File Structures, Program Structures, and Attributed Grammars

Author

Logrippo, Luigi ; Skuce, Douglas R.

Author_Institution

Software Reliability Research Group, Department of Computer Science, University of Ottawa

Issue

3

fYear

1983

fDate

5/1/1983 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

260

Lastpage

266

Abstract

A language for defining sequential file structures, characterized as nested sequences of records having in common certain keys and types, is presented. "Input schemata" are defined as program skeletons that contain all the necessary control structure to process a specified file. A method for obtaining an input schema from the corresponding file structure definition is given. The method is based on attributed grammars, and has been implemented in the programming language PROLOG. This constitutes a formalization of some aspects of the data-directed program design method of Jackson and Warnier. Examples of applications of this method to business data processing problems such as file updating and report generation are given.

Keywords

Attributed grammars; PROLOG; data processing; data-directed program design; logic programming; logical construction of programs; program generation; program structure; sequential file structures; software engineering; Application software; Business; Computer languages; Computer science; Data processing; Design methodology; Logic programming; Process control; Process design; Skeleton; Attributed grammars; PROLOG; data processing; data-directed program design; logic programming; logical construction of programs; program generation; program structure; sequential file structures; software engineering;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Software Engineering, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0098-5589

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TSE.1983.236735

Filename

1703053