Dataflow chart generation device, and dataflow chart generation method

Abstract

To provide a technology capable of enhancing efficiency of development.SOLUTION: A dataflow chart generation device includes: an updated information detection unit which, when stored design information is updated, detects update information containing added and changed control values and conversion formulas due to the update of the design information; and a data flow chart generation unit which indicates a relation of the control value and the conversion formula on the basis of the updated design information and update information, and generates a dataflow chart in which the added and changed control values and the conversion formulas are highlighted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a data flow diagram generating device and a data flow diagram generating method. [Background technology]

[0002] In the fields of automobiles and elevators, embedded control devices that control the controlled objects using so-called embedded software are used. The advantages of embedded software include the ability to achieve more flexible and advanced control than conventional methods using mechanical mechanisms or electrical circuits, and the ability to develop many derivative products by partially modifying the software.

[0003] However, software design documents are often written in ambiguous natural language, and the scale of software development has tended to increase in recent years. For example, the international safety standard ISO 26262 for automobiles requires traceability of safety requirements related to functional safety. Therefore, there is a demand for design documents that are easy to read and understand, and for the ease of verifying consistency between the design documents and the software, in order to reduce the amount of work required to understand design information and identify the scope of impact of partial changes made for the development of derivative products.

[0004] To solve this problem, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a data flow diagram generation device. When a design document written in natural language is input, this data flow diagram generation device reads the control values ​​and conversion formulas described in the design document and outputs a data flow diagram in which the inputs and outputs to the conversion formulas are linked. Generating a data flow diagram from a design document written in natural language in this way makes it easier to read and understand the design document and to confirm consistency between the design document and the software. Furthermore, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, when a design element such as a specific control value or conversion formula is specified from outside the device, the design element is highlighted in the generated data flow diagram, making it easy to identify the scope of impact of a change to the software specifications. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7163879 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in order to highlight specific design elements using the technology of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to manage the updated parts of the software design outside the data flow diagram generation device or for the user to manually input the updated parts into the data flow diagram generation device. The time required for managing and manually inputting the updated parts has the problem of reducing development efficiency.

[0007] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technology that can improve development efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] a linking unit that links the transformation formulas to the control values ​​corresponding to the inputs and outputs of the transformation formulas using the identifiers; a memory unit that stores the linked control values ​​and the transformation formulas as design information; an update information detection unit that, when the stored design information is updated, detects update information including the control values ​​and the transformation formulas that have been added and changed to the design information as a result of the update; a data flow diagram generation unit that generates a data flow diagram that shows the relationship between the control values ​​and the transformation formulas based on the updated design information and the update information, with the added and changed control values ​​and the transformation formulas being highlighted; and a display unit that displays the data flow diagram. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, update information including control values ​​and conversion formulas that have been added or changed to design information due to an update of design information is detected, and a data flow diagram is generated based on the updated design information and the update information, showing the relationship between the control values ​​and conversion formulas and highlighting the added or changed control values ​​and conversion formulas. This configuration can improve development efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a data flow diagram generation device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the data flow diagram generation device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a data flow diagram generated by the data flow diagram generation device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a data flow diagram generated by the data flow diagram generation device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a data flow diagram generation device according to a first modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of a data flow diagram generation device according to a second modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of a data flow diagram generation device according to a third modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of a data flow diagram generation device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the data flow diagram generation device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a data flow diagram generated by the data flow diagram generation device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11]FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of a data flow diagram generation device according to a first modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a data flow diagram generated by a data flow diagram generation device according to a first modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a data flow diagram generation device according to another modified example. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a data flow diagram generation device according to another modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of each embodiment, the same or similar reference numerals will be used to designate matters described in the previously described embodiments of the present disclosure, and duplicate descriptions may be omitted.

[0012] In each embodiment, when only a part of the configuration is described, other parts of the configuration that are not described can be applied to other embodiments previously described in this disclosure. In addition, in each embodiment and modified example, in addition to the combinations between parts that are specifically indicated as being possible to combine, it is also possible to partially combine embodiments without specifying it, as long as there are no particular problems with the combination.

[0013] <First Embodiment> Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a data flow diagram generation device 1 according to the present embodiment 1. The data flow diagram generation device 1 in Fig. 1 includes a control unit 10, a storage unit 14, and a display unit 20, and when an updated design document 90 is input, the data flow diagram is generated in which the updated portions are highlighted, and is output to the display unit 20.

[0014] The design document 90 is a software design document that describes in natural language the functions, characteristics, performance, and requirements to be met by the software in order to create software that controls the device to be controlled, such as an embedded control device. The design document 90 includes text that forms the basis for creating the software, and the text may span multiple design documents 90 depending on the scale of the development.

[0015] In the design document 90, sentences indicating the processes that the software executes to realize the functions, performance, etc., such as sentences that an output value is determined by processing or converting an input value, are written in natural language for all functions, performance, etc. Specific examples of such sentences include "When signals S1 and S2 are input, an appropriate value from signals S1 and S2 is set to signal S4 based on the determination result of the state of signal S3," or "After accumulating the value of signal S1 and the value of signal S2, the larger of the accumulated value is compared with the value of signal S3 and output as signal S4."

[0016] In this processing example, signals S1 to S4 are input or output values ​​in control, and in the following description, they are used as examples of control values ​​in software development. In this processing example, the state determination of the input values ​​and the calculation of the output values ​​are processes or conversions for the control values, and in the following description, they are used as examples of conversion formulas in software development.

[0017] 1 includes a reading unit 11, a list generating unit 12, a linking unit 13, an update information detecting unit 15, and a data flow diagram generating unit 16. The specific hardware configuration of the control unit 10 will be described later.

[0018] The reading unit 11 reads various control values ​​and conversion formulas from the design document 90 written in natural language. For example, the reading unit 11 may read the control values ​​or conversion formulas using syntax analysis, lexical analysis, etc. in the design document 90. The reading unit 11 may also read words enclosed in symbol marks (such as "") in the design document 90 as control values ​​or conversion formulas.

[0019] The list generation unit 12 generates lists in which IDs, which are identifiers, are assigned to the various control values ​​and conversion formulas read by the reading unit 11, as a control value list 121 and a conversion formula list 122. The list generation unit 12 assigns, as IDs to be managed in the control value list 121 and the conversion formula list 122, character strings that combine an article and a serial number that are not duplicated within or between lists, for example.

[0020] The linking unit 13 determines control values ​​corresponding to the input and output of a conversion formula based on the control value list 121 and the conversion formula list 122 generated by the list generation unit 12. For example, the linking unit 13 may determine control values ​​that match or are similar to character strings written as the input and output of the conversion formula, or may determine control values ​​using machine learning (training). The linking unit 13 links the conversion formula with the control values ​​determined to correspond to the input and output of the conversion formula using the ID.

[0021] The storage unit 14 stores (accumulates) the various control values ​​and conversion formulas linked by the linking unit 13 as design information, which is relational data. Here, an example will be described in which a first design document, a second design document, and a third design document are input to the control unit 10 in this order as the design document 90. The second design document is a design document obtained by updating the first design document, and the third design document is a design document obtained by updating the second design document.

[0022] First, when a first design document is input to the control unit 10, the storage unit 14 stores the design information generated from the first design document as new design information 141. When a second design document is subsequently input to the control unit 10, the storage unit 14 stores the design information generated from the first design document that was stored as new design information 141 as old design information 142, and stores the design information generated from the second design document as new design information 141. Similarly, when a third design document is subsequently input to the control unit 10, the storage unit 14 stores the design information generated from the second design document that was stored as new design information 141 as old design information 142, and stores the design information generated from the third design document as new design information 141. In the following description, it is assumed that when design information has been updated n times, the design information before the nth update (the design information after being updated n−1 times) is old design information 142, and the design information after being updated n times is new design information 141.

[0023] When the stored design information is updated, the update information detection unit 15 detects update information including control values ​​and conversion formulas that have been added or changed to the design information as a result of the update. Note that when the data flow diagram generation device 1 is in use, the update information only needs to include at least one of the control values ​​and conversion formulas that have been added or changed. Here, in this specification, for example, "at least one of A, B, C, ..., and Z" means any one of all combinations of one or more types extracted from the group A, B, C, ..., and Z.

[0024] The update information detection unit 15 according to the first embodiment compares new design information 141 and old design information 142 stored in the storage unit 14, and detects, as update information, control values ​​and conversion formulas in the new design information 141 that have been added or changed from the old design information 142. The change here means partial replacement of a character string in the old design information 142 with a new character string.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a process in which the update information detector 15 according to the first embodiment detects update information.

[0026] First, in step S101, the update information detection unit 15 reads one control value from the new design information 141. In step S102, the update information detection unit 15 determines whether or not a control value with the same name as the read control value exists in the old design information 142. If it is determined that a control value exists, the process proceeds to step S103, and if it is not determined that a control value exists, the process proceeds to step S104.

[0027] In step S103, for the control values ​​determined to have the same name, the update information detection unit 15 generates control value identification information that links the ID of the control value read from the new design information 141 with the ID of the control value in the old design information 142. Then, the process proceeds to step S105.

[0028] In step S104, the update information detection unit 15 sets the control values ​​read from the new design information 141 as newly designed new control values. After that, the process proceeds to step S105.

[0029] In step S105, the update information detection unit 15 determines whether or not the reading of step S101 has been performed for all control values ​​included in the new design information 141. If it is determined that all control values ​​have been read, the process proceeds to step S106. If it is determined that all control values ​​have not been read, the process from step S101 onward is performed again. Note that in the re-execution of step S101, the update information detection unit 15 reads one control value that has not been read from the new design information 141. The update information detection unit 15 may exclude a control value that has already been used to generate the control value identification information from the target of the re-execution of steps S102 and S103. This configuration allows the re-execution of steps S102 and S103 to be performed efficiently.

[0030] In step S106 and thereafter, the conversion formula is subjected to processing that is generally similar to the processing of the control value. In step S106, the update information detection unit 15 reads one conversion formula from the new design information 141.

[0031] In step S107, the update information detection unit 15 determines whether or not a conversion formula corresponding to the read conversion formula exists in the old design information 142. For example, unlike the determination of a control value, the update information detection unit 15 makes the determination in step S107 based not only on the name of the conversion formula but also on the number of input and output control values ​​associated with the conversion formula and the IDs of the control values. When making the determination based on the IDs, the update information detection unit 15 may use the control value identification information generated in the processing up to step S105.

[0032] If the information related to the read conversion formula does not completely match the information related to the conversion formula in the old design information 142, the update information detection unit 15 may calculate a score indicating, for example, the degree of similarity between the names of the conversion formulas and the degree of similarity between the information related to the control values ​​set for the inputs and outputs. If the score exceeds a certain reference value, the update information detection unit 15 may determine that a conversion formula equivalent to the read conversion formula exists in the old design information 142. If it is determined in step S107 that a conversion formula exists, the process proceeds to step S108, and if it is not determined that a conversion formula exists, the process proceeds to step S111.

[0033] In step S108, for the conversion formula determined to be corresponding, the update information detection unit 15 generates conversion formula identification information by linking the ID of the conversion formula read from the new design information 141 with the ID of the conversion formula in the old design information 142. If the information related to the conversion formula does not completely match, the update information detection unit 15 uses the ID of the conversion formula with the highest score to generate the conversion formula identification information.

[0034] In step S109, the update information detection unit 15 determines whether the information related to the identified transformation formulas completely matches. If it is determined that they match, the process proceeds to step S112, and if it is determined that they do not match, the process proceeds to step S110.

[0035] In step S110, the update information detection unit 15 sets the transformation formula read from the new design information 141 as the changed transformation formula. After that, the process proceeds to step S112.

[0036] In step S111, the update information detection unit 15 sets the conversion formula read from the new design information 141 as a newly designed new conversion formula, and then proceeds to step S112.

[0037] In step S112, the update information detection unit 15 determines whether or not the reading of step S106 has been performed on all transformation formulas included in the new design information 141. If it is determined that all transformation formulas have been read, the process proceeds to step S113. If it is determined that all transformation formulas have not been read, the processes from step S106 onward are performed again. Note that in the re-execution of step S106, the update information detection unit 15 reads one transformation formula that has not been read from the new design information 141. The update information detection unit 15 may exclude a transformation formula that has already been used to generate the transformation formula identification information from the targets of the re-execution of steps S107 and S108. This configuration allows the re-execution of steps S107 and S108 to be performed efficiently.

[0038] In step S113, the update information detection unit 15 lists the new control values, new conversion formulas, and changed conversion formulas that have been obtained so far, each included in the update information. In this way, the update information detection unit 15 detects update information that includes control values ​​and conversion formulas that have been added to and changed in the design information as the design information is updated.

[0039] The data flow diagram generating unit 16 in FIG. 1 generates a data flow diagram based on new design information 141 (i.e., updated design information) stored in the storage unit 14 and the update information detected by the update information detecting unit 15.

[0040] Fig. 3 shows a data flow diagram 161 generated before updating the design document 90, and Fig. 4 shows a data flow diagram 162 generated after updating the design document 90. As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the data flow diagrams 161 and 162 show the relationship between control values ​​and conversion formulas. In the first embodiment, as an example, the relationship between the conversion formulas and the control values ​​corresponding to the inputs and outputs of the conversion formulas is expressed by representing the flow of data with arrows.

[0041] In the data flow diagram generated after updating the design document 90, the update information detected by the update information detection unit 15 is reflected, and the added and changed control values ​​and conversion formulas are highlighted. When using the data flow diagram generation device 1, it is sufficient that at least one of the control values ​​and conversion formulas that have been added and / or changed is highlighted in the data flow diagram generated after updating the design document 90. As an example, in the data flow diagram 162 in FIG. 4, the changed control value 2 and conversion formula A are highlighted.

[0042] The highlighting includes, for example, changing the font and color of the characters displaying the various control values ​​and conversion formulas, and changing the background color of the blocks representing the various control values ​​and conversion formulas. The data flow diagram generator 16 may change the highlighting format based on the update content, such as additions and changes, and the update targets, such as control values ​​and conversion formulas. When the design document 90 is input to the data flow diagram generation device 1 for the first time, there is no old design information 142, and therefore a data flow diagram 161 is generated in which no control values ​​or conversion formulas are highlighted, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0043] Display unit 20 displays the data flow diagram generated by data flow diagram generation unit 16 to a user such as a source code developer. Display unit 20 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (electro-luminescence) display, and is connected to control unit 10. Display unit 20 is not limited to a display device as long as it displays the data flow diagram generated by data flow diagram generation unit 16, and may be, for example, a printing device that prints and outputs the data flow diagram on paper, for example.

[0044] <Summary of the First Embodiment> In conventional technologies, in order to highlight specific design elements, such as control values, in a data flow diagram, it is necessary to manage software design updates outside the data flow diagram generation device or for the user to manually input the updates into the data flow diagram generation device. The time required for managing and manually inputting these updates reduces development efficiency. Furthermore, manual input by the user can result in the user forgetting to specify an update that should be highlighted. In such cases, if the development continues without noticing the update, the design and development flow may have to be reworked later.

[0045] In contrast, according to the data flow diagram generating device 1 of the first embodiment, when the software design document is updated and the design information is updated, update information including the control values ​​and conversion formulas that have been added and changed to the design information as a result of the update of the design information is automatically detected. Then, based on the new design information (i.e., the updated design information) and the update information, a data flow diagram is generated in which the added and changed control values ​​and conversion formulas are highlighted.

[0046] This configuration can reduce the time and effort required for managing and manually inputting update points, which was required in conventional technology. It is also expected that the number of missed update points can be reduced. Furthermore, by highlighting the update points in the data flow diagram, various people can easily check the update points in the software design, eliminating the need to compare the old data flow diagram with the new data flow diagram. This can improve development efficiency.

[0047] <Variation 1> 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a data flow diagram generating device 1 according to Modification 1 of Embodiment 1. In Modification 1, update information detection unit 15 outputs the detected update information to display unit 20, and display unit 20 displays the data flow diagram generated by data flow diagram generating unit 16 and the update information detected by update information detection unit 15 simultaneously or separately.

[0048] According to this first modification, the updated parts of the design can be displayed, for example, in list format on an LCD display or an organic EL display, or printed out on paper using a printer. This allows the user to check for omissions in the design and design documents by comparing the updated parts displayed in list format or the like with the updated parts managed outside the data flow diagram generation device 1, thereby reducing the need for rework in the design and development flow. Furthermore, by using the displayed updated parts as updated parts managed outside the data flow diagram generation device 1, the effort required for management outside the data flow diagram generation device 1 can be reduced.

[0049] <Variation 2> Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of a data flow diagram generation device 1 according to Modification 2 of Embodiment 1. The configuration of Modification 2 in Fig. 6 is the same as the configuration in Fig. 1, except that an emphasis display designation unit 30, which is a designation unit, is added.

[0050] The highlighting specification unit 30 is connected to the data flow diagram generation unit 16 and receives specification content from the user, including control values ​​and conversion formulas to be highlighted or not highlighted. When using the data flow diagram generation device 1, the specification content only needs to include at least one of a control value and a conversion formula to be highlighted or not highlighted. The highlighting specification unit 30 is, for example, an input device such as a mouse and a keyboard connected to the control unit 10. In accordance with the first modification, the highlighting specification unit 30 may also receive content obtained by directly operating the display unit 20 as a result of the user's input.

[0051] Data flow diagram generation unit 16 generates a data flow diagram based on new design information 141 (i.e., updated design information) recorded in storage unit 14, update information detected by update information detection unit 15, and designation received by highlighting designation unit 30. For example, data flow diagram generation unit 16 generates a data flow diagram similar to that of the first embodiment based on new design information 141 and update information. Data flow diagram generation unit 16 then reflects the designation in the data flow diagram, highlighting control values ​​and conversion formulas that are not highlighted in the data flow diagram, or de-highlighting control values ​​and conversion formulas that are highlighted in the data flow diagram.

[0052] According to Modification 2, when there are many update locations and it is difficult for the user to check the impact of updating a specific control value or conversion formula, the user can easily check the impact by specifying the control values ​​and conversion formulas to be highlighted or not highlighted. This improves the usability of the data flow diagram generation device 1. Furthermore, by specifying the control values ​​and conversion formulas to be highlighted or not highlighted while viewing the data flow diagram output on the display unit 20, the user can prevent overlooking the scope of the impact of the update locations.

[0053] <Variation 3> Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of a data flow diagram generation device 1 according to Modification 3 of Embodiment 1. The configuration of Modification 3 in Fig. 7 is the same as the configuration in Fig. 1, except that an update information correction unit 31, which is a correction unit, is added.

[0054] The update information corrector 31 is connected to the update information detector 15 and receives, from the user, correction content for correcting the detection of update information by the update information detector 15. The correction content includes at least one of a pair of a control value before the design information is updated and a control value after the design information is updated, and a pair of a conversion formula before the design information is updated and a conversion formula after the design information is updated. The update information corrector 31 is, for example, an input device such as a mouse and a keyboard connected to the control unit 10. In addition, in accordance with the first modification, the update information corrector 31 may also receive content obtained by the user directly operating the output result of the display unit 20.

[0055] The update information detection unit 15, for example, prevents an identification error in the design information and corrects the identification error based on the correction content received by the update information correction unit 31, and detects update information that reflects the results. In other words, the update information correction unit 31 corrects the detection of update information by the update information detection unit 15 by outputting the correction content to the update information detection unit 15.

[0056] In the first embodiment, the update information detection unit 15 identifies control values ​​based on the names of the control values. Therefore, for example, if the names of existing control values ​​are changed due to a design update, the existing control values ​​are essentially deleted, and the update information detection unit 15 determines that new control values ​​have been added. As a result, the update information detection unit 15 may not be able to detect appropriate update information.

[0057] Furthermore, for example, in addition to the name of an existing control value being changed by updating the design information, after the design information is updated, a new control value may have the same name as an existing control value that is no longer in use. In such a case, the update information detection unit 15 may mistakenly identify the new control value in the new design information 141 that has the same name as the existing control value in the old design information 142 as the existing control value. As a result, the update information detection unit 15 may not be able to detect appropriate update information.

[0058] In contrast to this, according to Modification 3, when the name of a control value or the like is changed when updating design information, the update information corrector 31 receives the correction content from the user. For example, when control value 1 is changed to control value 2 as a result of updating the design information, the update information corrector 31 receives the correction content from the user, which includes a pair of control value 1 before the design information was updated and control value 2 after the design information was updated.

[0059] The update information detection unit 15 identifies the control value 1 and the control value 2 based on the correction content received by the update information correction unit 31, and detects the update information by identifying the control values ​​and the conversion formulas by excluding the control value 1 from the old design information 142 and the control value 2 from the new design information 141.

[0060] In this way, by referring to the names of the control values ​​included in the correction content, the update information detection unit 15 can prevent erroneous identification of the control values ​​of the new design information 141 and the old design information 142, thereby detecting appropriate update information, which allows the display of an appropriately highlighted data flow diagram.

[0061] <Embodiment 2> Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of a data flow diagram generation device 1 according to the second embodiment. The configuration of Fig. 8 of the second embodiment is the same as the configuration of Fig. 1 except that, in place of the update information detection unit 15, a difference information detection unit 17, which is a type of update information detection unit 15, is provided, and, in place of the data flow diagram generation unit 16, a difference data flow diagram generation unit 18, which is a type of data flow diagram generation unit 16.

[0062] The difference information detection unit 17 detects difference information, which is a type of update information, when the stored design information is updated. The difference information includes control values ​​and conversion formulas that have been added, changed, or deleted from the design information as the design information is updated. Note that, when the data flow diagram generation device 1 is in use, the difference information only needs to include at least one of the control values ​​and conversion formulas that have been added, changed, or deleted.

[0063] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a process in which the difference information detecting unit 17 according to the second embodiment detects difference information.

[0064] In steps S201 to S205, similarly to steps S101 to S105 in FIG. 2, the difference information detection unit 17 identifies the control value and sets a new control value.

[0065] After step S205, in step S206, the difference data detection unit 17 sets, as deletion control values, control values ​​of the old design data 142 that are not linked to any of the control values ​​of the new design data 141.

[0066] After step S206, in steps S207 to S213, similar to steps S106 to S112 in FIG. 2, the difference data detection unit 17 identifies the conversion formula and sets the new conversion formula and the changed conversion formula.

[0067] After step S213, in step S214, the difference data detection unit 17 sets, as a deletion data, a conversion formula of the old design information 142 that is not linked to any of the conversion formulas of the new design information 141.

[0068] In step S215, the difference information detection unit 17 lists the new control values, deleted control values, new conversion formulas, changed conversion formulas, and deleted conversion formulas that have been obtained so far, each included in the difference information. In this way, the difference information detection unit 17 detects difference information that includes control values ​​and conversion formulas that have been added, changed, or deleted from the design information as the design information is updated.

[0069] 8 generates a differential data flow diagram, which is a type of data flow diagram, based on new design information 141 (i.e., updated design information) stored in storage unit 14 and the differential information detected by differential information detection unit 17. In the differential data flow diagram, the differential information detected by differential information detection unit 17 is reflected, and added, changed, and deleted control values ​​and conversion formulas are highlighted. When using data flow diagram generation device 1, it is sufficient that at least one of the control values ​​and conversion formulas that have been added, changed, and deleted is highlighted in the differential data flow diagram.

[0070] 10 is a diagram showing differential data flow diagram 171 generated before updating design document 90, and differential data flow diagrams 172A, 172B, and 172C generated after updating design document 90. Differential data flow diagrams 171, 172A, 172B, and 172C show the relationship between control values ​​and conversion formulas, similar to the data flow diagrams described in the first embodiment.

[0071] Differential data flow diagram 171 shows a block diagram corresponding to the statement in the design document before it was updated that "conversion formula A multiplies control value 1 and control value 2 and outputs control value 3." Differential data flow diagram 172A shows a block diagram corresponding to the statement in the design document after it was updated that "conversion formula A multiplies control value 1, control value 2, and control value 4 and outputs control value 3." In this case, the added control value 4 is set as the new control value, and conversion formula A, whose input control value has changed, is set as the changed conversion formula, so that control value 4 and conversion formula A are highlighted.

[0072] The updates made between the generation of differential data flow diagram 171 and the generation of differential data flow diagram 172A are the addition of control value 4 and the change of conversion formula A, and differential data flow diagram 172A is the same as the data flow diagram according to embodiment 1. However, in the data flow diagram according to embodiment 1, the control values ​​and conversion formulas deleted from the design document, and therefore from the design information, are not highlighted. In contrast, in the differential data flow diagram according to embodiment 2, the control values ​​and conversion formulas deleted from the design document, and therefore from the design information, are highlighted, as will be described next.

[0073] The differential data flow diagram 172B shows a block diagram corresponding to the description in the updated design document that "conversion formula A multiplies control value 1 and a constant (for example, 2) without using control value 2, and outputs control value 3." In this case, the deleted control value 2 is set as the deleted control value, and conversion formula A, whose input control value has changed, is set as the changed conversion formula, so that the control value 2 and conversion formula A, which have been deleted from the updated design document and, by extension, from the design information, are highlighted.

[0074] Differential data flow diagram 172C shows a block diagram corresponding to the statement in the updated design document that "conversion formula A multiplies control value 1 and control value 4 without using control value 2 and outputs control value 3." In this case, control value 2 is set as the deletion control value, control value 4 is set as the new control value, and conversion formula A is set as the change conversion formula, so that control value 2, control value 4, and conversion formula A are highlighted.

[0075] <Summary of the second embodiment> According to the data flow diagram generating device 1 of the second embodiment, the differential information includes control values ​​and conversion formulas that have been added, changed, or deleted from the design information as the design information is updated, and the added, changed, or deleted control values ​​and conversion formulas are highlighted in the differential data flow diagram. This configuration not only provides the effects of the first embodiment, but also highlights the deleted control values ​​and conversion formulas in the differential data flow diagram, allowing the user to easily identify design elements that have been deleted from the previous specifications and are not included in the new specifications.

[0076] <Variation 1> Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a data flow diagram generation device 1 according to Modification 1 of Embodiment 2. In the configuration of Modification 1 shown in Fig. 11, differential data flow diagram generation unit 18 includes new data flow diagram generation unit 18a, old data flow diagram generation unit 18b, and data flow diagram processing unit 18c.

[0077] New data flow diagram generation unit 18a operates in the same manner as differential data flow diagram generation unit 18 of embodiment 2. As a result, new data flow diagram generation unit 18a generates a new data flow diagram, which is the current data flow diagram, based on new design information 141 (i.e., design information after the current update) stored in storage unit 14 and the difference information (i.e., current difference information) detected this time by difference information detection unit 17. Figure 12 shows a new data flow diagram 191 as an example.

[0078] Old data flow diagram generator 18b generates an old data flow diagram, which is a previous data flow diagram, based on old design information 142 (i.e., design information after the previous update) stored in storage unit 14 and difference information previously detected by difference information detector 17 (i.e., previous difference information). That is, old data flow diagram generator 18b performs the same operation as differential data flow diagram generator 18 of the second embodiment, using old design information 142 and previous difference information instead of new design information 141 and current difference information. Fig. 12 shows an old data flow diagram 192 as an example.

[0079] The data flow diagram processing unit 18c processes the new data flow diagram 191 and the old data flow diagram 192 to make it easier to check parts that include deleted design information. Specifically, the data flow diagram processing unit 18c marks a marking area, which is a first area that includes at least one of the control value and the conversion formula to be highlighted in the new data flow diagram 191. As a result, the data flow diagram processing unit 18c generates a marked data flow diagram 193 that includes a marking area 193a, as shown in FIG. 12. Here, marking refers to visual characterization, such as surrounding the first area that includes at least one of the target control value and the conversion formula with a frame or assigning an arbitrary symbol to the first area.

[0080] 12 by extracting the second area corresponding to the marking area 193a from the old data flow diagram 192. Then, the data flow diagram processing unit 18c associates the data flow block 194 with the marking area 193a of the marked data flow diagram 193 and displays it on the display unit 20.

[0081] For example, the display unit 20 may display the marked data flow diagram 193 and the data flow block 194 in one image. Alternatively, for example, the display unit 20 may display the data flow block 194 linked to the marking region 193a only when the mouse cursor is placed over the marking region 193a of the displayed marked data flow diagram 193. Alternatively, for example, the display unit 20 may display only the marking region 193a and the data flow block 194 without displaying the entire marked data flow diagram 193.

[0082] According to the above-described first modification, the user can refer to the marked data flow diagram 193 and the data flow block 194 to check the updated parts of the design information and the data flow diagrams before and after the update. This allows the user to proceed with development efficiently. Furthermore, the user can virtually check the parts highlighted in the old data flow diagram 192 and the parts highlighted in the new data flow diagram 191, so that the progress of the update of the design information can be confirmed.

[0083] <Other variations> 1 are hereinafter referred to as the "reading unit 11, etc." The reading unit 11, etc. are realized by a processing circuit 81 shown in FIG. 13. That is, the processing circuit 81 includes: a reading unit 11 that reads control values ​​and conversion formulas from a design document 90; a list generating unit 12 that generates a list in which an ID is assigned to each of the read control values ​​and conversion formulas; a linking unit 13 that links, using identifiers, the conversion formulas with control values ​​corresponding to the inputs and outputs of the conversion formulas; an update information detecting unit 15 that, when design information stored in a storage unit 14 is updated, detects update information including control values ​​and conversion formulas that have been added or changed to the design information as a result of the update; and a data flow diagram generating unit 16 that generates a data flow diagram, based on the updated design information and the update information, that is displayed on a display unit 20 and in which the added or changed control values ​​and conversion formulas are highlighted. Dedicated hardware or a processor that executes a program stored in memory may be applied to the processing circuit 81. Examples of processors include a central processing unit, a processing unit, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor).

[0084] When the processing circuit 81 is dedicated hardware, the processing circuit 81 may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a combination of these. The functions of each unit such as the reading unit 11 may be realized by a circuit in which the processing circuits are distributed, or the functions of each unit may be realized by a single processing circuit.

[0085] When the processing circuit 81 is a processor, the functions of the reading unit 11 and the like are realized in combination with software and the like. Note that software and the like include, for example, software, firmware, or software and firmware. The software and the like are written as programs and stored in memory. As shown in FIG. 14, a processor 82 applied to the processing circuit 81 realizes the functions of each unit by reading and executing programs stored in a memory 83 that functions as a work memory connected via a bus 84. That is, the data flow diagram generation device 1 includes a memory 83 for storing a program that, when executed by the processing circuit 81, results in the following steps: reading control values ​​and conversion formulas from the design document 90, generating a list in which an ID is assigned to each of the read control values ​​and conversion formulas, linking the conversion formulas with control values ​​corresponding to the inputs and outputs of the conversion formulas using identifiers, detecting, when the design information stored in the storage unit 14 is updated, update information including control values ​​and conversion formulas added and changed to the design information as a result of the update, and generating a data flow diagram that is displayed on the display unit 20 and in which the added and changed control values ​​and conversion formulas are highlighted, based on the updated design information and the update information. In other words, this program can be said to cause a computer to execute the procedures and methods of the reading unit 11, etc. Here, the memory 83 may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a mini disk, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a drive device for any of these, or any storage medium to be used in the future.

[0086] The above describes a configuration in which each function of the reading unit 11, etc. is realized either by hardware or software, etc. However, this is not limited to this, and a configuration in which part of the reading unit 11, etc. is realized by dedicated hardware and another part is realized by software, etc. For example, the function of the reading unit 11 can be realized by a processing circuit 81 as dedicated hardware, and the other functions can be realized by the processing circuit 81 as a processor 82 reading and executing a program stored in a memory 83.

[0087] As described above, the processing circuit 81 can realize the above-mentioned functions by hardware, software, or a combination of these. The same applies to the difference information detection unit 17 and the difference data flow diagram generation unit 18 in FIG. 8.

[0088] In this disclosure in English, 'a' and 'an' mean one or more. Therefore, 'a', 'an', 'one or more' and 'at least one' can be used interchangeably.

[0089] It should be noted that the embodiments and modifications may be freely combined, and the embodiments and modifications may be modified or omitted as appropriate.

[0090] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

[0091] (Appendix 1) a reading unit that reads control values ​​and conversion formulas from a software design document written in a natural language; a list generating unit that generates a list in which an identifier is assigned to each of the read control values ​​and the read conversion formulas; a linking unit that links the conversion formula with the control value corresponding to the input and output of the conversion formula using the identifier; a storage unit that stores the linked control values ​​and the conversion formulas as design information; an update information detection unit that, when the stored design information is updated, detects update information including the control value and the conversion formula that have been added to and changed in the design information as the design information is updated; a data flow diagram generation unit that generates a data flow diagram that shows the relationship between the control values ​​and the conversion formulas based on the updated design information and the update information, and in which the added and changed control values ​​and conversion formulas are highlighted; a display unit that displays the data flow diagram; A data flow diagram generating device comprising:

[0092] (Appendix 2) 10. The data flow diagram generation device according to claim 1, The display unit displays the data flow diagram and the update information.

[0093] (Appendix 3) 10. The data flow diagram generation device according to claim 1, further comprising: a designation unit that receives designation content including the control value to be highlighted and the conversion formula to be non-highlighted from a user, The data flow diagram generation unit a data flow diagram generating device that generates the data flow diagram based on the updated design information, the update information, and the specified content;

[0094] (Appendix 4) 1. A data flow diagram generation device according to claim 1, further comprising: a correction unit that receives, from a user, correction content for correcting the detection of the update information; The correction content is: the control value before the design information is updated and the control value after the design information is updated; or the conversion formula before the design information is updated and the conversion formula after the design information is updated; The update information detection unit The data flow diagram generation device detects the update information based on the correction content.

[0095] (Appendix 5) 10. The data flow diagram generation device according to claim 1, further comprising: the update information includes the control values ​​and the conversion formulas that are added, changed, or deleted from the design information as the design information is updated; A data flow diagram generating device in which the control values ​​and conversion expressions that have been added, changed, or deleted are highlighted in the data flow diagram.

[0096] (Appendix 6) 6. The data flow diagram generation device according to claim 5, The data flow diagram generation unit a new data flow diagram generating unit that generates the current data flow diagram based on the design information after the current update and the current update information; an old data flow diagram generating unit that generates the previous data flow diagram based on the design information after the previous update and the previous update information; a data flow diagram processing unit that marks a first region in the current data flow diagram, the first region including at least one of the control value and the conversion formula to be highlighted, and extracts a second region corresponding to the first region in the previous data flow diagram; A data flow diagram generating device comprising:

[0097] (Appendix 7) Reads control values ​​and conversion formulas from software design documents written in natural language, generating a list in which an identifier is assigned to each of the control values ​​and the conversion formulas that have been read; linking the conversion formula with the control value corresponding to the input and output of the conversion formula using the identifier; storing the linked control value and the conversion formula as design information; When the stored design information is updated, update information including the control value and the conversion formula that have been added to and changed in the design information in association with the update of the design information is detected; generating a data flow diagram based on the updated design information and the updated information, which shows the relationship between the control values ​​and the conversion formulas and highlights the added and changed control values ​​and conversion formulas; A data flow diagram generating method for displaying the data flow diagram.

[0098] (Appendix 8) 8. The method of generating a data flow diagram according to claim 7, further comprising: The data flow diagram generating method displays the data flow diagram and the update information.

[0099] (Appendix 9) 9. A data flow diagram generation method according to claim 7 or 8, comprising: Accepting designation from a user, including the control values ​​to be highlighted and the conversion formulas to be non-highlighted; a data flow diagram generating method for generating the data flow diagram based on the updated design information, the update information, and the specified content;

[0100] (Appendix 10) 10. A data flow diagram generation method according to any one of Supplementary Note 7 to Supplementary Note 9, comprising: receiving correction details for correcting the detection of the update information from a user; The correction content is: the control value before the design information is updated and the control value after the design information is updated; or the conversion formula before the design information is updated and the conversion formula after the design information is updated; The data flow diagram generating method detects the update information based on the correction content.

[0101] (Appendix 11) 11. A data flow diagram generation method according to any one of Supplementary Note 7 to Supplementary Note 10, comprising: the update information includes the control values ​​and the conversion formulas that are added, changed, or deleted from the design information as the design information is updated; A data flow diagram generating method, wherein the control values ​​and transformation expressions that have been added, changed, or deleted are highlighted in the data flow diagram.

[0102] (Appendix 12) 12. The method of generating a data flow diagram according to claim 11, further comprising: generating the current data flow diagram based on the design information after the current update and the current update information; generating the previous data flow diagram based on the design information after the previous update and the previous update information; A data flow diagram generation method comprising marking a first region in the current data flow diagram that includes at least one of the control value and the conversion formula to be highlighted, and extracting a second region in the previous data flow diagram that corresponds to the first region. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1 Data flow diagram generation device, 11 Reading unit, 12 List generation unit, 13 Linking unit, 14 Memory unit, 15 Update information detection unit, 16 Data flow diagram generation unit, 17 Difference information detection unit, 18 Difference data flow diagram generation unit, 18a New data flow diagram generation unit, 18b Old data flow diagram generation unit, 18c Data flow diagram processing unit, 20 Display unit, 30 Highlight display specification unit, 31 Update information correction unit, 90 Design document.

Claims

1. a reading unit that reads control values ​​and conversion formulas from a software design document written in a natural language; a list generating unit that generates a list in which an identifier is assigned to each of the read control values ​​and the read conversion formulas; a linking unit that links the conversion formula with the control value corresponding to the input and output of the conversion formula using the identifier; a storage unit that stores the linked control values ​​and the conversion formulas as design information; an update information detection unit that, when the stored design information is updated, detects update information including the control value and the conversion formula that have been added to and changed in the design information as the design information is updated; a data flow diagram generating unit that generates a data flow diagram that shows the relationship between the control values ​​and the conversion formulas based on the updated design information and the update information, and in which the added and changed control values ​​and conversion formulas are highlighted; a display unit that displays the data flow diagram; A data flow diagram generating device comprising:

2. 2. The data flow diagram generation device according to claim 1, The display unit displays the data flow diagram and the update information.

3. 2. The data flow diagram generation device according to claim 1, a designation unit that receives designation content including the control value to be highlighted and the conversion formula to be non-highlighted from a user, The data flow diagram generation unit a data flow diagram generating device that generates the data flow diagram based on the updated design information, the update information, and the specified content;

4. 2. The data flow diagram generation device according to claim 1, a correction unit that receives, from a user, correction content for correcting the detection of the update information; The correction content is: the control value before the design information is updated and the control value after the design information is updated; or the conversion formula before the design information is updated and the conversion formula after the design information is updated; The update information detection unit The data flow diagram generation device detects the update information based on the correction content.

5. 5. The data flow diagram generation device according to claim 1, the update information includes the control values ​​and the conversion formulas that are added, changed, or deleted from the design information as the design information is updated; A data flow diagram generating device in which the control values ​​and conversion expressions that have been added, changed, or deleted are highlighted in the data flow diagram.

6. 6. The data flow diagram generation device according to claim 5, The data flow diagram generation unit a new data flow diagram generating unit that generates the current data flow diagram based on the design information after the current update and the current update information; an old data flow diagram generating unit that generates the previous data flow diagram based on the design information after the previous update and the previous update information; a data flow diagram processing unit that marks a first region in the current data flow diagram, the first region including at least one of the control value and the conversion formula to be highlighted, and extracts a second region corresponding to the first region in the previous data flow diagram; A data flow diagram generating device comprising:

7. Reads control values ​​and conversion formulas from software design documents written in natural language, generating a list in which an identifier is assigned to each of the control values ​​and the conversion formulas that have been read; linking the conversion formula with the control value corresponding to the input and output of the conversion formula using the identifier; storing the linked control value and the conversion formula as design information; When the stored design information is updated, update information including the control value and the conversion formula that have been added to and changed in the design information in association with the update of the design information is detected; generating a data flow diagram based on the updated design information and the updated information, which shows the relationship between the control values ​​and the conversion formulas and highlights the added and changed control values ​​and conversion formulas; A data flow diagram generating method for displaying the data flow diagram.

8. 8. A method for generating a data flow diagram according to claim 7, comprising: The data flow diagram generating method displays the data flow diagram and the update information.

9. 8. A method for generating a data flow diagram according to claim 7, comprising: Accepting designation from a user, including the control values ​​to be highlighted and the conversion formulas to be non-highlighted; a data flow diagram generating method for generating the data flow diagram based on the updated design information, the update information, and the specified content;

10. 8. A method for generating a data flow diagram according to claim 7, comprising: receiving correction details for correcting the detection of the update information from a user; The correction content is: the control value before the design information is updated and the control value after the design information is updated; or the conversion formula before the design information is updated and the conversion formula after the design information is updated; The data flow diagram generating method detects the update information based on the correction content.

11. A data flow diagram generation method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, comprising: the update information includes the control values ​​and the conversion formulas that are added, changed, or deleted from the design information as the design information is updated; A data flow diagram generating method, wherein the control values ​​and transformation expressions that have been added, changed, or deleted are highlighted in the data flow diagram.

12. 12. A method for generating a data flow diagram according to claim 11, comprising: generating the current data flow diagram based on the design information after the current update and the current update information; generating the previous data flow diagram based on the design information after the previous update and the previous update information; A data flow diagram generation method comprising marking a first region in the current data flow diagram that includes at least one of the control value and the conversion formula to be highlighted, and extracting a second region in the previous data flow diagram that corresponds to the first region.

Images