---
title: "A Knowledge-Based System for Automatic Program Construction"
authors:
  - "David R. Barstow"
doi: ""
url: "https://ijcai.org/proceedings/1977/90"
pdf: "https://ijcai.org/proceedings/1977/0090.pdf"
venue: "Proceedings of the Fifth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence"
year: 1977
pages: "382-387"
track: "Aids to Programming"
keywords:
---

# A Knowledge-Based System for Automatic Program Construction

David R. Barstow

*Proceedings of the Fifth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence*, pages 382-387.

## Abstract

PECOS Is a system that synthesizes programs from abstract specifications through the use of a knowledge base of programming rules. The rules deal explicitly with various aspects of the programming process, including Intermediate-level constructs and certain design decisions. Programs are specified as abstract algorithms in a high-level language for tile domain of symbolic computation. Programs are constructed by a process of gradual refinement: PECOS retrieves and applies relevant rules until the original abstract description has been refined Into a concrete ,program. When several rules are relevant in the same situation, each is applied separately, enabling PECOS to construct a variety of programs for a given abstract specification. KEYWORDS: Automatic programmin g, Program refinement, Programming knowledge, Rules about programming, Knowledge-based systems.