Language-independent program instruction
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsLAURA J. COWEN, DOINA L. KLINGER, JAMES S. TAYLOR, XIAOMING ZHANG
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A natural language-independent computer program is constructed. A data element is defined by a graphical representation in a user interface. A data element has a data type and a value. An operator is defined on multiple data elements by association of the graphical representations in the user interface. A natural language-independent graph data structure is defined by the association of data elements representing the logic of a computer program. The data types and operators have referenced descriptions in one or more natural languages, enabling a logical expression such as a computer program to be defined and understood in one or more natural languages.
Claims18
A method for constructing a natural language-independent computer program, comprising:
- defining, with a processor, at least one data element as a graphical representation in a user interface, wherein said at least one data element has a data type and a value;
- associating, with said processor, said at least one data element with an operator in said graphical representation, wherein said operator is defined to perform defined functions on said at least one data element;
- wherein said data type and said operator have reference descriptions in a plurality of natural languages;
- and
- using appropriate natural language reference descriptions of said data type and said operator to define a natural language-independent computer program.
A system for constructing a natural language-independent computer program, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory connected to the processor, wherein the memory is encoded with instructions and wherein the instructions when executed comprise:
- instructions for defining at least one data element as a graphical representation in a user interface, wherein said at least one data element has a data type and a value;
- instructions for associating said at least one data element with an operator in said graphical representation, wherein said operator is defined to perform defined functions on said at least one data element;
- wherein said data type and said operator have reference descriptions in a plurality of natural languages;
- and
- instructions for using appropriate natural language reference descriptions of said data type and said operator to define a natural language-independent computer program.
A computer program product for constructing a natural language-independent computer program, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising:
- computer readable program code configured to define at least one data element as a graphical representation in a user interface, wherein said at least one data element has a data type and a value;
- computer readable program code configured to associate said at least one data element with an operator in said graphical representation, wherein said operator is defined to perform defined functions on said at least one data element;
- wherein said data type and said operator have reference descriptions in a plurality of natural languages;
- and
- computer readable program code configured to define a natural language-independent graph data structure to represent a computer program using appropriate natural language reference descriptions of said data type and said operator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.