A software engineering experiment in software component generation

TLDR

The study compares a new program‑generator technology derived from domain‑specific specification languages with a reusable Ada‑template approach for building message translation and validation modules in military C3I systems. Four subjects performed trials of both technologies on Air Force C3I message specifications, with the experiment conducted by personnel supplied and supervised by an independent contractor. Using the program generator yielded higher productivity and fewer errors than the Ada‑template approach, with the performance difference statistically significant at over 99 % confidence.

Abstract

The paper presents results of a software engineering experiment in which a new technology for constructing program generators from domain-specific specification languages has been compared with a reuse technology that employs sets of reusable Ada program templates. Both technologies were applied to a common problem domain, constructing message translation and validation modules for military command, control, communications and information systems (C/sup 3/I). The experiment employed four subjects to conduct trials of use of the two technologies on a common set of test examples. The experiment was conducted with personnel supplied and supervised by an independent contractor. Test cases consisted of message specifications taken from Air Force C/sup 3/I systems. The main results are that greater productivity was achieved and fewer error were introduced when subjects used the program generator than when they used Ada templates to implement software modules from sets of specifications. The differences in the average performance of the subjects are statistically significant at confidence levels exceeding 99 percent.