Telecommunication systems are structured to enable incremental growth, so that new telecommunication features can be added to the set of existing features. With the addition of more features, certain existing features may exhibit unpredictable behaviour. This is known as the feature interaction problem, and it is very old problem in telecommunication systems. Jackson and Zave have proposed a technology, Distributed Feature Composition (DFC) to manage the feature interaction problem. DFC is a pipe-and-filter-like architecture where features are "filters" and communication channels connecting features are "pipes". DFC does not prescribe how features are specified or programmed. Instead, Zave and Jackson have developed BoxTalk, a call-abstraction, domain-specific, high-level programming language for programming features. BoxTalk is based on the DFC protocol and it uses macros to combine common sequences of read and write actions, thus simplifying the details of the DFC protocol in feature models. BoxTalk features must adhere to the DFC protocol in order to be plugged into a DFC architecture (i.e., features must be "DFC compliant"). We want to use model checking to check whether a feature is DFC compliant. We express DFC compliance using a set of properties expressed as linear temporal logic formulas. To use the model checker SPIN, BoxTalk features must be translated into Promela. Our automatic verification process comprises three steps: 1. Explicate BoxTalk features by expanding macros and introducing implicit details. 2. Mechanically translate explicated BoxTalk features into Promela models. 3. Verify the Promela models of features using the SPIN model checker. We present a case study of BoxTalk features, describing the original features and how they are explicated and translated into Promela by our software, and how they are proven to be DFC compliant.

Telecommunication systems are structured to enable incremental growth, so that new telecommunication features can be added to the set of existing features. With the addition of more features, certain existing features may exhibit unpredictable behaviour. This is known as the feature interaction problem, and it is very old problem in telecommunication systems. Jackson and Zave have proposed a technology, Distributed Feature Composition (DFC) to manage the feature interaction problem. DFC is a pipe-and-filter-like architecture where features are "filters" and communication channels connecting features are "pipes". DFC does not prescribe how features are specified or programmed. Instead, Zave and Jackson have developed BoxTalk, a call-abstraction, domain-specific, high-level programming language for programming features. BoxTalk is based on the DFC protocol and it uses macros to combine common sequences of read and write actions, thus simplifying the details of the DFC protocol in feature models. BoxTalk features must adhere to the DFC protocol in order to be plugged into a DFC architecture (i.e., features must be "DFC compliant"). We want to use model checking to check whether a feature is DFC compliant. We express DFC compliance using a set of properties expressed as linear temporal logic formulas. To use the model checker SPIN, BoxTalk features must be translated into Promela. Our automatic verification process comprises three steps: 1. Explicate BoxTalk features by expanding macros and introducing implicit details. 2. Mechanically translate explicated BoxTalk features into Promela models. 3. Verify the Promela models of features using the SPIN model checker. We present a case study of BoxTalk features, describing the original features and how they are explicated and translated into Promela by our software, and how they are proven to be DFC compliant.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:06:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5932.pdf: 1110060 bytes, checksum: fe08b552e37f04451248c376cfc4454f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-04-10 / Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais / The project described in this document focusses on the post-editing of automatically translated texts. Machine Translation (MT) is the task of translating texts in natural language performed by a computer and it is part of the Natural Language Processing (NLP) research field, linked to the Artificial Intelligence (AI) area. Researches in MT using different approaches, such as linguistics and statistics, have advanced greatly since its beginning in the 1950 s. Nonetheless, the automatically translated texts, except when used to provide a basic understanding of a text, still need to go through post-editing to become well written in the target language. At present, the most common form of post-editing is that executed by human translators, whether they are professional translators or the users of the MT system themselves. Manual post-editing is more accurate but it is cost and time demanding and can be prohibitive when too many changes have to be made. As an attempt to advance in the state-of-the-art in MT research, mainly regarding Brazilian Portuguese, this research has as its goal verifying the effectiveness of using an Automated Post-Editing (APE) system in translations from English to Portuguese. By using a training corpus containing reference translations (good translations produced by humans) and translations produced by a phrase-based statistical MT system, machine learning techniques were applied for the APE creation. The resulting APE system is able to: (i) automatically identify MT errors and (ii) automatically correct MT errors by using previous error identification or not. The evaluation of the APE effectiveness was made through the usage of the automatic evaluation metrics BLEU and NIST, calculated for post-edited and not post-edited sentences. There was also manual verification of the sentences. Despite the limited results that were achieved due to the small size of our training corpus, we can conclude that the resulting APE improves MT quality from English to Portuguese. / O projeto de mestrado descrito neste documento tem como foco a pós-edição de textos traduzidos automaticamente. Tradução Automática (TA) é a tarefa de traduzir textos em língua natural desempenhada por um computador e faz parte da linha de pesquisa de Processamento de Línguas Naturais (PLN), vinculada à área de Inteligência Artificial (IA). As pesquisas em TA, utilizando desde abordagens linguísticas até modelos estatísticos, têm avançado muito desde seu início na década de 1950. Entretanto, os textos traduzidos automaticamente, exceto quando utilizados apenas para um entendimento geral do assunto, ainda precisam passar por pós-edição para que se tornem bem escritos na língua alvo. Atualmente, a forma mais comum de pós-edição é a executada por tradutores humanos, sejam eles profissionais ou os próprios usuários dos sistemas de TA. A pós-edição manual é mais precisa, mas traz custo e demanda tempo, especialmente quando envolve muitas alterações. Como uma tentativa para avançar o estado da arte das pesquisas em TA, principalmente envolvendo o português do Brasil, esta pesquisa visa verificar a efetividade do uso de um sistema de pós-edição automática (Automated Post-Editing ou APE) na tradução do inglês para o português. Utilizando um corpus de treinamento contendo traduções de referência (boas traduções produzidas por humanos) e traduções geradas por um sistema de TA estatística baseada em frases, técnicas de aprendizado de máquina foram aplicadas para o desenvolvimento do APE. O sistema de APE desenvolvido: (i) identifica automaticamente os erros de TA e (ii) realiza a correção automática da tradução com ou sem a identificação prévia dos erros. A avaliação foi realizada usando tanto medidas automáticas BLEU e NIST, calculadas para as sentenças sem e com a pós-edição; como analise manual. Apesar de resultados limitados pelo pequeno tamanho do corpus de treinamento, foi possível concluir que o APE desenvolvido melhora a qualidade da TA de inglês para português.

Text in English / Abstracts in English and Venda / This study has investigated the effectiveness of available tools used for translating from English into Tshivenḓa and vice versa with the aim to investigate and determine the effectiveness of these tools. This study dealt with the problem of lack of effective translation tools used to translate between English and Tshivenḓa. Tshivenḓa is one of South Africa’s minority languages. Its (Tshivenḓa) lack of effective translation tools negatively affects language practitioners’ work. This situation is perilous for translation quality assurance. Translation tools, both computer technology and non-computer technology tools abound for developed languages such as English, French and others. Based on the results of this research project, the researcher did make recommendations that could remedy the situation. South Africa is a democratic country that has a number of language-related policies. This then creates a conducive context for stakeholders with language passion to fully develop Tshivenḓa language in all dimensions. The fact is that all languages have evolved and they were all underdeveloped. This vividly shows that Tshivenḓa language development is also possible just like Afrikaans, which never existed on earth before 1652. It (Afrikaans) has evolved and overtaken all indigenous South African languages. This study did review the literature regarding translation and translation tools. The literature was obtained from both published and unpublished sources. The study has used mixed methods research, i.e. quantitative and qualitative research methods. These methods successfully complemented each other throughout the entire research. Data were gathered through questionnaires and interviews wherein both open and closed-ended questions were employed. Both purposive/judgemental and snowball (chain) sampling have been applied in this study. Data analysis was addressed through a combination of methods owing to the nature of mixed methods research. Guided by analytic comparison approach when grouping together related data during data analysis and presentation, both statistical and textual analyses have been vital in this study. Themes were constructed to lucidly present the gathered data. At the last chapters, the researcher discussed the findings and evaluated the entire research before making recommendations and conclusion. / Iyi ṱhoḓisiso yo ita tsedzuluso nga ha kushumele kwa zwishumiswa zwi re hone zwine zwa shumiswa u pindulela u bva kha luambo lwa English u ya kha Tshivenḓa na u bva kha Tshivenḓa u ya kha English ndivho I ya u sedzulusa na u lavhelesa kushumele kwa izwi zwishumiswa uri zwi a thusa naa. Ino ṱhoḓisiso yo shumana na thaidzo ya ṱhahelelo ya zwishumiswa zwa u pindulela zwine zwa shumiswa musi hu tshi pindulelwa vhukati ha English na Tshivenḓa. Tshivenḓa ndi luṅwe lwa nyambo dza Afrika Tshipembe dzine dza ambiwa nga vhathu vha si vhanzhi. U shaea ha zwishumiswa zwa u pindulela zwine zwa shuma nga nḓila I thusaho zwi kwama mushumo wa vhashumi vha zwa nyambo nga nḓila I si yavhuḓi. Iyi nyimele I na mulingo u kwamaho khwaḽithi ya zwo pindulelwaho. Zwishumiswa zwa u pindulela, zwa thekhnoḽodzhi ya khomphiyutha na zwi sa shumisi thekhnoḽodzhi ya khomphiyutha zwo ḓalesa kha nyambo dzo bvelelaho u tou fana na kha English, French na dziṅwe. Zwo sendeka kha mvelelo dza ino thandela ya ṱhoḓisiso, muṱoḓisisi o ita themendelo dzine dza nga fhelisa thaidzo ya nyimele. Afrika Tshipembe ndi shango ḽa demokirasi ḽine ḽa vha na mbekanyamaitele dzo vhalaho nga ha dzinyambo. Izwi zwi ita uri hu vhe na nyimele ine vhafaramikovhe vhane vha funesa nyambo vha kone u bveledza Tshivenḓa kha masia oṱhe. Zwavhukuma ndi zwa uri nyambo dzoṱhe dzi na mathomo nahone dzoṱhe dzo vha dzi songo bvelela. Izwi zwi ita uri zwi vhe khagala uri luambo lwa Tshivenḓa na lwone lu nga bveledzwa u tou fana na luambo lwa Afrikaans lwe lwa vha lu si ho ḽifhasini phanḓa ha ṅwaha wa 1652. Ulu luambo (Afrikaans) lwo vha hone shangoni lwa mbo bveledzwa lwa fhira nyambo dzoṱhe dza fhano hayani Afrika Tshipembe. Kha ino ṱhoḓisiso ho vhaliwa maṅwalwa ane a amba nga ha u pindulela na nga ha zwishumiswa zwa u pindulela. Maṅwalwa e a vhalwa o wanala kha zwiko zwo kanḓiswaho na zwiko zwi songo kanḓiswaho. Ino ṱhoḓisiso yo shumisa ngona dza ṱhoḓisiso dzo ṱanganyiswaho, idzo ngona ndi khwanthithethivi na khwaḽithethivi. Idzi ngona dzo shumisana zwavhuḓisa kha ṱhoḓisiso yoṱhe. Data yo kuvhanganywa hu tshi khou shumiswa dzimbudziso na u tou vhudzisa hune afho ho shumiswa mbudziso dzo vuleaho na dzo valeaho. Ngona dza u nanga sambula muṱoḓisisi o shumisa khaṱulo yawe uri ndi nnyi ane a nga vha a na data yo teaho na u humbela vhavhudziswa uri vha bule vhaṅwe vhathu vha re na data yo teaho ino ṱhoḓisiso. viii Tsenguluso ya data ho ṱanganyiswa ngona dza u sengulusa zwo itiswa ngauri ṱhoḓisiso ino yo ṱanganyisa ngona dza u ita ṱhoḓisiso. Sumbanḓila ho shumiswa tsenguluso ya mbambedzo kha u sengulusa data. Data ine ya fana yo vhewa fhethu huthihi musi hu tshi khou senguluswa na u vhiga. Tsenguluso I shumisaho mbalo/tshivhalo (khwanthithethivi) na I shumisaho maipfi kha ino ngudo dzo shumiswa. Ho vhumbiwa dziṱhoho u itela u ṱana data ye ya kuvhanganywa. Ngei kha ndima dza u fhedza, muṱodisisi o rera nga ha mawanwa, o ṱhaṱhuvha ṱhoḓisiso yoṱhe phanḓa ha u ita themendelo na u vhina. / African Languages / M.A. (African Languages)