The document discusses software engineering automation through the use of a meta-tool. A meta-tool is a rule-driven expert system that can rapidly create software engineering tools by capturing expertise in the form of rules. This provides high leverage and reuse of expertise compared to individual point-solution tools. The meta-tool would utilize a symbolic representation of code to facilitate code analysis, re-engineering, translation and generation through rule-based pattern matching and manipulation of the representation. This flexible approach could automate any software task for a given language, avoiding limitations of individual point solutions.

1. Copyright 2015 by
XTRAN, LLC
Using Automation to Improve
Software Services
Stephen F. Heffner
President
XTRAN, LLC
http://WWW.XTRAN-LLC.com
Copyright 2015 by XTRAN, LLC;
reproduction prohibited without
permission

2. Copyright 2015 by
XTRAN, LLC
Software services automation
Build configuration – automating the software build process
Source code control – controlling software versions
Model-driven development – code generated from a model, or
executable model
Testing automation frameworks
BUT – what about existing code? Alternatives –
“Point solution” tools for code analysis, transformation, or
translation
Rule-driven expert system, to automate all activities involving
existing code – a very different approach

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XTRAN, LLC
Software services activities
on existing code
Code analysis – pull information out of the code
Code re-engineering – apply transformations to the
code
Code translation – transform code's functionality to a
different language – usually to same or higher level
(decompilation)
Code generation – special case of code translation –
usually higher-level to lower-level (compilation)

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Analysis – pull information from the code
Code “demographics”
Module/function cross-reference (both directions)
Function calling tree (both directions)
Include/COPY dependency tree (both directions)
Global symbol cross-reference (both directions)
Statements per function
Code quality measures – overall / per module / per function
Cyclomatic complexity
Halstead's volume
“goto”s & exits
Knots – “goto” crossings
Dead code
Cloned code
Adherence to coding standards and conventions – specific to shop
Measurement is critical to monitoring quality; should be automated
Ad hoc analyses – answer questions specific to the code
Frequency of occurrence is critical to automation strategy

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Re-engineering – apply code transformations
Code quality improvement
Structure to eliminate goto 's – impose if/else, do, while, and for
Eliminate cloned code by refactoring
Remove dead code
“Decompile” lower-level constructs to higher level
Impose coding standards and conventions
Operating system or 3rd-party API shift
Change function calls
Remap data structures
Change preprocessor constructs
Ad hoc transformations specific to code being changed

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Translation – move code's functionality to a
different language
Obsolete/fading/dying language to modern language
Support for compiler / run library ending, or getting expensive
Modern development tools not available for old language
Developer productivity higher with modern language
Hard to find programmers with old language experience
Reasons for lower-level language no longer valid (e. g. speed)
Proprietary language to portable language
Rationalize disparate languages to common language
Historical legacy
Merger or acquisition
Application portfolio rationalization

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What do we mean by “meta”?
Information about information
Old concept (metaphysics), recently applied to EA & IT
One level of abstraction up from “real life”
Example – meta-data in XML
Example – meta-models in modeling
A different way of approaching software engineering automation
Meta-meta – information about meta – one abstraction level up from
meta, 2 levels up from “real life”
Meta's abstraction requires conceptual & semantic ontologies
In my view, meta is the future of EA and IT, including software
services

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Implications of meta for enterprise & IT
architecture
Abstraction allows horizontal integration across
domains
Abstraction allows vertical integration via meta-
tools & their rules
Abstraction reduces complexity
Abstraction reduces rate of change; the more
abstract, the less frequently it changes

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Meta is all about leverage
No tools
ResultEffort
Point solution tools
ResultEffort
Meta-tool
ResultEffort

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What is a “point solution” software
services tool?
Vendor has identified well-defined user “points
of pain”
Tool addresses those “pain points”
Limited flexibility may exist for the user, but –
Tool can't automate other software services
tasks
Input and output formats are usually tool-specific

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XTRAN, LLC
What is a software engineering
meta-tool?
Not specialized for a specific “point solution”
Rule-driven tool for creating tools rapidly, hence a “meta-tool”
Expert system – expertise domain is computer languages, data,
and text
Rules language (“meta-code”) – general-purpose, but enriched with
software engineering automation primitives – a hybrid GPL/DSL
Rules language must be learnable by senior developers in
reasonable time frame, not just by mad scientists
Objectives: Very high leverage on effort expended, & expertise
reuse
Puts software engineering automation under user's control, not tool
vendor's

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XTRAN, LLC
Anatomy of a meta-tool
User-User-
developeddeveloped
rulesrules
StandardStandard
rulesrules
Code toCode to
processprocess
AnalysisAnalysis
resultsresults
TranslatedTranslated
codecode
XMLXML
AnyAny
formatformat
Re-Re-
engineeredengineered
codecode
UserUser
PointPoint
SolutionSolution
OtherOther
toolstools
OtherOther
toolstools

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XTRAN, LLC
Point solutions vs. a meta-tool
Software
engineering
task
Software
engineering
task
Software
engineering
task
Point
solution
Point
solution
Point
solution
Point
solution
Software
engineering
task
Software
engineering
task
Software
engineering
task
Meta-
tool
Point
solution
Rules Rules Rules
Training 1 Training 2 Training 3 Training 4
Training
ISV
Out-
sourcer
End
user

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Language processing tool chains
“Point-solution” tool chain – with misfits and coverage gaps
Computer languagesComputer languages VendorVendor
AA
VendorVendor
CC
VendorVendor
BB
????
?? ??
User creates tool chain – no misfits or coverage gaps – on their schedule
– to their specifications – and they own it
Computer languagesComputer languages Meta-Meta-
tooltool
Meta-Meta-
tooltool
Meta-Meta-
tooltool
Meta-Meta-
tooltool
UserUserUserUser UserUser

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XTRAN, LLC
A meta-tool's architecture
Symbolic Internal Representation (IR) of language
content – a meta-model of languages and their content
An instance of IR is a model of the original language
content
IR must be complete (no information lost), for recreating
re-engineered or translated code
Language parsers, to convert text form of code to IR
Rules language, to manipulate IR as its data
IR must be very rich, to facilitate manipulation
Language renderers, to convert IR back to text form
(including styling issues)

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Pattern matching & replacement –
imposing if / else
if (<expression>)
{
<statements-1>
goto <label>;
}
<statements-2>
<label>:
<statement>
Match pattern
Replacement pattern
if (<expression>)
<statements-1>
else
<statements-2>
<statement>
blue => C
<red> => meta-code

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XTRAN, LLC
if (<expression>)
{
<statements-1>
goto <label>;
}
<statements-2>
<label>:
<statement>
Match pattern
if (<expression>)
<statements-1>
else
<statements-2>
<statement>
Replacement pattern
Imposing if / else – match & replace
if ( i < 4 )
{
for (k = 0; k < 10; ++k)
++j;
goto lbl1 ;
}
if (j < 5)
k = 4;
lbl1 :
k = 3;
<expression>
<statements-1>
<label>
<statements-2>
<label>
<statement>
MatchReplace
if ( i < 4 )
{
for (k = 0; k < 10; ++k)
++j;
}
else
{
if (j < 5)
k = 4;
}
k = 3;
<expression>
<expression>
<statements-1>
<statements-2>
<statement>

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XTRAN, LLC
The future of software services
Automation is just beginning to affect software services
As it does, the number of developers will dramatically
decrease
Average level of the survivors' talent and experience will
just as dramatically increase
They will be creating/enhancing systems using automation,
or creating/enhancing the automation tools
They will be scarce, will work "virtual" from anywhere, and
will earn globally-competitive compensation
This will eliminate labor cost arbitrage, rendering "off-
shoring" obsolete

19. Copyright 2015 by
XTRAN, LLC
Summary
Software engineering meta-tool – an alternative approach to software services
automation
Rule-driven expert system for manipulating computer languages and text
Capture code analysis, re-engineering, translation expertise in the form of rules,
for automated deployment
Provides leverage needed to quickly create software engineering tools to
automate the analysis,, re-engineering,, translation,, and generation of any
computer languagecomputer language
Resulting tools must be easy enough to create for ad hoc use,, but fast enough in
execution for production use
Meta-tool's rules languagerules language mustmust provideprovide sophisticated manipulation of any
computer language / data / text, including pattern matching / replacement and
“tree surgery”
Applications of such a meta-tool are limited only by the user's imaginationuser's imagination

20. Copyright 2015 by
XTRAN, LLC
Contact Information
Stephen F. Heffner, President
XTRAN, LLC
2820 N. Pinal Avenue, Suite 12
Casa Grande, Arizona 85122-7927
USA
http://WWW.XTRAN-LLC.com
+1(480)626-5503
info@XTRAN-LLC.com