Honeywell Software Development Project
Doug Hoover, Odyssey Research Associates,
hoove@oracorp.com
Summary
Doug Hoover
This work began with a problem from Honeywell: how to tell whether a
specification or code involving a complex choice of alternatives is
complete (always designates a choice) and is consistent (always
designates only one choice). It turned out that Honeywell used
decision tables informally to specify this kind of code. Now,
decision tables are a kind of formal specification, so we decided that
the best solution was to build a specialized tool, TableWise, to deal
with the problem.
TableWise checks completeness and consistency of decision tables, as
well as generating Ada code and documentation from them. It has an
original form of structural analysis that localizes flaws that prevent
decision tables from being complete and consistent. TableWise is
available from NASA Langley by
anonymous ftp (air16.larc.nasa.gov).
A paper on TableWise will appear in COMPASS '95.
Continuing work related to TableWise includes generating tests from
decision tables, improving code generation, structuring decision
tables to compress information, and making decision tables part of a
more all-encompassing specification methodologies.
Slides
- Lance Sherry, Honeywell
(These print OK, but do not preview in some previewers)
- Doug Hoover, Odyssey Research Associates