Some Transformations of Relevance to Report Generation
Anthony G. Middleton · The Computer Journal · 1987
This paper presents an example of ‘event-based’ program transformation, in which events embedded in a program are used as markers to aid the process of program transformation. In this methodology a ‘program’ is presented as ‘base program plus extensions’. The (procedural) base program supplies the raw inputs for a set of calculations, and the set of (non-procedural) extensions express outputs to be derived from these raw inputs. A sequence of transformations are applied to the base program to derive a ‘target program’ which consumes the raw inputs and produces the outputs specified by the set of extensions. An example of the methodology is presented which suggests that this approach could be of use in the production of report generation programs.