Specification by example using graphical animation and a production system

The author describes a rapid prototyping technique based on executing requirement specifications for application domains. Entities, activities, and constraints of a real environment are specified and represented by icons, icon transformations, and production rules, respectively. The behavior of the system is simulated by execution of the production rules combined with an icon animation. The aspects modeled concern operational strategies encountered in the application environment. It is shown how to organize a knowledge base and build graphic objects from a formal description of an application domain. A methodology is presented that makes it possible to design a system in such a way that it includes parts of its prototype during and after development. The prototyping technique and the design methodology can be gathered together to support the incremental development of large systems