Computer system and computer implemented process for representing software system descriptions and for generating executable computer programs and computer system configurations from software system descriptions

A computer-implemented process for generating executable code from a system description including activities connected to dependencies, wherein each activity has ports connected ports of dependency, wherein the process comprises the steps of:

• augmenting each activity with appropriate wrappers and callers so that each dependency connected to a port of an augmented activity can be managed independently of any other dependency of the same activity;
• associating each activity with executable software programs by searching a database for compatible specializations of the activity;
• selecting one of the compatible specializations;
• replacing the target activity with the selected compatible specialization;
• associating each dependency with a coordination process to manage the dependency by searching the database for compatible coordination processes for the dependency;
• selecting one of the compatible coordination processes;
• replacing the target dependency with the selected compatible coordination process;
• with the selected compatible coordination process;
• recursively applying the steps of associating and replacing for decomposition of each selected specialization of an activity for which there is no compatible executable software program;
• and
• when all activities and dependencies of the application model have been replaced with executable specializations, generating executable code by traversing the application model and combining the pieces of software associated with each element of the model into sets of procedures, and by compiled the sets of procedures into executable programs.

A computer system for automatically generating computer code for a software system from a representation of the software system, wherein the representation is defined by activities, dependencies and ports through which activities are connected to dependencies, comprising:

• means for specializing each activity and dependency in the representation to identify one or more associated computer programs for implementing the activity or managing the dependency;
• means for combining the associated computer programs in the specialized representation to provide the computer code for the software system;
• means for editing the representations of software systems, including:
• means for generating a representation of an activity including an indication of ports defining needs for interaction with other activities through dependencies;
• means for generating a representation of a dependency including an indication of ports defining points of connection with activities;
• and
• means for controlling connections of activities to dependencies and for performing a compatibility check of the ports of the connected activities and dependencies;
• and
• means for defining a coordination process associated with a dependency and having ports connecting to ports of activities, wherein the coordination process includes at least one activity and associated dependencies, wherein the ports of the coordination process are ports of the dependencies.

A computer system for automatically generating computer code for a software system from a representation of the software system, wherein the representation is defined by activities, dependencies and ports through which activities are connected to dependencies, comprising:

• means for specializing each activity and dependency in the representation to identify one or more associated computer programs for implementing the activity or managing the dependency;
• means for combining the associated computer programs in the specialized representation to provide the computer code for the software system;
• wherein a coordination process manages a dependency and further comprising means for storing representations of coordination processes for software systems, including:
• a computer-readable medium;
• a plurality of computer-readable representations of coordination processes, including associated computer program code for each representation for implementing the coordination process wherein a representation of a coordination process includes activities connected through dependencies and having ports corresponding to ports of dependencies and defining points of connection with activities;
• and
• means for associating the representation of coordination processes with one or more of a plurality of dependency types.

A computer system for automatically generating computer code for a software system from a representation of the software system, wherein the representation is defined by activities, dependencies and ports through which activities are connected to dependencies, comprising:

• means for specializing each activity and dependency in the representation to identify one or more associated computer programs for implementing the activity or managing the dependency;
• means for combining the associated computer programs in the specialized representation to provide the computer code for the software system;
• and
• means for determining whether ports of an activity are compatible with ports of a dependency, comprising:
• means for determining whether the ports of the activity and the dependency are both composite or both atomic;
• means, if both ports are atomic, for determining if each attribute of the port of the activity has a value which is the same as or a specialization of the value of the same attribute at the port of the dependency;
• and
• means, if both ports are composite, for recursively matching subports of the composite ports.