Generating Hypertext from SADT Models
SAX Presentation
The SAX (SAdt eXplain) system generates hypertext descriptions
of conceptual models designed with the SADT methodology.
Background
During information system development, software engineering methodologies
are used for analysis and design. Conceptual modelling with some formalized
or semi-formalized graphic language is frequently used in the analysis
phase. The validation of these conceptual models is crucial: by
ensuring the correctness and quality of the model at an early stage, time
and money can be saved. The validation task might be difficult if the domain
expert does not know the formal language used by the analyst. Thus the
analyst should provide the domain expert with additional and comprehensible
documentation: textual natural-language descriptions of the model
are suitable for this purpose. The motivation behind SAX is that valuable
analyst time could be saved if this documentation is produced automatically.
The automatically generated documentation can also be used by the analyst
to debug in the model. SAX generates hypertext descriptions of conceptual
models designed with the Structured
Analysis and Design Technique (SADT, developed by Softech Inc.).
System Properties
SAX is implemented in Prolog and runs in the Windows environment. The system
generates model descriptions within a few seconds.
SAX is characterized by a hybrid approach to text generation. A classical
NLG approach was chosen for the planning of the global structure of the
text using a schema-like representation, while templates were used at the
sentence level. The flexibility of traditional static templates was enhanced
by developing a new template formalism. See SAX
publications for more details.
System Output
Each diagram in a SADT model is described through a hypertext page that
contains a clickable diagram image and the generated text. The pages are
accessed through an index
page that shows the hierarchical organization of the diagrams in
the model. From the diagram descriptions there is access to the glossaries
where concepts in the model are explained with a few lines manually written
by the analyst. It is possible to move from one diagram description to
the other through arrow icon links and clickable diagram images.
An example of a model description with a tutorial that illustrates
significant aspects of the generated hypertexts can be accessed in the
SAX Tutorial.
Participants and Sponsors
The SAX system is sponsored by Finsiel SpA and jointly realized by the
Natural Language Processing and Communication Group at IRST, Finsiel SpA
and the Computer Science Department of the University of Rome ``La Sapienza''.
IRST People Involved
Publications
-
SAX: Generating Hypertext from SADT Models. Nicola Cancedda, Gjertrud
Kamstrup, Emanuele Pianta and Ettore Pietrosanti. In Proceedings of the
Third Workshop on Applications of Natural Language to Information Systems
(NLDB'97), Vancouver, Canada, June 25-27, 1997. [Gzipped Postscript - 92k]
[HTML]
-
A Hybrid Approach to Hypertext Generation. Nicola Cancedda, Gjertrud
Kamstrup, Emanuele Pianta and Ettore Pietrosanti. In the Proceedings
of the Fifth Congress of the Italian Association for Artificial Intelligence
(AI*IA'97), Rome, September 16-19, 1997. [Gzipped Postscript - 105k]
[HTML]
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SAX: Generating Hypertext from SADT Models. Nicola Cancedda, Gjertrud
Kamstrup, Emanuele Pianta and Ettore Pietrosanti. To appear in Data&Knowledge Engineering, journal, special issue, 1998 (a revised version of the paper submitted to the NLDB'97 conference). [Gzipped Postscript - 131k]
SADT Resources on the Web
Natural Language Processing and Communication Group
Maintainer: kamstrup@itc.it
Last modified: Mon Feb 2 14:13:01 MET 1998