Software Portability: A Functional Decomposition Approach, Using a Descriptive Language
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Date
1989-06
Authors
Akinlade, O.T
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Volume Title
Publisher
University of Lagos
Abstract
There are many problems involved in transfering programs from one computing environment to another. We have come up with a technique which provides a directly transatable means of machine-independent software specification, as well as a translation process, which provides for more than one target language equivalent of the specification, while remaining independent of any operating environment. The technique is called Portable Programing System (PPS), and it involves decomposing a problem specification into its functional components, each of which is coded in an environment-independent Descriptive Language before being translated, into a named-language equivalent on the desired target machine. The descriptive language which has been specifically developed for PPS is called DESL. It describes an abstract machine, suitable for text-processing and commercial applications. Its translator has a well-designed scanner and parser as its front-end, and an embedded macroprocessor as its back-end. Portability measurements have been taken, in order to compare the performance of code generated by PPS with code from fresh, initial development as well as code from direct, manual conversion. A significant reduction in implementation efforts and errors was recorded in favour of the technique.
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Keywords
Portable Programing System , Descriptive Language
Citation
Akinlade, O.T (1989) Software Portability: A Functional Decomposition Approach, Using a Descriptive Language. University of Lagos School of Postgraduate Studies Phd Computer Science Thesis and Dissertation Abstracts, 194p.