HIERARCHICAL DESCRIBING METHOD FOR KNOWLEDGE

PURPOSE:To shorten the execution time of a program by considering plural nodes or plural stages of layers as one block and describing knowledge regarding rule conditions in the block inclusively at one place. CONSTITUTION:A highest order block general rule condition description part 1 gather a list of design rule conditions generated by a design rule condition description part 2 regarding the coupling and merging of components as shown by 8 and controls the list. Design rule condition description parts 4 and 5 for components refer to the design rule condition list regarding the coupling and merging which is controlled by the block general rule condition description part 1 above them as shown by 9 and 10 to generate shape rule conditions of the components. Design rule conclusion description parts 6 and 7 for the components determine shapes according to the design rule conditions and a design rule conclusion description part 3 for component coupling and merging generates components required for the coupling and merging of the components or refers to another common component data base 11 as shown by 12. Consequently, the complexity of description is reduced and the execution time of the program is shortened.