Computer Sciences Commons^™

The Development Of A Graphical Notation For The Formal Specification Of Software, Gene A. Place

Theses and Dissertations

The program tranformations lifecycle model, proposed by Balzer in 1984, may hold the key to dramatic leap in software engineer productivity necessitated by the tremendous growth in the world's demand for software. This leap in productivity is made possible by the program transformation lifecycle's reliance on formal specifications rather than programs as the primary vehicle for the creation and maintenance of software systems. Because formal specifications are concerned only with system behaviors and not implementation details, formal specifications tend to present critical system characteristics much more concisely than programs. The major disadvantage of using formal specifications in a software development …

Mapping An Object-Oriented Requirements Analysis To A Design Architecture That Supports Design And Component Reuse, Kelly L. Spicer

Theses and Dissertations

Design reuse has more potential for increasing the productivity of software development and maintenance than do traditional approaches to software reuse that emphasize reuse of smaller components. Current software development methods do not promote design reuse. The literature contains limited documented research on the subject, but enough that some design reuse principles can be gleaned. Among these principles are that reusable designs should be applicable within some domain of application, have a consistent structure, provide a method for instantiating the design, avoid object nesting, and promote reuse of smaller components as well. A design mapping method from an object-oriented requirements …

A Hypermedia Implementation For Reusable Software Component Representation, Gary G. Worrall

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated software component representation methods. Hypermedia was chosen as the implementation method to represent a collection of reusable software components. The hypermedia implementation organizes knowledge about the component collection into a web of small information chunks called frames. The set of software components was represented using a hybrid classification scheme composed of enumerated and faceted parts. The enumerated part enables the user to progress along a path in a taxonomic tree, narrowing the scope of eligible components. Each leaf node in this tree denotes a class of components, members of which are distinguished by their time and space …

A Software Design Tool For Predictable Performance In Real-Time, Data Flow Architectures, Brij Mohan V. Mandala

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A software design tool which aids in the performance evaluation and selection of operating points for an algorithm implemented in ATAMM defined data flow architectures is presented in this thesis. ATAMM (Algorithm To Architecture Mapping Model) is a new graph theoretic model developed by researchers at Old Dominion University and the NASA-Langley Research Center. ATAMM is capable of modeling the execution of large-grained algorithms on distributed data flow architectures. A software tool is required for predicting the performance, determining the resource requirements and for selecting suitable operating points for an ATAMM based system. The ATAMM Design Tool presented in this …

An Abstract Data Model For The Idef0 Graphical Analysis Language, Gerald R. Morris, Thomas C. Hartrum, Mark A. Roth

AFIT Documents

IDEF₀ is the United States Air Force's ICAM (Integrated Computer Aided Manufacturing) Definition Method Zero graphical analysis language, a subset of Ross' Structured Analysis (SA) language. The language is also an excellent methodology for performing a requirements-phase analysis for any software development project. We present an abstract data model for IDEF₀ using entity-relationship diagrams. This model helps to mitigate some of the ambiguities inherent in IDEF₀. The model is divided into two parts representing the analysis data (the essential data model) and the graphical data (the drawing data model). This dual modeling approach allows for the …

Benchmarking Parallel Machines Via A Software Architecture, Srikanth Kambhatla, Jon Inouye, Jonathan Walpole

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The diversity in parallel architectures and the programming styles induced thereof, make benchmarking of parallel machines a hard problem. Current benchmarking techniques are limited in applicability due to the issues of portability. We present a different approach to benchmarking parallel machines, which would make the resulting benchmarks portable, easy to use and widely applicable. The approach involves the use of a software architecture to mask the diversities of the underlying architectures. The benchmarks are based on the Linda Tuple Space, and is called BeLinda. In this report, we motivate the use of a software architecture, give a specification of the …

The Development Of An Expert System For The Diagnosis Of Diseases In Fibre And Dairy Goats, Tim S. Roberts

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis details the development of an expert system for the diagnosis of diseases in fibre and dairy goats. Divided into five sections, five appendices, and a bibliography, this thesis centres on the methods used to build the expert system: the decisions taken at the outset of, and during the course of, development; some of the problems encountered, and the solutions to those problems. A detailed appraisal is made of the development process and suggestions are made for future developments over similar domains (for example, the diagnosis of diseases in animals other than goats). Much emphasis is placed on three …

Grades - A Computer Based Score Management System For The Iigs, Charles Patrick Wahle

All Graduate Projects

This project involved the creation of an electronic gradebook designed to realistically meet the needs of classroom teachers. The computer source code was written in Pascal, a compiled language that allowed fast execution of any part of the program. The electronic gradebook called GradeS uses the graphic Desktop Intert'ace. It tracks up to 42 students per class, allowing up to 50 assignments per grading period. An unlimited number of classes can be stored on data disks. It produces four different types of whole class and individual student reports both on the screen and the printer. The project includes a report …

Educational Software Development Using Hypertext And Expert System Software Concepts, Siripong Malasri, Roger R. Easson

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

This paper presents two computer software concepts: hypertext and expert systems; which are useful for educational software development. Good educational software enhances the learning process and offers opportunities for faculty to provide additional materials for independent studies, which would otherwise be impossible, due to the limited time and incredible growing rate of technological progress. The hypertext concept offers the students a non-linear learning style, while the expert system concept provides explanation facilities for students to probe the logic of the systems. Both approaches are extremely useful for educational software. With the proper tools, the courseware can be implemented easily and …

Efficient Schemes To Evaluate Transaction Performance In Distributed Database Systems, R. Mukkamala, S. C. Bruell

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Database designers and researchers often need efficient schemes to evaluate transaction performance. In this paper, we chose two important performance measures: the average number of nodes accessed and the average number of data items accessed per node by a transaction in a distributed database system. We derive analytical expressions to evaluate these metrics. For general applicability, we consider partially replicated distributed database systems. Our first set of analytic results are closed-form expressions for these two measures. These are based on some fairly restrictive simplifying assumptions. When these assumptions are relaxed, no closed-form expressions exist for these averages. Hence, we develop …

Pipelining Data Compression Algorithms, R. L. Bailey, R. Mukkamala

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Many different data compression techniques currently exist. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Combining (pipelining) multiple data compression techniques could achieve better compression rates than is possible with either technique individually. This paper proposes a pipelining technique and investigates the characteristics of two example pipelining algorithms. Their performance is compared with other well-known compression techniques.

Flower : Predicting Flowering Times Of Cereal Crops, G A B Elliott, Stephen Loss

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

FLOWER is a computer program which predicts the flowering date of a given wheat or barley variety at a specified location and sowing date. Department of Agriculture agronomists, breeders and advisers are using the program to provide useful information on how the development of cereals responds to different environments across Western Australia's cereal growing areas.

Automatically Generating Functional Tests From Specifications - A Knowledge Based Constraint Logical Programming Approach, Ji Chen

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Recent experimental results indicate that functional testing is one of the most effective methods in detecting certain classes of faults. Very little work has been done in automating functional testing. This thesis research develops a method, called hierarchical partition, for automating functional testing. The key to our approach is the utilization of a pre-existing knowledge base about the domain of discourse. Several approaches to knowledge organiza­tion are discussed along with the resulting effects on the quantity and quality of functional tests produced. This research is an application and development of Generic Constraint Logic Programming and the Knowledge Driven …

Ua8 Wku Administrative Software Project, Wku Information Technology

WKU Administration Documents

Outline of project to upgrade software in WKU's administrative offices and brief overview of Information Technology history.

Quick Ceph™, A Computer Program For Cephalometric Analysis And Treatment Planning, Günther Blaseio

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The quantification of cephalometric radiographs is an integral part of orthodontic treatment planning. Numerous computer programs have been designed to digitize headfilms and to provide accurate graphic output and exact measurements. Yet these early systems were either huge, bulky and expensive or were limited in their practical use. The aim of this development was to combine modern computer and electronic equipment with advanced software engineering. The result is a universal cephalometric program written in the computer language "C" with presently seven standard and virtually limitless user definable analyses, growth forecasting, mouse-driven interactive VTO, arch length calculation, superimpositions, table of values …

Generic Specifications In Lil And In Ada Via Analogies, George Chester Harrison

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

We address the problem of .making verifiable specifications in generic program units in the Ada Programming Language*. We illustrate the methodologies of LIL proposed by Joseph Goguen and Justify the use of such a specification languages using analogy programming originally proposed by Nachum Dershowitz. The work in these areas is new and noticeably incomplete. We address our concern about the reusability of Ada software in a programming environment that includes a specification language like LIL. * Ada is a registered trademark of the U.S. Government (Ada Joint Program Office)

Design Of Multivariable Feedback Control Systems Via Spectral Assignment, Mohsen Marefat

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

During the past 15 year s significant advances have been made towards developing viable synthesis- techniques for multivariable feedback control systems. The entire aggregate of this theoretical work has been reviewed and consolidated. Diverse notations have been standardized into a single system. A two-step design philosophy for spectral assignment has been developed which first meets stability and time response requirements by assigning eigenvalues and eigenvector s and then provides for attainment of secondary objectives without significant deviation from the initial assignment. Finally, a computer-aided design package has been created to streamline the process of mathematical calculation and to allow users …

Color Display Of Vowel Spectra As A Training Aid For The Deaf, Amir Jalali Jagharghi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this research was to develop a transformation for mapping speech parameters to color parameter. This transformation is done in real-time, and the resulting color parameter are continuously displayed on a color monitor. This visual speech display is to be used as a speech articulation training aid for the deaf. The conversion of speech acoustic signals into speech parameter was accomplished using special -purpose electronics. The real-time conversion of speech parameter to display parameter was controlled by an 8086/8088 microprocessor operating in an S-100 bus structure. The coefficients of the Karhunen-Loeve series expansion of speech power spectra were …

Six Copyright Theories For The Protection Of Computer Object Programs, I. Trotter Hardy

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Computer Systems In Community Hospital Food Service, Beverly Kittle

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Cost containment has always been a major concern to managers. Therefore, any system which decreases costs by reducing labor time is given serious evaluation.

A five week comparison was made between financial record keeping by the manual method and by the computerized method. A continuous time study was utilized to make this comparison.

Over the five weeks, an average overall time savings of 245 minutes for the computerized versus the manual method was observed. The net savings to the institution was 223 minutes per week which translates to approximately $140.00 per month over a 5 year period.

The rapid payback …

A Computer Based Information System For The Study Of Multi-Component Populations In South Carolina, Louise Ramsey Andres

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

The information system accepts data on multi-component populations in South Carolina, and produces distribution maps, histograms, tables and other summary displays. The initial application illustrated is to the population of insects in the family Tabanid in South Carolina. The system is a series of FORTRAN programs written for an IBM System 360 Model 40 under DOS.

The Construction Of Two Prototype Multi-Storey Air-Supported Buildings, Jens G. Pohl, James Montero

Collaborative Agent Design (CAD) Research Center

To treat a multi-storey building as a large, inflatable container forces the architect to consider design and construction criteria foreign to the building industry at large. While satisfactory progress has been made in the development of theoretical solutions for problems dealing with the structural and planning implications of a hyperbaric building environment, the time has come to consider practical issues.

This paper discusses the design, construction and operation of two prototype, multi-storey, air-supported buildings. The first building was completed in November, 1972 at the School of Building, University of New South Wales, Australia, and the second building was completed in …

Moment-Curvature-Thrust Relationships In Hybrid Members, Douglas Wrenn Fiala

Dissertations and Theses

In order to overcome the difficulties encountered in closed form solutions, moment-curvature-thrust relationships are developed for hybrid and nonhybrid cross sections utilizing an open form method. The use of horizontal sectors permits the inclusion of residual stresses and/or nonbilinear stress-strain relationships, if desired. Theoretical and experimental data are compared. Applications to circular tubes and other cross sections are discussed. Results indicate that open form solutions are feasible for calculating moment-curvature-thrust data. Hybrid cross sections are easily treated by open form solutions.

Software Simulation Of The D17b Computer, Bruce Chatterton

Theses and Dissertations

A software program has been written which simulates the functions of the Minuteman D17B computer at the register transfer level. The simulation program is written in the FORTRAN Extended language to be used on the Intercom System (teletype) of a CDC 6600 computer system. The simulation program consists of a main program and eight subroutines. A programming language for the D17B simulation was formed which contains numbers and load codes, switches, and miscellaneous commands. Example programs run on the simulated computer have been included to show the types of output available.