A Hypertext System for Maintaining Synchronized Object-Oriented Services
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Authors
Ashbury, Jill E.
Issue Date
1994
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Modularity and reusability are two principles that programmers strive to
achieve when coding. These standards have paved the way for the popularity
of software libraries. Unfortunately, the aforementioned standards are often
forfeited as developers find themselves translating their applications from
the original computer language to one or more other computer languages.
This practice can become troublesome and time-consuming especially when
the additional task of maintaining the versions in a consistent manner is
taken on.
As an object-oriented class library is corrected, edited, or improved, its
maintainers must decide whether a change is needed in only one language
version, or whether the change applies to all existing versions of that library.
These decisions should take into account the different semantic constructs as
well as the unique attributes and benefits of each language in order to
preserve "equivalent" functionality in every case. Herein lies the problem of
maintaining in parallel multiple language versions of a software library.
One aspect of this problem is the more specific task of maintaining the
associations between service definitions (axiomatic descriptions of essential
features) and the various language versions. Due to the complexity of the
original problem, this task is manifold as well. A maintenance component
must fulfill several roles including supporter, editor, displayer, and
maintainer. This research explores the issues and elements encountered
while designing a prototype hypertext synchronization system.
Description
iv, 30 p.
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