Integrated Project Support Environment Research Articles

A framework for project management

Various technologies have been developed to try to realize the ideal of a fully integrated project support environment, including: centralized repositories, complex configuration management systems, process modelling and workflow, cooperating objects. The different approaches have led to a number of partial solutions and it has often proved difficult to integrate two or more of them to give more complete lifecycle coverage or a more complete view. This paper sets out some requirements for support environments for the management of software engineering projects by considering the major elements that constitute such a project and the necessary interactions between those elements.

Tools that bind: creating integrated environments

Software engineering tools are critical to the progress of software development, virtually defining the limits of what developers can accomplish. Each generation of tools is preceded by promises of shorter life cycles, greater productivity, greater portability and simplified maintenance. Unfortunately, these promises are often not realized, primarily because tool creators cannot overcome the difficulties associated with integrating tools into a cohesive environment one that is adaptable to both development and maintenance organizations. The paper discusses a list of considerations for managers when evaluating how well a tool fits the organisation's context. It considers integrated project support environments. >

Implementing a software configuration management environment

Software configuration management (CM) environments are an active field of industrial endeavor that has not been well discussed in the software engineering literature. The capabilities required by those environments are in addition to the usual capabilities specified for software development environments and have not yet found their way into the integrated project support environment discussions. This article identifies three basic capabilities required of every software CM environment, discusses the desirability of four additional capabilities, provides a generalized note of caution on CM tools in a client-server environment, and integrates lessons learned throughout. >

Zenith system for object management in distributed multimedia design environments

The paper describes the Zenith research project, which is being carried out at the Universities of Kent and Lancaster, UK. It is a research prototype of an object management system that is intended to meet the data-management requirements of the next generation of application domains, such as office information systems, integrated project support environments, and geographical information systems. Zenith is designed to provide a flexible and adaptable platform for the management of distributed multimedia objects, on top of which specialized applications can easily be built. The design of the system reflects this goal. The object-management layer provides the high-level abstractions required for managing complex objects, and the base-services layer is responsible for the management of primitive entities stored on conventional and specialized devices, while maintaining appropriate location, media, and other transparencies. The earlier sections of the paper briefly discuss the background to the project, including the context of the Zenith environment and the philosophy that underlies its design. Subsequent sections concentrate on the object model and the object-oriented design of the prototype system architecture. Finally, the current status and implementation issues are presented, followed by some brief concluding remarks.

Object-oriented database support for software project management environments: data-modelling issues

To keep pace with the stringent requirements of emergent applications, database technology has to change. Conventional databases have been successful inasmuch as the application domain was restricted to traditional data banks. Enhancement of existing database management systems (DBMSs) has played its part, namely, stretching the capabilities of their predecessors. Unfortunately, this extension is not unlimited. As of necessity, entirely new modelling concepts must be explored. The paper surveys conventional DBMSs, particularly with regard to their support for integrated project support environments (IPSEs). Their strengths and limitations are discussed. The problems posed by such nontraditional applications are identified. Emerging ideas that seem poised to meet this challenge are analysed. Shortcomings of these ‘advanced’ methodologies are identified, with specific implementations considered. Based on the survey, fundamental requirements of any IPSE database are presented. The object-oriented (OO) approach seems to give a good handle for satisfying these requirements. Proposal is made to investigate further how an OO-based data model suitable for IPSE support can be evolved.

Building integrated software development environments. Part I

The conceptual modeling approach of the IPSEN (Integrated Project Support Environment) project for building highly integrated environments is based on using attributed graphs to model and implement arbitrary object structures, in particular all kinds of software documents and their relationships. A language based on graph grammars, called PROGRESS (PROgrammed Graph REwriting SyStems), and a suitable method for the application of this language, called graph grammar engineering, have been developed over the last ten years. This language and method are being extensively used for specifying the complex graph structures of internal document representations as well as for specifying the functionality of all tools (editors, browsers, analyzers, debuggers) working on these internal rpresentations. This paper explains the language and the method for applying the language based on a pragmatic nontrivial example of a software production process and its corresponding documents. In particular, it is shown why and how a graph grammar-based strongly typed language is perfectly suitable to formally specify highly integrated software tools. In addition, it is shown that the implementation of these tools (i.e., an environment composed of these tools) is systematically being derived from the formal specifications.

Learning from IPSE's mistakes

The authors argue that current work on integrated project support environments (IPSEs) is based on an inappropriate view of integration, and that IPSE developers should create semantically rich infrastructures or produce well-integrated tool sets rather than open repositories or infrastructures. The requirements of IPSEs are outlined. The meaning of integration is examined, and tool integration in IPSEs, the only form of integration most IPSEs have, is discussed. CASE tools are perceived to be more effective and are much more widely used than IPSEs. >

Towards assisted software engineering environments

An assisted software engineering environment (ASEE) is an integrated project support environment (IPSE) that can provide explicit support for the software development process. The paper characterizes ASEEs (historically, by means of an external scenario and a list of functionalities). Two key problems are emphasized: information modelling and management and software process modelling and management. Primary requirements for ASEEs are stated. Main contributions in each field are then reviewed, outlining emerging issues.

Integrated project support environments

Integrated project support environments

Software metrics: theory, tools and validation

One of the four major themes of the UK government's Alvey Programme which was established in 1983 was software engineering. This theme was subdivided into three special interest areas: formal methods, reliability and metrics and IPSEs (Integrated Project Support Environments). This paper describes one Alvey project which was unusual in as much as it encompassed the first two areas. The major objective of the project was to develop rigorous techniques for analysing and measuring structural properties of systems. The paper frankly describes the achievements and failures of the project, the lessons to be learnt and, in particular, how the very perception of software measurement changed fundamentally during the project. There are recommendations both for future research work in this area and for the nature of future collaborative projects.

Life cycles in software and knowledge engineering: a comparative review

AbstractProgress in software engineering has led to system development following models of the system life cycle. These models incorporate the use of prototyping and formal methods of program verification. They are becoming supported by integrated project support environments and permit the planning and monitoring of software development projects.In contrast, knowledge based systems (KBS) are developed using informal views of the system life cycle. Tools have been developed to support some stages of the life cycle in an undisciplined manner. The commercial use of KBS needs development projects to be planned and monitored. This requires methods and tools based on systematic life cycle models to be established for KBS.This paper reviews the current state of life cycle approaches to software engineering and KBS development projects in order to provide a direction for the development of methodical KBS life cycle models.

Hyperbook: an experiment with PCTE

PCTE (A Basis for a Portable Common Tool Environment) is a Public Tool Interface (PTI) intended to provide a basis on which to construct an Integrated Project Support Environment (IPSE). Thus, PTIs are primarily concerned with IPSE needs. This paper shows that applications other than IPSEs also benefit from PTIs, by examining the design, on PCTE, of a management subsystem for structured documents It goes on to describe a prototype of such a subsystem, a hypermedia kernel named Hyperbook. Finally. in the light of this case study, we discuss the feasibility and adequacy of using PCTE for such non-IPSE applications.

Integrated project support environments

The paper presents an overview of integrated project support environments (IPSEs) which are software development environments intended to support large, long-lifetime software projects. The logical structure of an IPSE is discussed from the view that the IPSE is a set of layered facilities. Each layer in the set is described. Standardization is important for future IPSE development and standard public tool interfaces are discussed. Common ada programming support environment interface set (CATS) and portable common tool environment (PCTE) are introduced. Examples of tool and user interface integration in an IPSE are provided using the Eclipse IPSE as an exemplar. Deficiencies in current systems and future developments in this area are addressed.

Past and future trends for portable tools interfaces

The paper reviews the history of computer science theory and practice, to try and identify the important trends that ought to be influencing the evolution of Portable Tools Interfaces (PTIs). PTIs are a relatively recent development, providing a manufacturer-independent interface to operating-system features. This enables portable software to be written that will run on any machine on which the PTI is implemented. The paper concludes with a requirement for what the authors feel is both a powerful and practical PTI that will support the development of a new generation of programming languages, operating systems, programming support environments (PSEs), and integrated project support environments (IPSEs).

The ECLIPSE user interface

AbstractThis paper describes the user interface facilities of the ECLIPSE integrated project support environment. This interface is based on a consistent metaphor called the ‘control panel’ metaphor and includes standard help and message‐handling systems. The paper describes these as well as some of the interface standards which have been developed. The interface has been implemented on top of the ‘applications interface’, which provides a portable, hardware‐independent interface for software tools.

Eclipse—an Integrated Project Support Environment

Eclipse—an Integrated Project Support Environment

ALSETT—towards an educational IPSE

The paper will consider the use of software tools in higher education, with particular reference to those developed at Teesside Polytechnic. The experience of using these tools with a large number of undergraduates will be presented, and an outline of the projected extension into a computer-aided learning system will be given. The particular facilities that are important when moving towards an educational integrated project support environment (IPSE) will be discussed.

From semantic data models to object orientation in design databases

The relationship between semantic data models and object-oriented database systems is examined. In particular, it is described how the Aspect Project has taken a semantic data model (the extended relational model RM(T) and, with the addition of an abstraction mechanism, moved towards providing an object-oriented database as the basis of an integrated project support environment (IPSE).

An Introduction to Integrated Project Support Environments

In the last few years the rapidly expanding application of computer technology has brought the problems of software production increasingly to the fore, and it is widely accepted that current software development techniques are unable to produce high quality software at the rate required to keep pace with this. To try to improve this imbalance, the field of software engineering has been advanced as a possible solution, attempting to apply the formal methods of an engineering discipline to software design and implementation. One of the most promising areas to be developed in this field is that of integrated project support environments (IPSEs), which attempt to spread the focus of attention during software development from the coding stage to embrace the whole development cycle, from initial requirements specification through to operational maintenance. These environments hope to improve production efficiency and quality by providing a complete set of support tools to help with each stage of software development, and to supply the necessary tool integration to ensure a smooth transition of use between these tools. This paper provides an introduction to IPSEs through analysing the motivation for providing integrated support for the production of software, and describing something of the evolution of environments for software development. This provides the context for describing current and future research trends in this area.

An Introduction to Integrated Project Support Environments

In the last few years the rapidly expanding application of computer technology has brought the problems of software production increasingly to the fore, and it is widely accepted that current software development techniques are unable to produce high quality software at the rate required to keep pace with this. To try to improve this imbalance, the field of software engineering has been advanced as a possible solution, attempting to apply the formal methods of an engineering discipline to software design and implementation. One of the most promising areas to be developed in this field is that of integrated project support environments (IPSEs), which attempt to spread the focus of attention during software development from the coding stage to embrace the whole development cycle, from initial requirements specification through to operational maintenance. These environments hope to improve production efficiency and quality by providing a complete set of support tools to help with each stage of software development, and to supply the necessary tool integration to ensure a smooth transition of use between these tools.This paper provides an introduction to IPSEs through analysing the motivation for providing integrated support for the production of software, and describing something of the evolution of environments for software development. This provides the context for describing current and future research trends in this area.