Constraint tracking and inference generation

1. A computer-implemented method comprising steps of:

parsing one or more descriptions of one or more user-provided constraints pertaining to data within a target system;

parsing truth value assignments to at least a portion of the one or more user-provided constraints;

deriving a truth value for at least one of the one or more user-provided constraints that does not correspond to a known truth value, wherein said deriving comprises performing a logical inference utilizing one or more known truth values of one or more constraints related to the one or more user-provided constraints;

storing, in a database, (i) the one or more user-provided constraints, (ii) the one or more known truth values, and (iii) the at least one derived truth value; and

outputting, to at least one user, at least one of (i) the at least one derived truth value, (ii) one or more identified contradictions among the one or more known truth values, and (iii) an indication that one or more unknown truth values corresponding to one or more of the user-provided constraints remain unknown;

wherein the steps are carried out by at least one computing device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , comprising:

processing, in response to said outputting, at least one of (i) user feedback and (ii) one or more user instructions.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more known truth values comprise one or more assigned truth values.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more descriptions comprise one or more logical expressions having one or more predicates on the data within the target system.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more predicates on the data in the target system contain one or more quantifiers.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein one or more of the truth value assignments are based on validating the one or more predicates against the data within the target system.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein said deriving is performed recursively until at least one of (i) a detection of a contradiction among the one or more known truth values and (ii) a determination that no unknown truth value can be derived.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , comprising:

storing one or more items of additional information related to the one or more known truth values and the at least one derived truth value.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more items of additional information comprise user name and time.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , comprising:

storing provenance information related to the one or more known truth values.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , comprising:

in response to a user request for a derived truth value, searching the stored provenance information to identify one or more assigned truth values responsible for the derived value.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , comprising:

in response to a user request, for an identified contradiction among the one or more known truth values, searching the stored provenance information to identify one or more assigned truth values responsible for the identified contradiction.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , comprising:

in response to a user request for an identified contradiction among the one or more known truth values, identifying one or more assigned truth values that can be removed to result in removal of the identified contradiction.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to:

parse one or more descriptions of one or more user-provided constraints pertaining to data within a target system;

parse truth value assignments to at least a portion of the one or more user-provided constraints;

derive a truth value for at least one of the one or more user-provided constraints that does not correspond to a known truth value, wherein said deriving comprises performing a logical inference utilizing one or more known truth values of one or more constraints related to the one or more user-provided constraints;

store, in a database, (i) the one or more user-provided constraints, (ii) the one or more known truth values, and (iii) the at least one derived truth value; and

output, to at least one user, at least one of (i) the at least one derived truth value, (ii) one or more identified contradictions among the one or more known truth values, and (iii) an indication that one or more unknown truth values corresponding to one or more of the user-provided constraints remain unknown.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the program instructions executable by a computing device further cause the computing device to:

process, in response to said outputting, at least one of (i) user feedback and (ii) one or more user instructions.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein said deriving is performed recursively until at least one of (i) a detection of a contradiction among the one or more known truth values and (ii) a determination that no unknown truth value can be derived.

17. A system comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor operably coupled to the memory and configured for:

parsing one or more descriptions of one or more user-provided constraints pertaining to data within a target system;

parsing truth value assignments to at least a portion of the one or more user-provided constraints;

deriving a truth value for at least one of the one or more user-provided constraints that does not correspond to a known truth value, wherein said deriving comprises performing a logical inference utilizing one or more known truth values of one or more constraints related to the one or more user-provided constraints;

storing, in a database, (i) the one or more user-provided constraints, (ii) the one or more known truth values, and (iii) the at least one derived truth value; and

outputting, to at least one user, at least one of (i) the at least one derived truth value, (ii) one or more identified contradictions among the one or more known truth values, and (iii) an indication that one or more unknown truth values corresponding to one or more of the user-provided constraints remain unknown.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein said deriving is performed recursively until at least one of (i) a detection of a contradiction among the one or more known truth values and (ii) a determination that no unknown truth value can be derived.

19. A computer-implemented method comprising steps of:

obtaining, from at least one user, one or more descriptions of a set of one or more data constraints pertaining to data within a target system;

parsing the one or more descriptions into one or more data representations from a set of multiple pre-established data representations;

determining a truth value for at least one of the one or more data constraints by validating the one or more data representations against the data within the target system;

identifying one or more contradictions among the one or more determined truth values by performing a logical inference on (i) the at least one determined truth value and (ii) one or more previously-assigned truth values associated with the one or more user-provided data constraints;

outputting the one or more identified contradictions to at least one user;

updating the set of one or more data constraints, based on user input in response to the one or more identified contradictions, by at least one of (i) adding one or more data constraints, (ii) removing at least one of the one or more data constraints, and (iii) modifying at least one of the one or more previously assigned truth values; and

repeating, using the updated set of one or more data constraints, the steps of (i) obtaining, (ii) parsing, (iii) determining, (iv) identifying, and (v) outputting;

wherein the steps are carried out by at least one computing device.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 , wherein said repeating further comprises repeating the step of updating the set of one or more data constraints.