Method for automatically converting a data flow description of a source program directly into a function design chart

Claim 1

A method of generating a function design chart showing an outline of a data flow description chart with the aid of a computer from a source program corresponding to said data flow description chart which contains a plurality of process elements each receiving a plurality of inputs representing fixed values or variable data and outputting at least one data in accordance with the result of processing and data lines for interconnecting said process elements, the method comprising the steps of: inputting said source program to said computer, said source program including a plurality of statements corresponding to said process elements, each of said statements defining a name of the corresponding process element and a plurality of input information to be inputted to said process element and described in the order of input positions of said process element, said input information being represented by data indicating an output position of other process elements when said input information is furnished from said other process element; selecting process elements to be an object for description of a function design chart by sequentially collating said name of said process element contained in each statement of said plurality of statements of said source program with a first description rule table stored previously in said computer, said first description rule table containing definitions concerning types of graphic symbols to be displayed in said function design chart and comment information corresponding to said names of said process elements for plural types of said process elements constituting said objects for description of said function design chart, said comment information representing position data indicating input positions of said input information to the associated process element; generating an output record containing a type of graphic symbol and said comment information as defined in said first description rule table for each of said process elements selected to be objects for description of said function design chart by said selecting step; detecting position data contained as said comment information in said output record and replacing each of said position data by input information specified by said position data described in said statement from said plurality of statements of said source program which corresponds to said output record; referencing a second description rule table stored previously in said computer to thereby replace said position data by predetermined input information when said input information to replace the position data at said detecting step is described in said statement of said source program in a form of said position data of other process elements, said second description rule table storing said position data of an individual process element from said plurality of process elements in the form of numerical values, names of variables or said input position data for said input information from the other process elements in the order of the output positions for the plural types of said process elements; adding linkage information to said output record, said linkage information indicates an interconnection relation between said process element defined by said output record and said process element defined by another output record based on the content of said statements of said source program; and drawing said function design chart on the basis of said output records.

Claim 2

A method of generating a function design chart showing an outline of a data flow description chart with the aid of a computer from a source program corresponding to said data flow description chart which contains a plurality of process elements each receiving a plurality of inputs representing fixed values or variable data and outputting at least one data in accordance with the result of processing and data lines for interconnecting said process elements, the method comprising the steps of: inputting said source program to said computer, said source program including a plurality of statements corresponding to said process elements, each of said statements defining a name of the corresponding process element and a plurality of input information to be inputted to said process element and described in the order of input positions of said process element, said input information being represented by data indicating an output position of other process elements when said input information is furnished from said other process element; selecting process elements to be an object for description of a function design chart by sequentially collating said name of said process element contained in each statement of said plurality of statements of said source program with a first description rule table stored previously in said computer, said first description rule table containing definitions concerning types of graphic symbols to be displayed in said function design chart and comment information corresponding to said names of said process elements for plural types of said process elements constituting said objects for description of said function design chart, said comment information representing position data indicating input positions of said input information to the associated process element; generating an output record containing a type of graphic symbol and said comment information as defined in said first description rule table for each of said process elements selected to be objects for description of said function design chart by said selecting step; detecting position data contained as said comment information in said output record and replacing each of said position data by input information specified by said position data described in said statement from said plurality of statements of said source program which corresponds to said output record; referencing a second description rule table stored previously in said computer to thereby replace said position data by predetermined input information when said input information to replace the position data at said detecting step is described in said statement of said source program in a form of said position data of other process elements, said second description rule table storing said position data of an individual process element from said plurality of process elements in the form of numerical values, names of variables or said input position data for said input information from the other process elements in the order of the output positions for the plural types of said process elements; adding linkage information to said output record, said linkage information indicates an interconnection relation between said process element defined by said output record and said process element defined by another output record based on the content of said statements of said source program; and drawing said function design chart on the basis of said output records.