ITR: Collaborative Research: Dependable End-User Software

在授权最终用户能够编写他们自己的程序方面，已经做了大量的工作，结果，用户确实这样做了。事实上，到2005年，美国最终用户程序员的人数预计将达到5 500万，而专业程序员只有275万。这些最终用户使用的编程系统包括电子表格系统、网络创作工具和用于演示教育模拟的期望行为的图形语言。使用这样的系统，最终用户创建软件，形式如教育模拟，电子表格和动态电子商务Web应用程序。 然而，不幸的是，错误在最终用户软件中无处不在，并且所产生的影响有时是巨大的。当最终用户创建的软件不可靠时，可能会对那些退休基金、信用记录、电子商务收入，甚至健康和安全都依赖于基于该软件所做的决策的人产生严重的后果。为了解决这个问题，我们提出了一个根本的范式转变，以一种新的方式来思考最终用户创建软件的方式。我们的目的是解决以下研究问题：是否有可能将严格的软件工程方法的贝内带给最终用户？我们不建议将最终用户转变为工程师。相反，我们的计划是使系统能够创建与这些用户协作的软件，在一个软件开发范例中，将传统上独立的功能结合起来-将规范，设计，实现，组件集成，调试，测试和维护融合到紧密集成的高度交互式环境中。这些环境将采用新的，增量的，反馈设备支持的分析和推理，以帮助用户的原因，他们的软件的可靠性，因为他们与它的工作，在尊重用户的解决问题的方向，在某种程度上前所未有的现有的软件开发环境。

ABSTRACT0324844Susan WiedenbeckDrexel UniversityThere has been considerable work in empowering end users to be able to write their own programs, and as a result, users are indeed doing so. In fact, the number of end-user programmers in the United States is expected to reach 55 million by 2005, as compared to only 2.75 million professional programmers. The programming systems used by these end users include spreadsheet systems, web authoring tools, and graphical languages for demonstrating the desired behavior of educational simulations. Using such systems, end users create software, in forms such as educational simulations, spreadsheets, and dynamic e-business web applications. Unfortunately, however, errors are pervasive in end-user software, and the resulting impact is sometimes enormous. When the software end users create is not dependable, there can be serious consequences for the people whose retirement funds, credit histories, e-business revenues, and even health and safety rely on decisions made based on that software.To address this problem, we propose a fundamental paradigm shift to a new way of thinking about the way end users create software. Our intent is to address the following research question:Is it possible to bring the bene.ts of rigorous software engineering methodologies to end users?We do not propose to transform end users into engineers. Rather, our plan is to enable systems to create software to collaborate with those users, in a software development paradigm that combines traditionally separate functions - blending speci.cation, design, implementation, component integration, debugging, testing, and maintenance into tightly integrated, highly interactive environments. These environments will employ new, incremental, feedback devices supported by analysis and inferential reasoning to help the user reason about the dependability of their software as they work with it, in a manner that respects the user's problem-solving directions to an extent unprecedented in existing software development environments.