Apparatus and method for program generation

A program generating apparatus for generating a computer program by combining different program modules stored on an information processing system, comprising:

• an input device for accepting a request input from a user, the request input identifying the program modules to be combined;
• and
• an analysis control, connected to the input device, for analyzing the request input and passing the request input to a plurality of function modules, including:
• a program editor, connected to a module information storage and a program information storage, for reading, editing and writing program information and module information stored in the program information storage and the module information storage, respectively, based on the request input;
• a navigator, connected to a navigation information storage, for retrieving navigation programs based on the request input, the navigation programs being stored in the navigation information storage and defining combinations of the modules, a desired navigation program being selected by the user;
• a connector generator, connected to a connector storage, for defining a relationship and generating a connector between the modules identified by the desired navigation program, the connector generator writing the connector to the connector storage and writing the relationship to the program information storage;
• and
• an executor for executing the desired navigation program and generating the computer program.

A method for generating a program by combining a set of program modules on an information processing system having a computer, a memory and input/output devices, comprising steps of:

• accepting a request input, from a user, into an input device, the request input identifying the program modules to be combined;
• analyzing the request input, including:
• passing the request input to a program editor, connected to a module information storage and a program information storage, for reading, editing and writing program information and module information stored in the program information storage and the module information storage, respectively, based on the request input;
• passing the request input to a navigator, connected to a navigation information storage, for retrieving navigation programs, based on the request input and stored in the navigation information storage, which define combinations of the modules, a desired navigation program being selected by the user;
• passing the request input to a connector generator, connected to a connector storage, for defining a relationship and generating a connector between the modules identified by the desired navigation program, the connector generator writing the connector to the connector storage and writing the relationship to the program information storage;
• passing the request input to an executor;
• and
• executing the desired navigation program;
• and
• generating the computer program from the output of the navigation program.