Method for abstracting/detailing structuring elements of system specification information

The specification abstracting-detailing system stores system specification information in a hierarchical structure. A hierarchy operation selects an object to be detailed or abstracted from the specification information, for updating hierarchical information of a hierarchy between specification information of the hierarchy in such a state that a logical relation of the specification information contained in the hierarchy of the object selected, and for creating or deleting a new hierarchy. This allows the abstracting and detailing to be performed in the course of a natural thinking process by a designer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a specification abstracting-detailing 
system for use in a specification creation business of a system 
represented by a hierarchical structure and a logical relation in a 
hierarchy of the hierarchical structure. 
2. Description of the Related Art 
Generally, a specification of a complex system is described by representing 
a logical relation of system structuring elements in a hierarchical 
fashion. For example, in analyzing a flow of data of client business on 
the basis of a data flow diagram and a business hierarchical diagram or in 
describing processes of a large-scaled program, a process design may be 
performed on the basis of a flowchart or a PAD diagram and a module 
hierarchical diagram. 
A system for supporting the detailing of a program is disclosed, for 
example, in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication (kokai) No. 1-306,922, 
which involves supporting work for detailing a program in a hierarchical 
manner by providing an edit means for editing a graphic sign in a program 
structure diagram and detailing information corresponding to the graphic 
sign. This system can display a region for describing the detailing 
information for the graphic sign upon a request from a user and allow 
necessary information to be written in the region. 
This system is arranged to detail the program in a hierarchical manner in 
the top-down order from an upper level to a lower level in designing a 
logic of the program. 
Further, for example, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication (kokai) No. 
1-116,729 discloses a system for managing a multi-dimensional hierarchical 
structure among modules as a space model. This system can provide an 
editor capable of displaying and editing in a three-dimensional manner, a 
class hierarchy to be employed for detailing modules for each version, 
concealing information and orienting an object. This system relates the 
information on the information concealment or on the class hierarchy with 
a module detailed hierarchically in the top-down order from the upper 
level to the lower level in designing the logic of the program. 
On the other hand, the fact in actual designing work is that information is 
not detailed reasonably and systematically in a top-down fashion from the 
uppermost hierarchy to the lowest hierarchy. For example, a structured 
analysis technique (T. DeMarco: Structured Analysis And System 
Specification, 1978, pp. 257-271, 1978, Prentice-Hall; translated by 
Takanashi And Kuroda, Nikkei-McGraw Hill, 1986, pp. 244-257) involves the 
procedures defining one hierarchy by enclosing a change region with a free 
curved line and dividing its detail in creating a future logical model at 
the time of completion of a new system from a current logical model 
describing current business. Further, in reviewing a boundary between 
manual work and automated work in the new system, the structured analysis 
technique likewise sets a boundary of automated work by using a free 
curved line in reviewing alternatives on the basis of cost analysis. 
These methods indicate one example in which work for designing an actual 
system analysis is not conducted in the order from an upper level to a 
lower level. Further, no system capable of supporting such work 
mechanically is developed yet. 
The procedure of work to be conducted by a designer in reviewing the 
specification of a system is arranged in such a manner that information on 
the specification of a middle-level hierarchy or of a lower-level 
hierarchy is first described as a memorandum so as to grasp a specific 
image for the specification of the system because an upper-level hierarchy 
is of an abstract type. In this case, the procedure further involves 
abstracting structuring elements of a hierarchy for creating a new 
hierarchy by grouping part of the specification information and detailing 
for replacement of an abstract hierarchy with a more specific description 
and, if needed, for example, by adding, deleting or correcting the 
structuring elements. 
Repetition of trials and errors results in representation of a complex 
system in a top-down hierarchical structure and the course of creating the 
hierarchical structure is not executed whatsoever in a top-down fashion. 
Hence, the conventional techniques allows the specification to be used for 
the first time when the specification can be represented in a top-down 
fashion, and the specification cannot be used until it is represented in a 
definite way. Hence, the designer repeats trials and errors by writing 
various ideas on sheets of paper with a pencil or the like until then. 
Further, the conventional techniques suffer from the disadvantage that 
progress and a quality of designing work depend heavily on an individual 
designer and they cannot be assessed systematically. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the present invention is to provide a specification 
abstracting-detailing system so adapted as to abstract and detail a 
specification in a course of natural thinking by a designer. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a specification 
abstracting-detailing system that allows progress of designing work and a 
quality of work to be assessed in a systematic way. 
In order to achieve the objects as described hereinabove, the present 
invention consists of a specification abstracting-detailing system for 
abstracting or detailing information of a specification, comprising: 
a storage means for storing information of a system specification 
information in a hierarchical structure; and 
a hierarchy operating means for selecting an object to be detailed or 
abstracted from the specification information stored in the storage means, 
for updating hierarchical information between specification information of 
the hierarchy in such a state that a logical relation of the specification 
information contained in the hierarchy of the object selected, and for 
creating or deleting a new hierarchy. 
Further, the specification abstracting-detailing system according to the 
present invention is so adapted as to record an operation history at every 
operation of the hierarchical structure between the specification 
information. 
The arrangement of the means as described hereinabove allows the designer 
to abstract or detail the specification in the course of natural thinking 
because, when the object to be detailed or abstracted is selected from the 
system specification information in the hierarchical structure, the 
hierarchical information between the specification information of the 
hierarchy is updated in the state in which the logical relation of the 
specification information contained in the hierarchy of the selected 
object is retained and the new hierarchy is created or deleted. 
By recording the operation history at every operation of the hierarchical 
structure between the specification information, the progress and the 
quality of the designing work can be assessed systematically. 
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become 
apparent in the course of the description of the preferred embodiments, 
which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The present invention will be described more in detail by way of examples 
with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the data processing system to which the 
specification abstracting-detailing system according to the present 
invention is applied. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an input 
device, reference numeral 2 denotes a data processor, reference numeral 3 
denotes a data storage, and reference numeral 4 denotes a display device. 
The data processor 2 comprises an input data processing section 21, a 
logical data operating section 22, a display data generating section 23, 
and a logical data storing section 24. 
FIG. 2 shows the flow chart showing a procedure of processing with the data 
processor 2. 
In FIG. 2, data is entered from the input device 1 at step 201, followed by 
proceeding to step 202 at which the input data is divided into character 
sequences, objects to be selected, and commands. Then, at step 203, it is 
decided to determine if the command exists which requires to detail or 
abstract the specification. When it is decided at step 203 that the 
command for abstracting exists, on the one hand, then the program flow 
goes to step 204 at which a new hierarchy is created for the selected 
plural objects. When it is decided at step 203 that the command for 
detailing exists, on the other hand, the program flow goes to step 205 at 
which the selected object is merged with its lower level hierarchy and 
then proceeding to step 206 at which the operated logical data is 
converted into the display data. Then, at step 207, the display data is 
outputted into the display device 4, followed by proceeding to step 208 at 
which it is decided to determine if the operation ends. While the 
operation does not end, the program flow returns to step 201. When the 
operation ends, the processing is finished. 
FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) are each a data flow diagram and a hierarchical diagram 
showing an example of an operation for abstracting and detailing. In 
addition to the data flow diagram, there may be used for this purpose any 
diagram capable of having a hierarchical structure, such as a flow chart, 
a PAD diagram, an ER diagram, a business flow, and so on, and there is no 
limitation of techniques for describing the specification. Further, the 
type of representing the structuring element in the technique is not 
restricted to a particular one such as a graphic image, text, icon or the 
like. 
The operation for abstracting is implemented in a way as will be described 
hereinafter. In a state 300 before abstracting, structuring elements 
(flows g, h, i and j, processes X and Y as well as a data store s) 
existing in a scope enclosed with broken line, as indicated by reference 
numeral 303, are selected, as an object to be abstracted, from a hierarchy 
C-structuring diagram 302 (a data flow diagram in this embodiment) for 
structuring the hierarchy C contained in a hierarchical diagram 301. The 
selected structuring elements are then processed with the data processor 2 
and a new hierarchy D is inserted into a level subordinate to the 
hierarchy C in the resulting abstracted state 310 and the-hierarchy D is 
contained in the hierarchy C-structuring diagram 312, and the structuring 
elements selected as the abstracting object 303 are transferred to a 
hierarchy D-structuring diagram 313. The names of new hierarchies can be 
provided arbitrarily by the user or automatically with the data processor 
2. 
On the other hand, the operation for detailing is implemented in the way 
opposite to the operation for abstracting in the manner as described 
hereinabove. 
More specifically, when the hierarchy D is selected as a detailing object 
from the hierarchy C-structuring diagram 312, the hierarchy D is deleted 
from the hierarchy C-structuring diagram 312, and the hierarchy D selected 
from the hierarchy C-structuring diagram 312 is replaced in order to 
achieve the logical relationship as described in the hierarchy 
D-structuring diagram 312. 
The operation history is recorded in the data storage 3 and the progress 
and the quality of the designing work is assessed in a quantitative way by 
analyzing the frequency and the locality of edit work, the standard 
deviation of the number of the structuring elements in the hierarchies, 
the ratio of the abstracting work to the detailing work, the number of 
violation of designing rules, and so on. 
FIG. 4 illustrates the status in which the abstracted state 310 is stored 
in the logical data storing section 24. A hierarchy management table 400 
stores a group of child hierarchies 402 for a parent hierarchy 401, and a 
structuring information management table 410 corresponds the structuring 
information to the parent hierarchy 401 having the structuring information 
in the hierarchy of the hierarchy management table 400 on the basis of a 
relation name 411 and the structuring information 412. More specifically, 
the parent hierarchy C (403c) corresponds to a structuring information 
management table 410c and the parent hierarchy D (403d) corresponds to a 
structuring information management table 410d. 
FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) show another embodiment of the system configuration 
comprising, respectively, an example in which the input device 1 is 
comprised of a keyboard 501 and a pointer 502 and an example in which 
input is entered with a writing tool 504 into the input display device 503 
having the input device 1 and the display device 4 integrated with each 
other. 
The pointer 502 is disposed separately from the keyboard 501 and it may 
include, for example, a mouse, a joystick, a trackball or any other 
pointing device capable of selecting and giving an instruction to the data 
processor 2. 
The writing tool 504 is one capable of detecting and displaying its locus 
on the input display device 503 and it may include, for example, an 
electronic pen, a pencil, a finger and any other writing tool. 
The writing tool 504 allows all operations to be realized with only one 
writing tool, in combination with an edit operation by drawing a picture 
or by taking advantage of a gesture ("A New Face For A User Interface: A 
Figure of Two Big OS's for Pen Input; Nikkei Byte, 1991 April, pp. 
233-239), in addition of the selection of the object. 
FIG. 6 shows an example of selecting the object by enclosing the 
structuring element with a free curved line 601 written with the pointer 
502 or the writing tool 504. 
FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b) show an example of implementing an operation for 
merging hierarchical diagrams as a variation of the detailing work. 
In FIG. 7(a), a hierarchical diagram 700 before merging contains a 
hierarchical diagram 701 from which a hierarchy A and a hierarchy B are 
selected as a merging object 702 by enclosing the hierarchies A and B with 
line written by the pointer 502 or the writing tool 504. The selected 
hierarchies A and B are grouped into a new hierarchy A1 that in turn is 
created in a hierarchical diagram 711 of a hierarchical diagram 710 after 
merging, in place of the hierarchies A and B. 
This process allows the new hierarchy A1 to exist in the uppermost 
structuring diagram 712 and its detailing information is described in a 
hierarchy A1-structuring diagram 713. The hierarchies A and B are caused 
to disappear from the merged hierarchical diagram 711. It should be noted 
herein that the hierarchy A is not always the uppermost hierarchy in this 
hierarchical diagram. 
FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) show an example of dividing the structuring diagram as 
a variation after the abstracting operation. In a structuring diagram 800 
before dividing, a structuring diagram 803 for the uppermost hierarchy A 
in the uppermost hierarchical diagram 802 is divided with a line 804 into 
two hierarchies A1 and A2. This dividing operation allows the hierarchies 
A1 and A2 to be created in the level subordinate to the hierarchy A in the 
hierarchical diagram 811 of a structuring diagram 810 after dividing, 
thereby allowing the hierarchies A1 and A2 to exist in the hierarchy 
A-structuring diagram 813, and the detailing information of each of the 
hierarchies A1 and A2 is described in newly added hierarchy Al-structuring 
diagram 814 and a hierarchy A2-structuring diagram 815, respectively. 
It can be noted herein that the hierarchy A is not always the uppermost 
hierarchy in this hierarchical diagram and that the hierarchy 
A-structuring diagram 803 may be divided into three or more as well as 
into two. 
In the embodiments as described hereinabove, once the object to be detailed 
or abstracted is selected for the system specification information of a 
hierarchical structure, the specification abstracting-detailing system 
according to the present invention can update the hierarchical information 
between the specification information of the hierarchy in such a state 
that the logical relation of the specification information contained in 
the hierarchy of the selected object is retained and create or delete a 
new hierarchy. Hence, the designer can abstract the specification in the 
course of natural thinking. 
Further, the specification information can be corrected or modified by 
recording the operation history of operating the hierarchical structure 
between the specification information, so that the progress and the 
quality of the designing work can be evaluated in a systematical way. 
In addition, the specification abstracting-detailing system according to 
the present invention can support edit work for editing the specification 
information by adding, deleting or updating necessary information, as 
needed, as well as by abstracting and detailing; hence, the specification 
abstracting-detailing system can make a support in a broad range from the 
time when the specification is not yet made definite to the time when the 
specification is made definite. 
Furthermore, as the system according to the present invention can use the 
free curved line for selecting the object to be abstracted or detailed, 
the object can be selected with high flexibility. 
The specification abstracting-detailing system according to the present 
invention can allow all operations for entering the specification, editing 
the specification, selecting the object and implementing other activities 
to be conducted only with the writing pen such as the electronic pen. 
Hence, the specification abstracting-detailing system can make a support 
with high simplicity in a broad range from the time when the specification 
is not yet made definite to the time when the specification is made 
definite, as if the user is writing a memorandum on paper with a pencil. 
As described hereinabove, the specification abstracting-detailing system 
according to the present invention can support specification 
abstracting-detailing work in the course of natural thinking by the 
designer in describing the specification of a complex system because the 
specification abstracting-detailing system comprises the storage means for 
storing information of the system specification information in the 
hierarchical structure; and the hierarchy operation means for selecting 
the object to be detailed or abstracted from the specification information 
stored in the storage means, for updating hierarchical information of the 
hierarchy between specification information of the hierarchy in such a 
state that the logical relation of the specification information contained 
in the object selected, and for creating or deleting the new hierarchy. 
Further, the specification abstracting-detailing system according to the 
present invention can record the operation history for each operation of 
the hierarchical structure between the specification information.