routine after execution” when there is another sub-routine; and describing a “complete program after execution” when there is no another sub-routine.
In still another preferred embodiment, a specification generating method further comprises the step of: counting the number of the calls for all sub-routines; counting the number of lines of the specification; comparing the number of the lines with a reference value; further comparing the number of the call with the reference value when the reference value is larger than the number of the lines; and expanding the sub-routine to the call source when the reference number is larger than the number of the call.
In still another preferred embodiment, a specification generating method further comprises the step of: extracting a type definition from every data item; determining whether an editing pattern is different between a setting source and a setting destination; and generating an explanation sentence for a type conversion when the editing pattern is different therebetween.
In still another preferred embodiment, a specification generating method further comprises the step of: generating a table suitable for each conditional branched sentence.
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AREFI, Hughes & Workman, Automatically Generating Visual Syntax-Directed Editors, Communications of the ACM, vol. 33, No. 3, Mar. 1990, pp. 349-360.
Ohkubo Takao
Yoshino Toshiaki
Fujitsu Limited
Lee Thomas C.
Park Ilwoo
Staas & Halsey , LLP
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