Multi-Format Consistency Checking Tool

Abstract

A method and system for performing consistency checking of one or more design representations having different design types. A translator for each design type obtains information from each design needed to evaluate rules that are design type-neutral. The described examples also allow a user to add rules using predefined rule terms. In addition, certain examples allow the user to add terms to the rule set and to make new rules with the added terms. Each new term added to a rule set has a corresponding abstraction function in a translator for each design type. Thus, the abstraction functions are not design type-neutral.

1 . A method of consistency checking design representations, executed by a data processing system and comprising:
 receiving a first design representation of a first design type;   receiving a second design representation of a second design type;   applying a first translator for the first design type to the first design representation to yield first information about a predetermined aspect of the first design representation;   applying a second translator for the second design type to the second design representation to yield second information about the predetermined aspect of the second design representation; and   evaluating at least one consistency rule in accordance with the first and second information, the evaluation process not knowing the design types from which the first and second information was obtained.