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User Interface Technology for Formal Specification DevelopmentFormal specification development and modification are an essential component of the knowledge-based software life cycle. User interface technology is needed to empower end-users to create their own formal specifications. This paper describes the advanced user interface for AMPHION1 a knowledge-based software engineering system that targets scientific subroutine libraries. AMPHION is a generic, domain-independent architecture that is specialized to an application domain through a declarative domain theory. Formal specification development and reuse is made accessible to end-users through an intuitive graphical interface that provides semantic guidance in creating diagrams denoting formal specifications in an application domain. The diagrams also serve to document the specifications. Automatic deductive program synthesis ensures that end-user specifications are correctly implemented. The tables that drive AMPHION's user interface are automatically compiled from a domain theory; portions of the interface can be customized by the end-user. The user interface facilitates formal specification development by hiding syntactic details, such as logical notation. It also turns some of the barriers for end-user specification development associated with strongly typed formal languages into active sources of guidance, without restricting advanced users. The interface is especially suited for specification modification. AMPHION has been applied to the domain of solar system kinematics through the development of a declarative domain theory. Testing over six months with planetary scientists indicates that AMPHION's interactive specification acquisition paradigm enables users to develop, modify, and reuse specifications at least an order of magnitude more rapidly than manual program development.
Document ID
20020011142
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Lowry, Michael
(RECOM Technologies, Inc. Moffett Field, CA United States)
Philpot, Andrew
(RECOM Technologies, Inc. Moffett Field, CA United States)
Pressburger, Thomas
(RECOM Technologies, Inc. Moffett Field, CA United States)
Underwood, Ian
(RECOM Technologies, Inc. Moffett Field, CA United States)
Lum, Henry, Jr.
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1994
Subject Category
Computer Programming And Software
Meeting Information
Meeting: Seventh Annual Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology
Location: Marina Del Rey, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: November 2, 1994
End Date: November 4, 1994
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 233-01-02
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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