Recent advances in software technology such as the development of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) have not reduced the need for betterrequirements specification. Natural language remains the method ofchoice for producing such documents.

These informal specifications mustbe turned into more formal designs on the way to a completeimplementation. These formal requirements are necessary not only for therapid prototyping of the evolving software systems but also to provide astandard reference model upon which all successive implementationsshould be constructed.

This presentation describes on-going research inautomating the construction of software systems from a natural language requirements specification, building uponthe theories of Two-LevelGrammar (TLG), object-oriented design and the Vienna Development Methodfor formal specification.