Proposal for an environment and computer network for distributed software development

Abstract

This research is directed toward the construction of a programming environment which supports the development of distributed software and systems. We believe that the dominant model for future business, professional, industrial, and educational information sytems is a network of heterogeneous computers and terminals. The networks will span building, city, regional, national, and international areas. The terminals will have a wide range of local input, display, and processing power. The environment we envision will support software development for these loosely coupled, heterogeneous networks. A set of integrated tools will be built on Ada programming support environment including a uniform interactive graphical user interface, a forms-based applicative programming tool, and software prototyping tools. The user's interface with the environment will be compatible from the laboratory, office, or home; with the only difference being response time and display resolution. Virtual terminal protocols and dynamic software migration will support this interface which will be implemented for high resolution monochrome and color displays, personal computer displays, and simple terminals. The forms-based management tool will support high quality documentation systems and a configuration management database. The software prototyping tools will support animated target system simulation, interactive graphical monitoring and control of executing programs and simulations, and finally, embedding prototype programs in a target system.