JPH01147621A - Automatic program producing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the description of a specification and at the same time to realize the describing capability in a wide range of a job by using a means which supplies the information on the input/output order, the calculation order, etc., of the files, slips, etc., for input/output of the subject jobs. CONSTITUTION:A user supplies the information on the layout specifications for each input/output of names of files and slips, the information on the specifications of a production formula, and the executing order information on the input and output and the data editing processes from a specification input part 1 via a terminal equipment. Thus a program structure production part 6 produces the program structure information from the information on the decision table specifications for subject jobs, the input/output and data editing information, and the information on the executing order of the input/ output and the editing processes. When these processes are through to all decision table specifications, a data editing part generating part 8 produces the data editing part information contained in a program from the information on the specifications of production formulas for the subject jobs. Then a data defining part generating part 10 produces the data defining part information contained in the program out of the information on the layout specifications.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a software development support system.

In particular, the present invention relates to an automatic program generation method suitable for efficiently developing batch business processing programs.

[Conventional technology]

Business operations are targeted in order to streamline the development of software in the office processing field. Recently, a method has been developed for automatically generating a procedural program that can be directly executed on a computer from specification information written in a non-procedural manner for each input/output data unit such as a file or a form.

Conventionally, there are two methods for generating a procedural program from specification information such as the layout of data written non-procedurally in units of input/output data and how to calculate the value of output data.
There are two ways.

The first method is to select predetermined program structure information and incorporate the logic of how to calculate the value of each output data input by the user into the corresponding part of the structure. A data definition section within a program that generates logical information for the procedure section and uses data layout specification information that defines attributes such as the number of digits and type specified for each input/output data input by the user. The program is generated by combining the information.

The second method is based on the data structure specification information indicating the repetition 2 selection of each data item in each input/output data, which is specified within the data layout specification information or separately, and the corresponding hierarchy, repetition This method generates a program structure consisting of 9 selections. After the program structure is generated, the logic of how to generate each output data value input by the user is inserted into the program structure, as in the first method. Incorporate and generate program procedure division logical information,
This is combined with information in a program data definition section generated from data layout specification information input by the user to generate a program.

A system using the first method is, for example, a system development tool for office computers for sales companies.
GLE/PET”, Kato, et al. Hitachi Review Vol. 68, No. 5, May 1986, pp. 43-48.”
For example, there is a system described in ``Development of a C0BOL program generation system DSL that takes data-focused specifications as input,'' Kono, et al. 1 Hitachi Review Vol. 65, No. 7. , July 1983, No. 5
There is a system described on pages 3 to 58.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

Both of the above two methods generate programs from specifications written in a non-procedural manner corresponding to input/output data such as files and forms, which are the main objects of office processing work, and are different from conventional COBOL.

It has the advantage of higher productivity than directly writing a procedural language such as PL/I.

However, in the first method, since the structure of a program that can be created is fixed, the data structure of files and forms, input/output order, etc. are fixed, and there is a problem that the scope of work that can be created is restricted.

In the second method, the program structure is determined by the data structure of input/output files and forms, so the scope of work that can be created is wider than in the first method, but the execution order, such as the output order of files and forms, is C0BOL because it is not possible to specify.

Compared to procedural languages such as PL/H, the scope of work that can be described is restricted as in the first method.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a program generation method that facilitates specification description by using non-procedural specification description that mainly describes input/output data, and that achieves both the ability to describe a wide range of work. be.

[Means for solving problems]

The above purpose is to add a step of inputting information on the input/output order of files, forms, etc. that are input/output of the target business, and execution order such as calculation order, to the means for inputting specification information of the target business in the conventional method.

The means for creating a program from specification information includes the step of generating program control structure information of the target program from the execution order information, and using this control structure information,
As with the conventional method, (1) generation of a program procedure section by incorporating the logic of the method of generating the value of the corresponding output data;
(2) This problem can be solved by combining data definition sections generated based on data layout specification information to generate a program.

[Effect]

In the means of inputting specification information, it is possible to specify information regarding the execution order such as the input/output file, the input/output order of forms, and the calculation order for the target business, so it is possible to write information regarding the execution order, which was previously not possible. This makes it possible to describe a wide range of tasks in the same way as when using a procedural language directly.

The means for generating a program from specification information generates a program control structure that reflects specified execution order information, and generates a target business processing program using this control structure. Therefore, start with specification descriptions centered on input/output data that are close to business requirements.

Since the target business program can be automatically generated, the number of man-hours for program development can be reduced compared to the case where a single procedural language is used directly, as in the conventional method.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows an automatic program generation system according to an embodiment of the present invention in the form of a functional configuration diagram. The illustrated functional blocks, except for the storage section, may be implemented by a single processor and software, or may be implemented by multiple processors.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration when realized by software using a single processor.

The specification input unit 1 shown in FIG. 1 inputs specification description information of a task to be created from a terminal. Input/output related specification storage section 2. Layout specification storage section 3. Generation formula specification storage section 4. The decision table specification storage section 5 stores the specifications inputted by the specification input section 1.

The input/output related specification storage unit 2 stores information on the name of the target business, the name of the input/output office/form used in the business, and the type of input/output.

Figure 3 shows an example of this information expressed in a worksheet format.In this example, the job name is ``Create transfer payment file,'' and data is input from two files: ``Payment details'' and ``Payroll ledger.'' , it is shown that the data is to be output to the file ``Transfer Payment''.

The layout specification storage unit 3 stores layout specification information such as included data item names, number of digits, types, etc. for each form, file, etc. used in the target business.

FIG. 4 shows an example in which the layout specification information of the file "Payment Details" shown in FIG. 3 is expressed in a worksheet format. Similarly, Figure 5 shows an example of the layout specification information of the file "Payroll Ledger" shown in Figure 3 expressed in worksheet format.
As shown in the figure. Also, the file “Transfer Payment” shown in Figure 3
FIG. 6 shows an example of layout specification information expressed in worksheet format.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, it is shown that the file "Payment Details" includes data items of payment details 9 employee code, employee name 9 department code, department name, and subtracted payment amount. The level information indicates that the items in the pay details include other items: employee code, employee name 9 department code, department name, and subtracted payment amount. In addition, the type of the item "Employee code" is a number (not used in calculations), the number of one digit is 7 digits, the type of the item "Employee name" is 14 digits of Kanji, and the type of the item "Deductible payment amount" is a number ( (used in calculations), etc. are shown.

Layout specifications for the file "Salary ledger" in Figure 5.

The layout specifications of the file "Transfer Payment" in FIG. 6 are also similar.

The generation formula specification storage unit 4 contains files to be output/updated.
For each form, information on how to calculate the values of data items included in the file/form is accumulated. If there are multiple methods of calculating a value, it is possible to define and store multiple generation formula specifications for one file/form.

Figures 7 and 8 show examples of the generation formula specification information for the output file "Bank transfer payment" shown in Figure 3, expressed in worksheet format.
The example shown in the figure is a case where there are two methods of calculating the value of each data item in one output file.

Figure 7 shows the calculation method for data output in the case of ``fixed amount payment'' for the output file ``transfer payment.'' The level number and data item name are the same as the layout specification information shown in Figure 5. are the same. The generation formula shows how to calculate the value of each output data item.

For example, one item "employee code" is stored in the file [Payment statement j
It is shown that the value can be obtained from the data item "employee code" in Also, the item "Bank code" is changed to the file "Bank code".
It is shown that the value is calculated from the data item ``Fixed Payment Bank Code'' in the ``Salary Ledger.'' Similarly, it is shown that the item "transfer amount" is obtained from the value of the "fixed payment amount" item in the file "payment details".

Figure 8 shows the calculation method for output data when performing ``difference payment'' for the output file ``transfer payment.'' A generation formula called -part is written for the same data item as in Figure 7. ing. For example, the item "Bank code" is shown to be obtained from the value of the item "Employee code" in the file "Salary ledger", and the item "Transfer amount" is obtained from the value of the item "R deduction payment amount in the pay statement j". It is shown that the value is obtained by subtracting the value of the item "Fixed payment amount" in the file "Salary ledger" from the value, which is different from the generation formula definition information in the case of "Fixed amount payment" in Figure 7. .

The decision table specification storage unit 5 stores information indicating the calculation order and input/output order of items in files and forms in correspondence with business operations or files and forms.

FIG. 9 shows an example of information representing the order of calculation of items in files and forms and the order of input/output for the task "Create transfer payment file" shown in FIG. 3: decision table specification information expressed in a worksheet format. In FIG. 9, "preparation process" is a process that must be performed first, and in this example, "preparation process" is a process that must be performed first.
Payment details.”

Open the "Payroll ledger" and "Transfer payment" files (
OPEN). C in the C/A column
The lines where (condition) is shown indicate each condition for performing conditional judgment in decision processing, and the lines where A (action: action) is shown are those that are activated as a result of one condition judgment. In Figure 9, four conditions and five actions are shown.6 The first condition ``Enter payment statement'' is the file ``Payment statement''.
Enter the code from the menu and enter the code.

Alternatively, it is determined whether input could not be made because the end of the file was reached.

The second condition "Employee code: Pay details = Employee code: Salary ledger" is the "Employee code: Pay statement = Employee code: Salary ledger"
Matches the value of the ``employee code'' item in the ``pay details'' file record. Search the "salary ledger" file for a record with the item value "employee code" and determine whether it exists or not.

Third condition “Fixed amount payment method: Salary ledger = “’transfer””
determines whether the value of the "fixed amount payment method" item in the retrieved "salary ledger" file is "transfer". The same applies to the fourth condition.

The first action "Fixed amount payment: Transfer payment" indicates that editing (calculation) processing of data items in the file record is performed according to the generation formula definition information for the file "Bank transfer payment" shown in FIG.

The second action "output transfer payment" indicates that the code of the edited "transfer payment" file is to be output. This first. The second action is the first. It is activated when the second and third conditions are satisfied.

Third. The content of the fourth action is also the same as the first action. It is similar to the second action, and the first action. Second. It is activated when the fourth condition is satisfied.

As shown in the above explanation, the first. Second. 3rd, 4th
If all the conditions are met, two records of the r-transfer payment file are output in response to the code input of the payment details file. Also, 1st. The second condition is met,
Third. If the fourth condition does not hold, or if the first condition holds but the second condition does not hold, then
Records from the "Payment Transfer" file are not output in response to code input from the "Payment Details" file.

Further, in all cases where the first condition is satisfied, the fifth action [repeat] is executed, the condition is judged again, and the next record of the "payment details" file is input. If the first condition is not met, the process ends.

The termination process is a process that is always performed at the time of termination, and in this example, "Payment details" and "Salary ledger".

Each file of [Transfer Payment] is closed (CLO8E).

In this example, there is only one decision table specification, but there may be two or more. Not only business support, but also forms and
It may also be provided for files. In this case, call the generation expression specification shown in FIG. The association between decision table specifications is described using the same description as in the third action).

Furthermore, the generation expression can be called not only when calling the entire specification as in this example, but also when calling each item.

Steps 6.8 and 10.12 in Figure 1 are
．． 3. Generate a program based on the specification information accumulated in 4.5.

The program structure generation unit 6 in FIG. Each decision table specification information is searched to generate program structure information of the program to be generated and output to the program structure storage section 7.

The program structure information generated based on the decision chip specification information shown in Fig. 9 is used in the well-known PAD (Program Analysis Diagram: Problem
An example expressed in Figure 10 is shown in Figure 6. As shown in Figure 6, the first condition in Figure 9, "Payment Statement Manpower", is converted into a file input process and a process to determine whether the input is successful or unsuccessful. Ru. Further, the second condition "employee code: payment details = employee code: salary ledger" is also expanded to the "salary ledger" file input process and the input success/failure determination process.

The first action [fixed amount payment: transfer payment] and the third action [difference payment: transfer payment] are converted into processes that call the data editing process corresponding to the generation formula definitions in Figures 7 and 8, respectively. . Further, the fifth action "repeat" is converted into a repeat process and an on/off process of a flag that controls the repeat.

The other parts are self-explanatory, so their explanation will be omitted.

The data editing unit generating unit 8 in FIG. 1 corresponds to the output file/form name included in the input/output related specification information stored in the input/output related specification storage unit 2. Each piece of generation formula specification information in the generation formula specification storage section 4 is searched, and output data editing processing information for the corresponding output file/form is created from each of them, and is stored in the data editing section storage section 8.

Generated from the generation expression specification information illustrated in FIG.
Figure 11 shows the processing information for editing (calculating) each item value of the "Transfer Payment" file record in a well-known PAD diagram representation.As shown in Figure 6, the generation formula for each data item of the output file is Converted to a statement that assigns a value to a data item.

Similar information on file code editing processing is generated from the generation formula specification information illustrated in FIG.

The data definition section generation section 10 in FIG. Layout specification information is searched, and data definition information of the corresponding file/form is generated from this information and stored in the data definition storage section 11.

FIG. 11 shows an example in which the data definition information expanded from the layout specification information of the "transfer payment" file shown in FIG. 6 is expressed in the C0BOL language style. As shown in the figure, the attributes such as the number of digits in the 9th position of the name and the type of each file data item in the layout specification information are expanded into the statement i- of the data definition section of the COBOL.

Similar data definition information is generated from the layout specification information of the "pay details" file shown in FIG. 4 and the layout information of the "salary ledger" file shown in FIG.

The program combination unit 12 in FIG. 1 is (1) stored in the program structure storage unit 7. Each program structure information, (2
) Each data editing section information stored in the data editing section storage section 9 and (3) each data definition section information stored in the data definition section storage section 11 are combined to generate a program. A procedure section of the program is generated from each program structure information and each data editing section information, and a data definition section of the program is generated from the data definition section information.

FIG. 13 is a processing flowchart of the automatic program generation system in one embodiment of the present invention.

A user inputs file/form names, input/output types, layout specification information, generation formula specification information, input/output and data editing processing execution order information (
When inputting the decision table specification (101),
First, the program structure generation unit 6 generates program structure information from the decision table specification information of the target business: input/output and data editing execution order information (102).

Next, it is determined whether step 102 has been performed for all decision table specification information of the target business (103), and if there is decision table specification information that has not been processed yet, step 102 is repeated. On the other hand, if step 102 is executed,
The data editing unit generation unit 8 generates data editing unit information in the program from the generation formula specification information of the target business (104
).

Next, for all generation formula specification information of the target business, 10
It is determined whether step 4 has been performed (105), and if there is generation formula specification information that has not been processed yet, step 104 is repeated.

When the step 104 is executed for all generation formula specification information, the data definition section generation section 10 generates data definition section information in the program from the layout specification information (106), and then 10 to determine whether step 106 has been performed for the layout specification information of
7) If there is any layout specification information that has not been processed yet, repeat step 106.

Once the step 107 has been executed for all layout specification information, the program combining unit 12 combines the generated program structure information, data editing unit information, and data definition unit information to create one program. Generate (10
8).

The above embodiment is an example of generating a program for a job that outputs a file, but also for a job that outputs a form, total calculations and page break instructions can be generated using decision software.
A program can be generated by adding it to table specification information. It is also possible to perform one total calculation by writing the total calculation and page break timing separately from the decision specification information, and to generate a program structure from the description of the page break timing and the decision table specification information.

Programs can also be generated in a similar manner for interactive tasks that use terminal screens and keyboards.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to automatically generate a target business processing program from specification information that mainly describes the input/output of files, forms, etc. that are the targets of the business process. Since information on input/output and calculation execution order can be freely specified in the specification information, it is possible to provide a program generation method that combines ease of specification description with the ability to describe a wide range of tasks. .

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a functional configuration diagram of an automatic program generation system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of an automatic program generation system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. An explanatory diagram of the input/output related specification information of the transfer payment file creation work in the embodiment, FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the layout specification information of the payment details file in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the layout specification information of the payment statement file in an embodiment of the present invention 6 is an explanatory diagram of the layout specification information of the transfer payment file in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a side view of the layout specification information of the payroll ledger file in an embodiment of the present invention FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of generation specification information in the case of "amount payment", and FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of generation formula specification information in the case of "difference payment" in the transfer payment file in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the decision table specification information for the transfer payment file creation task in one embodiment of the present invention;
The figure shows program structure information in one embodiment of the present invention.
AD diagram, FIG. 11 is a PAD diagram of data editing section information in an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 12 is a PAD diagram of data definition section information in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is an embodiment of the present invention. It is a processing flowchart of the program automatic generation system in an example. 1... Specification input section, 2... Personnel flow related specification accumulation section,
3... Layout specification storage unit, 4... Generation formula specification storage unit, 5... Decision table specification storage unit, 6...
- Program structure generation section, 7... Program structure accumulation section, 8... Data editing section generation section, 9... Data editing section accumulation section, 10... Data definition section generation section, 11...
Data definition section storage section, 12...program connection section, 1
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N (10')o2 i store code ta(
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Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. For each input/output data such as files and forms that are input and output for batch processing operations, (1) data layout specification information that defines the attributes such as the number of digits and type of each data item included in the file or form; , (2) means for inputting specification information such as calculation formula specification information for obtaining the values of each data included in the output file/form, and generating a corresponding batch processing business program from the input specification information. The information processing system has a step of inputting execution order information such as data input/output order of files and forms, calculation order, etc. to the specification information input means, and inputs execution order information such as the order of data input/output of files and forms, etc. An automatic program generation method comprising the step of generating program structure information of a program to be generated from information.