Support Environment EPT

Abstract

A Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) environment is an effective tool supporting software evolution processes. In this chapter, a CASE environment EPT is designed and a prototype system of EPT is implemented. EPT can help software managers to model and control software evolution processes. EPT is designed with a three-level architecture: User Interface, Process Server and File Depository. EPT provides the following functions: Firstly, EPT supports modelling software evolution processes interactively and provides editors to edit models. An evolution process model in graph can be transformed into an EPDL program in text. Secondly, EPT provides a process package library to support the reuse of process packages. Thirdly, EPT compiles EPDL programs into data structures regarded as object codes and stored in Model Files. Fourthly, EPT runs EPDL programs and records the execution of the EPDL programs. Fifthly, EPT transforms the running processes into the visual representations by which users can execute, schedule, control and analyse the corresponding models. Sixthly, based on the execution records of an EPDL program, the statistics analysis can be processed. Seventhly, EPT supports the interactive efficiency improvement of software evolution processes based on an EPDL program. Finally, EPT supports the interactive decomposition of a 2-assertion into a series of finer 2-assertions.