Generating software components from business rules expressed in a natural language

A system for generating software components from one or more rule statements expressed in a natural language, the system comprising:

• a computing system having a processor and one or more storage media in communication with the processor, the one or more storage media storing:
• a natural language parser for using the processor in parsing at least one rule statement based on a vocabulary of a natural language and grammatical rules of the natural language to generate a language-dependent structure of the rule statement, wherein the natural language parser identifies symbols used and their interrelationships with respect to a sentence structure, wherein the parsing reports how each word in the rule statement is categorized into:
• a) terms defined in the vocabulary,
• b) names defined in the vocabulary for individual things,
• c) connecting symbols of function forms defined in the vocabulary,
• d) key words and phrases, quantifiers, and logical connectives, and
• e) words that are not recognized;
• an expression model generator for using the processor in processing the language-dependent structure of the rule statement to generate an expression model;
• a logical model generator for using the processor in processing the expression model to generate a logical model, wherein generating the logical model comprises:
• a) relating synonymous terms to a single concept;
• b) relating synonymous forms and related noun forms to a single fact type;
• c) relating synonymous names to a single instance;
• d) relating each instance to its corresponding concept;
• e) determining identifying fact types for concepts;
• f) determining generalizations between concepts;
• and
• g) reporting logical inconsistencies, if any;
• a platform-independent implementation model generator for using the processor in processing the logical model to generate a platform-independent implementation model in response to a request for such generation;
• and
• a platform-specific implementation model generator for using the processor in receiving description of a specific target platform and processing the platform-independent implementation model using the description of the target platform to generate a platform-specific implementation model.

An article of manufacture embodied on a machine-accessible tangible medium, to be used for generating software components from one or more rule statements expressed in a natural language, the article of manufacture comprising:

• the machine-accessible, tangible medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when accessed and executed by a machine, cause the machine to:
• receive symbols of a vocabulary of a natural language, the natural language having grammatical rules, and details about each of the symbols;
• receive at least one rule statement expressed using the symbols of the vocabulary of the natural language;
• parse the rule statement in accordance with the natural language grammatical rules to generate a language-based structure of the rule statement that identifies the symbols used and their interrelationships with respect to a sentence structure, wherein the parsing reports how each word in the rule statement is categorized into:
• a) terms defined in the vocabulary,
• b) names defined in the vocabulary for individual things,
• c) connecting symbols of function forms defined in the vocabulary,
• d) key words and phrases, quantifiers, and logical connectives, and
• e) words that are not recognized;
• process the language-based structure of the rule statement corresponding to an expression to generate an expression model;
• process the expression model to generate a logical model wherein processing the expression model comprises:
• a) relating synonymous terms to a single concept;
• b) relating synonymous forms and related noun forms to a single fact type;
• c) relating synonymous names to a single instance;
• d) relating each instance to its corresponding concept;
• e) determining identifying fact types for concepts;
• f) determining generalizations between concepts;
• and
• g) reporting logical inconsistencies, if any;
• process the logical model to generate a platform-independent implementation model in response to a request for such generation;
• receive a specific target platform description;
• and
• process the platform-independent implementation model using the specific target platform description to generate a platform-specific implementation model.

A system for generating software components from one or more rule statements expressed in a natural language, the method, the system comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory coupled to the processor and the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• receive symbols of a vocabulary of a natural language, the natural language having grammatical rules, and details about each of the symbols;
• receive at least one rule statement expressed using the symbols of the vocabulary of the natural language;
• parse the rule statement in accordance with the natural language grammatical rules to generate a language-based structure of the rule statement that identifies the symbols used and their interrelationships with respect to a sentence structure, wherein the parsing reports how each word in the rule statement is categorized into:
• a) terms defined in the vocabulary,
• b) names defined in the vocabulary for individual things,
• c) connecting symbols of function forms defined in the vocabulary,
• d) key words and phrases, quantifiers, and logical connectives, and
• e) words that are not recognized;
• process the language-based structure of the rule statement corresponding to an expression to generate an expression model;
• process the expression model to generate a logical model wherein processing the expression model comprises:
• a) relating synonymous terms to a single concept;
• b) relating synonymous forms and related noun forms to a single fact type;
• c) relating synonymous names to a single instance;
• d) relating each instance to its corresponding concept;
• e) determining identifying fact types for concepts;
• f) determining generalizations between concepts;
• and
• g) reporting logical inconsistencies, if any;
• process the logical model to generate a platform-independent implementation model in response to a request for such generation;
• receive a specific target platform description;
• and
• process the platform-independent implementation model using the specific target platform description to generate a platform-specific implementation model.