Semantic API Alignment: Linking High-level User Goals to APIs

TL;DR

This paper introduces Semantic API Alignment (SEAL), a system that uses LLMs to connect high-level user goals with specific API functions, aiming to automate and assist software development tasks from requirements to implementation.

Contribution

It proposes a novel system architecture leveraging LLM-powered agents to match user goals with APIs, demonstrated through a case study on REST API alignment in requirements engineering.

Findings

Successful initial pilot with GitHub statistics API

Demonstrated feasibility of goal-to-API matching using LLMs

Outlined future research directions for automation in software engineering

Abstract

Large Language Models (LLMs) are becoming key in automating and assisting various software development tasks, including text-based tasks in requirements engineering but also in coding. Typically, these models are used to automate small portions of existing tasks, but we present a broader vision to span multiple steps from requirements engineering to implementation using existing libraries. This approach, which we call Semantic API Alignment (SEAL), aims to bridge the gap between a user's high-level goals and the specific functions of one or more APIs. In this position paper, we propose a system architecture where a set of LLM-powered ``agents'' match such high-level objectives with appropriate API calls. This system could facilitate automated programming by finding matching links or, alternatively, explaining mismatches to guide manual intervention or further development. As an initial pilot, our paper demonstrates this concept by applying LLMs to Goal-Oriented Requirements Engineering (GORE), via sub-goal analysis, for aligning with REST API specifications, specifically through a case study involving a GitHub statistics API. We discuss the potential of our approach to enhance complex tasks in software development and requirements engineering and outline future directions for research.