Case based reasoning approach to creating user interface components

Abstract

Software developers can save time and expense by reusing code that implements user interface tools such as windows, menus, icons, dialogues, etc. Case Based Reasoning (CBR), developed for applications in artificial intelligence, is a very effective tool for such an interactive software reuse project. In CBR, a problem is solved by searching a library of previously encountered cases, retrieving similar cases and modifiing them if necessary to fit the current problem. The approach taken by this paper goes beyond this usual CBR technique. It helps a developer to select an application menu from a set of menus that are appropriate for the developer’s project. It then inserts that menu directly into the developer’s project. This paper uses CBR in creating user interface objects to achieve software reuse in a very effective and simple way.