Two-level grammar as an object-oriented requirements specification language

Two-level grammar (TLG) is proposed as an object-oriented requirements specification language with a natural language (NL) style but sufficiently formal to allow automatic transformation of the TLG specification into formal specifications in VDM++, an object-oriented version of the Vienna Development Method. The VDM++ specification may be further transformed into Java^TM code or integrated with the Unified Modeling Language (UML) using the IFAD VDMToolbox^TM. The translation into an executable programming language facilitates rapid prototyping of TLG specifications and the integration with UML allows TLG specification to be used in conjunction with software systems being constructed using UML. This software specification approach is supported by a specification development environment (SDE) for constructing TLG specifications and a natural language processing system to assist in translating can NL requirements specification into TLG. The system described is a useful and constructive tool for automating the production of software systems from NL specifications.