A paper in the IBM the Systems Journal [CAS article in Systems Journal] describes the Common Analysis System (CAS) and gives motivations for it. We extend these motivations further, and describe an approach to working with the CAS from Java that is effective in many dimensions including type safety, maintainability, readability, performance, and composablility.
We call this approach the JCas, short for the Java interface to the CAS. The CAS, as part of UIMA (see [UIMA article in Systems Journal]), is not language specific; we have both a Java version and a C++ version that interoperate – in that one part of an analysis may be done by an annotator executing in one language/environment, and the results transferred to an annotator executing in the other environment.
The CAS paper focuses on the functionality of the CAS; this paper focuses on an effective Java interface to the CAS and compares it with other contemporary approaches for user-friendly interfaces, including Visual Basic [Visual Basic] and the Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF) [EMF].
This paper is not self-contained; it presumes a previous understanding of the CAS system and UIMA, which can be obtained from the references.
By: Marshall Schor
Published in: RC23176 in 2003
LIMITED DISTRIBUTION NOTICE:
This Research Report is available. This report has been submitted for publication outside of IBM and will probably be copyrighted if accepted for publication. It has been issued as a Research Report for early dissemination of its contents. In view of the transfer of copyright to the outside publisher, its distribution outside of IBM prior to publication should be limited to peer communications and specific requests. After outside publication, requests should be filled only by reprints or legally obtained copies of the article (e.g., payment of royalties). I have read and understand this notice and am a member of the scientific community outside or inside of IBM seeking a single copy only.
Questions about this service can be mailed to reports@us.ibm.com .