Achieving software reuse by conversion and reorganization of software systems

The author describes advancements made toward a total system for HOL (higher-order language) software conversion which utilizes techniques for applying transformations on software which preserve functionality and improve code readability, understandability, and organization. The research goal is to establish technique for achieving the reuse of software written in one HOL (generally a somewhat arcane one such as Fortran) by translation to a more contemporary HOL (Such as Ada). The objectives of this effort are to achieve functionally equivalent transformation of the code, while preserving and enhancing the clarity of the process which the code represents. Significant aspects of this work include the design of an underlying generic language support system, the provision for human interaction in the code restructuring process via a graphical interface, the development of a text editor which permits mapping between code segments of translated Ada and input Fortran, the development of a data structure analyzer used to transform Ada declarations, and an Ada repackager