Natural Language Processing in OTF Computing: Challenges and the Need for Interactive Approaches

• Main Authors: Frederik S. Bäumer, Joschka Kersting, Michaela Geierhos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-03-01
• Series: Computers
• Subjects: inaccuracy detection; natural language software requirements; chat bot
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2073-431X/8/1/22

The vision of On-the-Fly (OTF) Computing is to compose and provide software services ad hoc, based on requirement descriptions in natural language. Since non-technical users write their software requirements themselves and in unrestricted natural language, deficits occur such as inaccuracy and incompleteness. These deficits are usually met by natural language processing methods, which have to face special challenges in OTF Computing because maximum automation is the goal. In this paper, we present current automatic approaches for solving inaccuracies and incompletenesses in natural language requirement descriptions and elaborate open challenges. In particular, we will discuss the necessity of domain-specific resources and show why, despite far-reaching automation, an intelligent and guided integration of end users into the compensation process is required. In this context, we present our idea of a chat bot that integrates users into the compensation process depending on the given circumstances.