ITR: Collaborative Research: Dependable End-User Software

elbaum, SebastianU of nebraska .在授权最终用户能够编写自己的程序方面已经做了相当多的工作，结果，用户确实在这样做。事实上，到2005年，美国最终用户程序员的数量预计将达到5500万，而专业程序员只有275万。这些终端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所需行为的图形语言。使用这样的系统，最终用户可以以教育模拟、电子表格和动态电子商务web应用程序等形式创建软件。然而，不幸的是，错误在最终用户软件中是普遍存在的，并且由此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，对于那些退休基金、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做出的决策的人来说，可能会产生严重的后果。为了解决这个问题，我们提出了一个基本的范式转换，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：是否有可能带来好处。对最终用户来说，严格的软件工程方法是什么？我们不打算把终端用户变成工程师。相反，我们的计划是使系统能够创建与那些用户协作的软件，在一个软件开发范例中，该范例结合了传统上分离的功能——将规范、设计、实现、组件集成、调试、测试和维护混合到紧密集成的、高度交互的环境中。这些环境将采用新的、增量的、由分析和推理支持的反馈设备，以在现有软件开发环境中前所未有的程度上尊重用户解决问题方向的方式，帮助用户在使用软件时推断软件的可靠性。

ABSTRACT0324861Elbaum, SebastianU of NebraskaThere 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.