Engineering Enterprise Software Systems with Interactive UML Models and Aspect-Oriented Middleware

Large scale enterprise software systems are inherently complex and hard to maintain. To deal with this complexity, current mainstream software engineering practices aim at raising the level of abstraction to visual models described in OMG’s UML modeling language. Current UML tools, however, produce static design diagrams for documentation which quickly become out-of-sync with the software, and thus obsolete. To address this issue, current model-driven software development approaches aim at software automation using generators that translate models into code. However, these solutions don’t have a good answer for dealing with legacy source code and the evolution of existing enterprise software systems. This research investigates an alternative solution by making the process of modeling more interactive with a simulator and integrating simulation with the live software system. Such an approach supports model-driven development at a higher-level of abstraction with models without sacrificing the need to drop into a lower-level with code. Additionally, simulation also supports better evolution since the impact of a change to a particular area of existing software can be better understood using simulated “what-if” scenarios. This project proposes such a solution by developing a web-based UML simulator for modeling use cases and sequence diagrams and integrating the simulator with existing applications using aspect-oriented middleware technology

ChalkBoard: A Functional Image Description Language and Its Practical Applications

ChalkBoard is a domain specific language (DSL) for describing images. The ChalkBoard language is uncompromisingly functional and encourages the use of modern functional idioms. Unlike many similar systems, ChalkBoard uses off-the-shelf graphics cards to speed up the rendering of these functional descriptions. The speed gained from this efficient rendering has allowed the addition of animation to the language. The Active extension to ChalkBoard is another DSL, built on top of ChalkBoard, that captures the concept of animation inside a Haskell applicative functor. This allows for a clean, compositional approach to animation in ChalkBoard. Given both the efficiency and functional style of this animation, there are many possible applications. One of these is a system called Active Transformations, which uses the animation capabilities of ChalkBoard to animate code (and other tree-based) transformations. The Active Transformations system uses ChalkBoard animation in order to show how certain transformations and optimizations occur, instead of just providing before and after snapshots, making it an extremely useful educational tool. In this thesis, the design of each of these systems is described and explained, from the core ChalkBoard language, to the Active extension to ChalkBoard, and finally the Active Transformation system built on top of them

Arquitectura dirigida por modelos aplicada al desarrollo de metodologías de aprendizaje de idiomas

Hoy en día, cada vez más gente está interesada en el aprendizaje de una segunda -e incluso de una tercera- lengua extranjera. Esto es debido al fenómeno de la globalización, y está siendo facilitado por el uso extensivo de Internet. El proceso de aprendizaje de una lengua extranjera está definido por metodologías y -cada vez más- apoyado por la tecnología. El desarrollo de este tipo de aplicaciones es complejo (por la variedad de los entornos de ejecución, y por tener una gran cantidad de contenidos con frecuencia difíciles de validar), por lo que esta tesis propone un enfoque dirigido por modelos para desarrollo de software para dar soporte a la enseñanza de idiomas. El estudio y análisis de diferentes metodologías para el aprendizaje de idiomas ha permitido obtener, mediante un proceso de abstracción, los elementos comunes a todas ellas: En primer lugar (1) un conjunto/jerarquía de conceptos que se enseñan (contenidos), y (2) un conjunto de recursos (medios) para presentar los conceptos. Por otra parte, todas las metodologías definen (3) diversos tipos de ejercicios de aprendizaje (actividades) y (4) una secuencia o conjunto de secuencias que las relacionan (flujo de control/trabajo). Finalmente, definen una serie de (5) plantillas o disposiciones para la visualización de los contenidos y de las actividades (presentación). Esta tesis presenta una solución Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) que permite el desarrollo de aplicaciones para el aprendizaje de idiomas a partir de modelos. Así pues, desde una capa Computational Independent Model (CIM) hasta la capa Implementation Specific Model (ISM), se presentan los meta-modelos y los editores gráficos para los distintos lenguajes específicos de dominio, que permiten modelar todo lo necesario para el desarrollo de casi cualquier metodología de aprendizaje de idiomas. Por otra parte, en esta tesis también se definen las transformaciones necesarias, y el proceso de transformación asociado, para la generación automática del código fuente (en HTML y JavaScript) de aplicaciones de aprendizaje de idiomas. La propuesta ha sido validada a través del modelado y la generación del código fuente de los elementos de funcionalidad más importantes de la metodología Lexiway, así como de varios tipos de actividades de aprendizaje muy utilizados -y de forma muy parecida- en metodologías como Duolingo y Busuu

Pristup integraciji tehničkih prostora zasnovan na preslikavanjima iinženjerstvu vođenom modelima

In order to automate development of integration adapters in industrial settings, a model-driven approach to adapter specification is devised. In this approach, a domain-specific modeling language is created to allow specification of mappings between integrated technical spaces. Also proposed is the mapping automation engine that comprises reuse and alignment algorithms. Based on mapping specifications, executable adapters are automatically generated and executed. Results of approach evaluations indicate that it is possible to use a model-driven approach to successfully integrate technical spaces and increase the automation by reusing domainspecific mappings from previously created adapters.За потребе повећања степена аутоматизације развоја адаптера за интеграцију у индустријском окружењу, осмишљен је моделом вођен приступ развоју адаптера. У оквиру овог приступа развијен је наменски језик за спецификацију пресликавања између техничких простора који су предмет интеграције. Приступ обухвата и алгоритме за поравнање и поновно искориштење претходно креираних пресликавања са циљем аутоматизације процеса спецификације. На основу креираних пресликавања, могуће je аутоматски генерисати извршиви код адаптера. У испитивањима приступа, показано је да је могуће успешно применити моделом вођен приступ у интеграцији техничких простора као и да је могуће успешно повећати степен аутоматизације поновним искоришћењем претходно креираних пресликавања.Za potrebe povećanja stepena automatizacije razvoja adaptera za integraciju u industrijskom okruženju, osmišljen je modelom vođen pristup razvoju adaptera. U okviru ovog pristupa razvijen je namenski jezik za specifikaciju preslikavanja između tehničkih prostora koji su predmet integracije. Pristup obuhvata i algoritme za poravnanje i ponovno iskorištenje prethodno kreiranih preslikavanja sa ciljem automatizacije procesa specifikacije. Na osnovu kreiranih preslikavanja, moguće je automatski generisati izvršivi kod adaptera. U ispitivanjima pristupa, pokazano je da je moguće uspešno primeniti modelom vođen pristup u integraciji tehničkih prostora kao i da je moguće uspešno povećati stepen automatizacije ponovnim iskorišćenjem prethodno kreiranih preslikavanja

Operations research modeling language for an ERP System

Estágio realizado na MicrosoftTese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Informátca e Computação. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 200

A model-driven engineering approach for the uniquely identity reconciliation of heterogeneous data sources.

The objectives to be achieved with this Doctoral Thesis are: 1. Perform a study of the state of the art of the different existing solutions for the entity reconciliation of heterogeneous data sources, checking if they are being used in real environments. 2. Define and develop a Framework for designing the entity reconciliation models by a systematic way for the requirement, analysis and testing phases of a software methodology. For this purpose, this objective has been divided in three sub objectives: a. Define a set of activities, represented as a process which can be added to any software development methodology to carry out the activities related to the entity reconciliation in the requirement, analysis and testing phase of any software development life cycle. b. Define a metamodel that allows us to represent an abstract view of our model-based approach. c. Define a set of derivation mechanisms that allow to stablish the base for automate the testing of the solutions where the framework proposed in this doctoral thesis has been used. Considering that the process will be applied in the early stages of the development, it is possible to say that this proposal applies Early Testing. 3. Provide a support tool for the framework. The support tool will allow to a software engineer to define the analysis model of an entity reconciliation problem between different and heterogeneous data sources. The tool will be represented as a Domain Specific Language (DSL). 4. Evaluate the results obtained of the application of the proposal in a real-world case study

Deep into Pharo

International audienceThis is a book on Pharo a programming language available at http://www.pharo.or

Development of web services for the PABRE system

This project consists on developing a web service to allow different Requirement Management Tools to access and seach over the PABRE Software Requirements catalogue. A client side interface will be developed and a automatized data migration method from the current tools to a new centralized DBMS

Platform Independent Specification of Engineering Model Transformations

Production machine engineering involves multiple engineering disciplines defining together the configuration of each machine. Each of these disciplines provides an engineering model, which influences engineering models from other disciplines and is itself influenced by other engineering models. Therefore, building a valid configuration of a production machine requires the reconciliation of engineering models of all involved engineering disciplines. Up to now, execution of model reconciliations by model transformation systems was mainly considered for desktop model transformation environments. The analysis of engineering processes and customer applications of production machines revealed that the industrial application of model transformations requires the execution of the same model transformation specification on different execution environments depending on the initiator of the model reconciliation. An electrical engineer runs the model transformation on his desktop between locally installed engineering applications for small organizations or on his field programming device for commissioning scenarios. For complex systems and bigger organizations, model transformations are executed on an enterprise product lifecycle management (PLM) server. A machine operator triggers model transformations on the real-time system of an automation controller for on-site reconfigurable machines, e.g. by physically connecting a modular device to a production machine. To tackle this scenario, this thesis presents a new application of the model driven architecture (MDA), which transforms a platform independent model transformation specifications (PIM-MT) to platform specific model transformation specifications (PSM-MT) by higher order transformations (HOT). For industrial usage, both the platform independent transformation specification and the platform specific execution reuse proven existing technology which is tailored and extended where needed. This allows for the stepwise introduction of model transformation technology in existing engineering and technology environments based on a classification scheme which was developed as part of this thesis. For the PIM-MT specification, the strict handling of references between engineering model elements from current model transformation specifications, which does not fit well the requirements of engineering models with temporarily violate references within the engineering workflow, was replaced by a weaker reference handling based on domain specific reference designators. An existing model transformation specification, the ATL language, has been tailored for PIM-MT specifications. For the PSM-MT desktop execution, the ATL desktop model transformation engine was reused. XSL transformations were adapted for enterprise model transformations executed on PLM servers. A PSM-MT engine for real-time IEC 61131 programmable logic controllers was developed as part of this thesis. With the results of this thesis it is now possible to build a customized engineering environment as an extension of the existing infrastructure of a machine builder, which automates the configuration of production machines by using model transformations generated from a common platform independent specification on multiple execution platforms