A Graphics Function Standard Specification Validator

TL;DR

This paper presents a validation methodology for graphics function specifications using relational databases to ensure consistency, completeness, and clarity, demonstrated through a prototype for the Graphics Kernel System.

Contribution

It introduces a novel database-driven validation approach for graphics specifications, enabling scenario-based checks without environment implementation.

Findings

Identified inconsistencies in GKS data element definitions.

Demonstrated the practicality of the validation methodology.

Supported development of scenario-based prototypes.

Abstract

A validation methodology is proposed and implemented for natural language software specifications of standard graphics functions. Checks are made for consistency, completeness, and lack of ambiguity in data element and function descriptions. Functions and data elements are maintained in a relational database representation. The appropriate checks are performed by sequences of database operations. The relational database manager INGRES was used to support a prototype implementation of the proposed technique. The methodology supports the development of a scenario-based prototype from the information available in the specification. This permits various function sequences to be checked without implementation of the environment specified. The application of a prototype implementation of the proposed methodology to the specification of the Graphics Kernel System (GKS) software package demonstrates the practicability of the method. Several inconsistencies in GKS related to the definition of data elements have been identified.