Rule-based modelling of the software development process

MARVEL is a knowledge-based programming environment that assists its users during the implementation, testing and maintenance phases of software projects. It currently addresses the technical aspects of building software systems rather than the managerial aspects of supporting large software projects. MARVEL’S knowledge is supplied as a collection of srraregies, which are combined to define the structure and behavior of the programmin g environment. Each strategy defines facilities appropriate to some specific programmin g language, programming methodology, scale of the target software project, phase of the software life-cycle, and/or personnel role in the software process. The strategies are written in advance by a superuser familiar both with MARVEL and the site’s family of projects, and are later configured to describe the appropriate facilities currently required by the given user.