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Interfacing mechanisms of existing programming interfaces (PIs) could be applied to an Aerospace Design Representation Programming Interface (AERO-DRPI). Therefore it is necessary to study representative PI(s) to examine their features and their potential influence on specifying an AERO-DRPI. In our view the abstraction level of functionality categorizes interfacing mechanisms into three types. The first provides fundamental interfacing functionality that is reused by other types of interfaces. The second provides generic design management interfacing functionality and the third provides specific design management interfacing functionality. Representative PI(s) are analyzed by examining how well they meet our AERO-DRPI requirements. From this analysis we extract important characteristics of PI mechanisms that could be applied to an AERO-DRPI.

The ever increasing complexity of aerospace design has seen the emergence of Aerospace Design Automation, the study of design of aircraft/aerospace vehicle design systems. Our previous publications have dealt with its foundation, the Aerospace Design Representation Programming Interface (AERO-DRPI). To model the design, process and status data the AERO-DRPI uses data schemas appropriate for a tool and data combination. A data schema enables the definition of semantics and syntax of design, status, and process data. For generic design management, a data schema is required on which all the generic operations are possible. It should also meet all the requirements for generic design management. The generic design management schema should be extendible with minimum data redundancy. A specific design management data schema uses the generic design management schema as its foundation. For a specific design sub-discipline there are specific schemas.