Towards knowledge-intensive software engineering

This research explores relations between software artefacts and explicitly represented (domain) knowledge. More specifically, we investigate ways in which domain knowledge (represented as ontologies) can support software engineering activities and, conversely, how software artefacts (e.g., programs, methods, and UML diagrams) can support the creation of ontologies. In our approach, class names, and class properties are the principal entities which are extracted from both sources. We implemented a tool, called Facilitator, to support programmers and knowledge engineers when they develop ontologies or programs. This tool provides a list of connections between the ontology and Java project, and provides reasons why these connections have been identified. These connections are created by matching names, types, and superclass-subclass relationships. Facilitator provides a range of semantic web enabled functionalities.