Semantics-based code search demonstration proposal

Abstract

Our goal is to use the vast repositories of available open source code to generate specific functions or classes that meet a user's specifications. The key words here are specifications and generate. We let users specify what they are looking for as precisely as possible using keywords, class or method signatures, test cases, contracts, and security constraints using a simple, web-based interface. Our system then uses an open set of program transformations to map retrieved code into what the user asked for. This approach is implemented in a prototype system for Java with a web interface.