Abstract |
In this paper we present the design and implementation of an interactive tool for selecting software artifacts from a Software Information Base (S.I.B.), built using the knowledge representation language TELOS. The S.I.B. contains informa¬tion about software objects concerning the entire software life cycle, namely requirements, design and implementation descriptions, as well as semantic rela¬tions that hold among them. The software descriptions and the links between them constitute a semantic network.
The annotation mechanism presented here allows the attachment of hypertext and multimedia annotations to the software objects. The former are stored in the S.I.B. while the latter are external objects, stored in the file system. A hypertext (non-linear) comment consists of a series of plain text and «anchor» text, which refers to another description of the S.I.B.. So, when we view a software descrip¬tion we can easily view related descriptions, even if they are not connected with any kind of link.
The Selection Tool supports browsing through the network of the S.I.B. without any requirement for using the syntax of the TELOS language or any query language. Browsing is centered around one description at-a-time, which is called «current». The information about the current description is presented graphically in the «Graphical Browser» and as formatted text in a «Presentation Form». The Selection Tool allows filtering the information through a «Link Filter». Naviga¬tion through the S.I.B. is accomplished by selecting a new description from the Graphical Browser or from another part of the user interface, such as the «Application Frames List» and the «History List», or by explicitly specifying the name of the new description. The user interface of the Selection Tool is designed in such a way as to allevi¬ate the problems that may occur while browsing. Finally, the Selection Tool allows the creation of new software descriptions in an easy and interactive way, without the need for knowing the syntax of the TEWS language.
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