Active Assistance For Domain Modeling

A computational domain model is a machine-interpretable representation of the context in which a software system is to operate. Such models can be difficult to construct, especially in complex domains. This paper describes Kibitzer, an intelligent assistant that participates in the task of designing and extending computational domain models. Kibitzer supports a mixed-initiative dialogue: it monitors the designer's interactions with a graphical domain-model "sketching" tool, and makes suggestions regarding extensions or corrections to the evolving model. In this paper, I discuss nine categories of knowledge that Kibitzer and tools like it can possess in order to offer such help. The paper also contains a transcript of an actual domain-modeling session conducted with the aid of Kibitzer.