Coordinating Rule-Based Software Processes with ESP

ESP is a language for modeling rule-based software processes that take place in a distributed software development environment. It is based on PoliS, an abstract coordination model that relies on Multiple Tuple Spaces, i.e., collections of tuples a la Linda. PoliS extends Linda aiming at the specification and coordination of logically distributed systems. ESP 1993 combines the PoliS mechanisms to deal with concurrency and distribution, with the logic-programming language Prolog, to deal with rules and deduction. Such a combination of a coordination model and a logic language provides a powerful framework in which experiments about rule-based software process programming can be performed and evaluated. © 1993, ACM. All rights reserved.