The knowledge-based software assistant: a formal, object oriented software development environment

The Knowledge-Based Software Assistant (KBSA) program was initiated in 1984 following the publication of the Rome Laboratory technical report, "Report on a Knowledge-Based Software Assistant". This report described a new paradigm of software development where the tedious and mundane tasks of system development were automated. We have striven to implement and improve the paradigm described in that report. Specifically we have concentrated on the definition and implementation of an integrated suite of tools designed to support the management, development, and evolution of complex software-intensive systems. This paper describes the KBSA paradigm through an exploration of four of its key facets: project management, requirements acquisition, specification elaboration, and formal development.