MSID Highlights MSID Opportunities MSID Partners MSID Products MEL MSID Programs MSID Conferences MSID Search MSID Staff MSID Services MSID Standards MSID Publications NIST MSID MSID MSID
Publications

PLEASE NOTE: The Publications System provided by the Manufacturing Systems Integration Division (MSID) has moved to: http://www.mel.nist.gov/msidlibrary/publications.html. The pages below are maintained for archival purposes only.

Publication summary

Author(s): Don Libes

Publication date: August 1993

Citation: Don Libes: "The NIST EXPRESS Toolkit: Design and Implementation," 7th Annual Engineering Database Symposium - ASME Computers in Engineering Conference, August, 1993.

Key words: compiler, EXPRESS, implementation, National PDES Testbed, PDES, STEP

Availability:

  • Postscript
  • A paper copy of this document is available by contacting Kristy Thompson [web,email]
Abstract:
The NIST EXPRESS toolkit is a software library for building EXPRESS-related tools. EXPRESS is an ISO language for describing information models. EXPRESS descriptions are neutral to different data storage paradigms and systems on different hardware platforms and networks.

This paper describes the design and implementation of the toolkit including its important interfaces, data structures, and algorithms. This paper is recommended for anyone wishing to modify the toolkit or anyone wishing to build their own EXPRESS implementation. The reader is assumed to be familiar with the EXPRESS language, the basics of traditional language implementations, and C - the language with which the toolkit is implemented.

As a tested against which to benchmark the evolving EXPRESS language, conformance to the standard (currently Draft International Standard) is the highest priority in the toolkit. Nonetheless, time/space efficiency, accurate and helpful diagnostic, and ease-of-use are also critical to the success of the toolkit. The paper describes how these concerns are addressed even though EXPRESS is a complex and sophisticated language. The toolkit is available from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The toolkit is just one of a number of tools for data management in STEP, a family of ISO standards currently in development. All of the NIST tools, including the NIST EXPRESS toolkit, are in the public domain.

Attention users of these documents: The information contained in these files should not be altered in any way. Attempts to change these files will adversely impact the integrity of the information and its usefulness. It is intended for use as is and will lose its usefulness if changed.

 

Send questions or comments to Webmaster.