Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!shuksan!scott
From: scott@shuksan.UUCP (Scott Moody)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Application generators
Keywords: application generators
Message-ID: <907@shuksan.UUCP>
Date: 12 Oct 88 15:28:58 GMT
References: <39048@aero.ARPA>
Organization: The Boeing Co., BAC MMST, Seattle, WA
Lines: 52

In article <39048@aero.ARPA>, abbott@aero.ARPA (Russell J. Abbott) writes:
> 
>   I'm interested in experiences with and opinions about application
>   generators.
>   
>   I define an application generator as a computer program that has the
>   following properties.
>   
>      1. It encapsulates the semantics of a particular application domain  
>         or computational paradigm.
>   
>      2. It  provides  a  way for "programmers" to tailor, i.e., program, 
>         the encapsulated knowledge for the use of "end users."  In  other  
>         words it defines both "programming" and "end user" roles.
>   

I have just recently heard about the term 'application generators'. 
I would like to know if these can also be construed as 'Supercompilers' 
as described in an article by Turchin in TOPLS (July 86) on 
'The Concept of a Supercompiler'. Basically a program transformer. 

I could see such a tool as just a higher abstraction for a programmer
to use, in much the same way a high level programming language is 
a higher abstraction to the low level machine level. Why not provide
a tool (language,set of tools) that will allow programming of an application.

In my case, we have a set of graphic prototyping tools that are very useful to
develope specific applications (something like visual programming).
Unfortunately the tools are so generic that the end result is a great
MODEL of the applications, but the execution performance isn't as good
as a taylored end product. Why not provide a application generator
or metasystem transformer, that will take the prototype and generate
a streamlined end product. This way changes can be made to the generic
high level prototype, without having to diddle in the low level 
end produce. (Have we heard this before?)

Does this even come close to your concept of an application generator?

Could you post any references that are explicitly on the application
generators. 

(Actually after posting this I found an article in July 1988 issue of 
Computer on application generators, and am now editing the batched
news message:
  Do feel that the application generators you want are actual formal
  definitions of the end system? Or do you think that a running 
  prototype would also fit?  )

Thanks.

scott moody