EP0323707A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Software verification and validation method
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
•
Filing: 1988-11-25
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2008-11-25
Abstract
Abstract In a method of software verification, differences between both the code and documentation of a revised generation of software and a previous generation are compared by a digital computer with the intended revisions stored in a release file. When all discrepancies have been eliminated, and for the original generation of the software, actual impacts in the form of the locations in the program where one routine is called by another and where common statements and public variables are used, are identified; then, the revised software, or the original version in the case of newly created software, is stored in a library with the code and documentation paired, and with each revision of each unit identified for later retrieval and reconstruction of any software generation. The latest generation of the software is then simultaneously verified, preferably by an automated process in a programmed computer, and validated through testing of the auto-linked program in PROMs inserted in the actual hardware.
Inventors
- 👤 R. Ralph Delucia
- 👤 Daniel Joseph Wolf
- 👤 Thomas Aquin Pike
- 👤 David Wayne Rockot
- 👤 Neil Jay Musicante
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 20:55
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F12/00; G06F12/16; G06F8/00; G06F8/70; G06F8/71
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
An automated method using a programmed digital computer, for releasing software which includes multiple routines at least some of which selectively call others of said routines, share public variables and share common statements, said method comprising steps of: storing said software in a software file; generating a release file identifying impact locations where a routine is used by another routine and where public variables and common statements are used; characterized by operating a programmed digital computer for identifying actual locations in said software stored in said software file where a routine is used by another routine and where any public variables and common statements are used; and comparing said identified actual locations with said identified impact locations and generate an output indicating any discrepancies therebetween.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
125 words
An automated method using a programmed digital computer, for releasing software which includes multiple routines at least some of which selectively call others of said routines, share public variables and share common statements, said method comprising steps of: storing said software in a software file; generating a release file identifying impact locations where a routine is used by another routine and where public variables and common statements are used; characterized by operating a programmed digital computer for identifying actual locations in said software stored in said software file where a routine is used by another routine and where any public variables and common statements are used; and comparing said identified actual locations with said identified impact locations and generate an output indicating any discrepancies therebetween.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein operating said digital computer includes, when there are no discrepancies, archiving said software in a software library.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
92 words
The method of claim 2 including modifying said software and storing said modified software in said software file and wherein generating said release file includes identifying the locations in said software of said modifications and wherein said step of operating said programmed digital computer includes first comparing said modified software in said software file with said archived software and identifying each difference therebetween, and comparing the location of said differences with said release file and generating an output when the differences do not correspond to said modifications identified in said release file.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 3 wherein said archiving includes identifying in said software library the revisions of the software routines for each generation of the software.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 2 including linking said software stored in said software library and then simultaneously verifying and validating said linked software.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 5 including identifying discrepancies in said verifying and validation steps, modifying said software to correct same, and repeating of the steps of claims 1, 2 and 5.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 6 wherein archiving includes identifying in said software library said documentation with each piece of code.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
75 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said software includes code and documentation and wherein said step of storing said software in the software file includes storing said code and said documentation, wherein archiving includes archiving said code and documentation wherein generating said release file includes identifying changes in code and in documentation and wherein said programmed digital computer compares the archived code and documentation with the modified code and documentation and identifies differences between each.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
110 words
A system for releasing software code including multiple routines at least some of which call other of said routines and some of which share public variables and some of which share common statements, said system comprising: library means (6) for storing original code; means (1) for storing revised code; means (2) for storing a release file identifying modifications to the original code contained in the revised code; means (5) for comparing the revised code to the original code and identifying differences therebetween; and means for comparing said differences with said release file and generating an output indicating any discrepancies between said differences and the modifications identified in said release file.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
110 words
A system for releasing software code including multiple routines at least some of which call other of said routines and some of which share public variables and some of which share common statements, said system comprising: library means (6) for storing original code; means (1) for storing revised code; means (2) for storing a release file identifying modifications to the original code contained in the revised code; means (5) for comparing the revised code to the original code and identifying differences therebetween; and means for comparing said differences with said release file and generating an output indicating any discrepancies between said differences and the modifications identified in said release file.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 9 including means (10) for compiling the routines of the revised code and for generating an output when the code cannot be compiled.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
86 words
The system of claim 10 wherein said library means (6) includes means for storing documentation with said original code, wherein said means for storing revised software code includes means (1) for storing revised documentation with the revised software code; wherein said means for storing the release file includes means (2) for storing changes in said documentation; and wherein said means (5) for comparing also compares the original documentation stored in said library means with the revised documentation and generates an output when there is a discrepancy.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
92 words
The system of claim 11 wherein said means (2) for storing a release file includes means for identifying impact locations where a routine is used by another routine and where public variables and common statements are used; said system including means (12) for identifying the actual locations in said code where a routine is used by another routine and where any public variables and common statements are used, and means (13) for comparing said identified actual locations with said impact locations and for generating an output where there is a discrepancy therebetween.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
The system of claim 12 including means (14) when there are no discrepancies for storing said revised routine and documentation in said library means (6), and wherein said library means include means for identifying the revision of each routine which goes with each generation of said software.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 13 including means (18) for linking the revisions of the routines associated with the selected generating of the software and for storing said linked routines in said library means (6).
Claim 17
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of assuring the integrity of software which has been revised comprising: storing a first generation of said software in a software library; generating a software file containing a revised generation of said software; generating a release file identifying each of the revisions to said first generation of software included in said revised generation of said software; and operating a digital computer to: compare the revised generation of said software in said software file with the first generation of software in said software library and identify each of the differences therebetween; compare said differences with the revisions contained in said release file; and identify discrepancies therebetween.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of assuring the integrity of software which has been revised comprising: storing a first generation of said software in a software library; generating a software file containing a revised generation of said software; generating a release file identifying each of the revisions to said first generation of software included in said revised generation of said software; and operating a digital computer to: compare the revised generation of said software in said software file with the first generation of software in said software library and identify each of the differences therebetween; compare said differences with the revisions contained in said release file; and identify discrepancies therebetween.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
129 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said software includes code and documentation which are stored in said software library for said first generation of software and in said software file for said second generation of software, wherein generating said release file includes identifying revisions to the code and documentation of said first generation of software included in said revised generation of code and documentation; and wherein said digital computer is operated to compare said code and documentation of the revised generation of software with the code and documentation of the first generation; to identify differences between the revised generation and the first generation of both code and documentation, and to compare said differences with any revisions to code and documentation identified in said release file and identify discrepancies therebetween.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 16 including, when there are no discrepancies, compiling said revised software.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
95 words
The method of claim 17 wherein generating said release file includes identifying impact locations in said revised generation of software where a routine is used by another routine and wherein public variables and common statements are used, and wherein said programmed digital computer is operated to identify the actual location in said revised generation of software code where a routine is used by another routine and where any public variables and common statements are used, and to compare said identified actual locations with said identified impact locations and generate an output indicating any discrepancies therebetween.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 18 including, when there are no discrepancies, operating said programmed digital computer to link the routines of said revised generation of said software code.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 19 including simultaneously verifying and validating the revised generation of said software code.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.