  A validation methodology is proposed and implemented for natural language
software specifications of standard graphics functions. Checks are made for
consistency, completeness, and lack of ambiguity in data element and function
descriptions. Functions and data elements are maintained in a relational
database representation. The appropriate checks are performed by sequences of
database operations. The relational database manager INGRES was used to support
a prototype implementation of the proposed technique. The methodology supports
the development of a scenario-based prototype from the information available in
the specification. This permits various function sequences to be checked
without implementation of the environment specified. The application of a
prototype implementation of the proposed methodology to the specification of
the Graphics Kernel System (GKS) software package demonstrates the
practicability of the method. Several inconsistencies in GKS related to the
definition of data elements have been identified.
