USTOPIA Requirements -- Thoughts on a User-friendly System for Transformation Of Programs In Abstracto

Abstract

E.A. Boiten , http://adam.fwi.uva.nl/~markvdb/ , http://www.sci.kun.nl/cgi-bin-thalia/smoelfind?medewerkers/niekd.html , http://www.sci.kun.nl/cgi-bin-thalia/smoelfind?medewerkers/kees.html , http://www.informatik.uni-ulm.de/pm/mitarbeiter/helmuth.html & http://www.fernuni-hagen.de/DVT/Mitarbeiter/voelker.html : USTOPIA Requirements - Thoughts on a User-friendly System for Transformation Of Programs In Abstracto Transformational programming is a program development method which is usually applied using ''pen and paper''. Since this requires a lot of clerical work (copying expressions, consistent substitution) which is tiresome and prone to error, some form of machine support is desirable. We describe a number of systems that have already been built to this aim. Some of their shortcomings and limitations are identified. Based on our experience with program transformation and transformation systems, we present a long list of features that would be useful in an ''utopian'' transformation system. This list is presented using an orthogonal division of the problem area. A number of problems with the realisation of some aspects of our ''utopian'' system is identified, and some areas for further research are indicated. Technical Report 90-12, Dept. of Informatics, University of Nijmegen, 1990. Also: Periodica Polytechnica Ser. El. Eng., 35(2):101-123, 1992. Copies available on request by mailto:[email protected]