Ada task taxonomy support for concurrent programming

Abstract

The Ada task taxonomy can be used as the main scheme to help programmers to develop concurrent programs. The conventional way of defining a taxonomy for software modules is not based on the interactive behavior of the modules. The behavior of Ada tasks is more dynamic than that of other Ada modules such as procedures, functions and packages. By classifying sets of tasks by their interactive characteristics, functions, and procedural behaviors, a task taxonomy can be formulated. Task taxonomy can be used as an abstraction for software developers to design, store, and retrieve concurrent systems and reusable parts. A set of tools based on characteristics formally representing kinds of tasks can be designed. This set of tools will help programmers define their own task taxonomies for designing, constructing, and maintaining concurrent systems.