Present and Future of Software Transformation Tools

1
Present and Future ofSoftware Transformation
Tools

• Dr. Carlos Araya
• CEO ArtinSoft
• Feb, 2003

2
About ArtinSoft

• Founded in 1993
• HQ in San José, CR operations in US, MX, EU
• RD in automatic source code transformation
• 150 employees
• Customers include Microsoft, Borland,
  ICL-Fujitsu, Intel, ATT
• Strategic investors include Intel and Microsoft

3
PresentationContents

• General transformation process
• Current transformation processes
• Next generation of transformation tools
• What is needed to get there...
• Study case ArtinSofts technologies

4
Source codetransformation
Meaning
Semantic level
Compilation
Understating
Abstractrepresentation
Abstract targetsource code
Abstract syntax
Term by Term transformation
Target sourcecode
Source code
Concrete syntax
5
Some semantics formalisms

• Denotational
• Value based (what expressions denote) explained
  in functional calculus
• Operational
• Evaluation based
• Explains execution
• Axiomatic semantic
• Axiomatic semantics
• Introduced by Tony Hoare and others
• Defining programming language semantics
  independently of syntax and any particular
  implementation of language
• General linguistic representations
• Similar to XML
• Other formalisms separate from human
  understanding
• Used by ArtinSoft

6
Current transformation tools/services

• Based on term-by-term transformation
• With manual adjustments(Services)
• Mostly for Migrations

• Un-maintainable result code
• High risk of human error
• Increased testing cost

7
Next generation of transformation tools

• Semantics representation formalisms and standards
• Linguistic reasoning transformation technology
• Transparent manipulation
• Independence of concrete languages
• Automatic programming

• Automatic programming assistance
• Total human maintainable code
• Risk free and low cost software maintainable
  processes
• Software knowledge as assets
• Independence of market shifts

8
What is needed

• Semantic representation languages
• Automatic deduction and reasoning
• Equivalence preserving re-writing tools
• Strong search and matching capabilities
• Broad range of applicability

9
What can be done

• Tools that might derive from a languages
• Scanner/Parsers Pretty-printers
• Syntax-directed editors Type-checkers
• Interpreters Dataflow analyzers
• Call graph extractors Partial evaluators
• Optimizers Program slicers
• Origin trackers Debuggers
• Code generators Compilers
• Profilers Test case generators
• Test coverage analyzers Impact analyzers
• Complexity analyzers Documentation generators
• Systematic program modification tools
• Component descriptions
• .and more

10
and what we are really looking for

• Software automation
• Language and platform migration
• Re-architecture transformations
• Aspect-oriented manipulation
• Self-correcting software
• Model-based and constrained systems
• Immobots (immobile robots)
• Autonomic computing

11
Model-based and constrained systems

• Coming from engineering design
• Variety of formal and informal tools
• representation formalisms, component
  manipulation,properties from the modeled
  artifact
• Critical, essential, static and dynamic component
  properties
• Ex Finite state machine models of software
• Ex XIML interface model markup language

12
Immobots

• Inward-focused, self-reconfiguring machines
• Hard to anticipate all possible contingencies
  how vs what
• Models of their own inner workings
• Safest, fastest and most cost-effective way to
  deal with instructions, simulations, corrections,
  and emergencies
• Mars Polar Lander vs Deep Space One

13
IBMs autonomic computing"Civilization advances
by extending the number of important operations
which we can perform without thinking about
them." - Alfred Whitehead

• "know itself" - its components must also
  possess a system identity
• configure and reconfigure itself under varying
  (and in the future, even unpredictable)
  conditions
• always looks for ways to optimize its workings
• be able to recover from routine and
  extraordinary events
• must be an expert in self-protection
• know its environment and the context
  surrounding its activity, and act accordingly
• function in a heterogeneous world and implement
  open standards
• marshal I/T resources to shrink the gap between
  the business or personal goals of the user and
  the necessary implementation

14
Káblök technology(from Bribrí agreement,
matching)

• A programming language for linguistic reasoning
• Positivism, if it exists, then it can be
  described
• New general purpose programming paradigm
• Algebraic optimizations and simplifications
• Highest-level pattern detection and re-write
• Top-down design patterns, bottom-up concept
  mapping
• 100 semantic equivalence
• Natural mathematical deduction OO grammar
  representation

15
Káblök advantages

• Highest automatic manipulation of code (95-99)
• Generated code is for human consumption
• Applicable to aspect-oriented manipulation
  (security, substitution, performance,
  simplification, re-architecture, etc.)
• Consistency several languages and problems
• Integrates/generates other re-architecture/compone
  ntization tools
• Add-in to Interactive Development Environments
• Code understanding business logic abstraction
• Linearly correlated efficiency
• Binding resolution and type inference

16
Example tools for n-tiering

• Knowledge-based analysis facilitates keeping
  related pieces of code together

17
Where should each piece of code go?
18
Methodology advantages

• Decomposable, fully controllable processes
• Safe and predictable
• Minimum testing, downtime, and re-training
• Quicker, easier and cheaper
• Bridges backward compatibility
• Results will use latest technologies

19
Software transformationpromise

• Quicker, low-risk corporate evolution
• Support the growing complexity
• Minimal organizational disruptions
• Reinforce knowledge capital
• Facilitate platform unification and lower costs
• Simplify technology decisions
• Better returns on investments
• Transform software economics