Metamodel-based model conformance and multiview consistency checking

Model-driven development, using languages such as UML and BON, often makes use of multiple diagrams (e.g., class and sequence diagrams) when modeling systems. These diagrams, presenting different views of a system of interest, may be inconsistent. A metamodel provides a unifying framework in which to ensure and check consistency, while at the same time providing the means to distinguish between valid and invalid models, that is, conformance. Two formal specifications of the metamodel for an object-oriented modeling language are presented, and it is shown how to use these specifications for model conformance and multiview consistency checking. Comparisons are made in terms of completeness and the level of automation each provide for checking multiview consistency and model conformance. The lessons learned from applying formal techniques to the problems of metamodeling, model conformance, and multiview consistency checking are summarized

Software, architecture, and participatory design

Much work in software architecture has been inspired by work in physical architecture, in particular Alexander's work on `design patterns'. By contrast, Alexander's work is little-used in town planning and architecture. In this paper, we examine some of the reasons that this is so, describe some parallels and differences between the fields of physical and software architecture, and identify areas in which future collaboration may be fruitful. The notion of `participatory design' is important in software engineering and in urban regeneration, but the participatory mechanisms in each field are quite different

A UML profile to model classifier refinements

The refinement technique allows us to capture the relationship between specification and implementation in software developments. The precise documentation of the refinement relations hip makes it possible the traceability of the requirements through the refinement steps. Unfortunately, the standard modelling language UML suffers from a lack of notation to specify complex cases of refinement, which hinders the traceability activities. In this article we present a profile of UML to model Classifier refinements as a composition of elementary refinements, allowing for a more precise syntactical specification of the refinement relationshipII Workshop de Ingeniería de Software y Bases de Datos (WISBD)Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Practical verification strategy for refinement conditions in UML models

This paper presents an automatic and simple method for creating refinement condition for UML models. Conditions are fully written in OCL, making it unnecessary the application of mathematical languages which are in general hardly accepted to software engineers. Besides, considering that the state space where OCL conditions are evaluated might be too large (or even infinite), the strategy of micromodels is applied in order to reduce the search space. The overall contribution is to propitiate the performing of verification activities during the model-driven development process.1st International Workshop on Advanced Software Engineering: Expanding the Frontiers of Software Technology - Session 2: Software ModelingRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Practical verification strategy for refinement conditions in UML models

This paper presents an automatic and simple method for creating refinement condition for UML models. Conditions are fully written in OCL, making it unnecessary the application of mathematical languages which are in general hardly accepted to software engineers. Besides, considering that the state space where OCL conditions are evaluated might be too large (or even infinite), the strategy of micromodels is applied in order to reduce the search space. The overall contribution is to propitiate the performing of verification activities during the model-driven development process.1st International Workshop on Advanced Software Engineering: Expanding the Frontiers of Software Technology - Session 2: Software ModelingRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

pecification of dependency areas in UML designs

A concept of dependency areas can help in tracing an impact of artifacts of a project (requirements, elements of the UML design, extracts of the code) and assist in their evolution. The dependency area of an element of a UML design is a part of the design that is highly influenced by the given initial element. Dependency areas are identified using sets of propagation rules and strategies. Selection strategies control application of many, possible rules. Bounding strategies limit the number of elements assigned to the areas. This paper is devoted to the specification of the rules and strategies. They are specified using an extended UML meta-model and expressions in the Object Constraint Language (OCL)

UML models consistency management: guidelines for software quality manager

Unified Modeling Language (UML) has become the de-facto standard to design today’s large-size object-oriented systems. However, focusing on multiple UML diagrams is a main cause of breaching the consistency problem, which ultimately reduces the overall software model’s quality. Consistency management techniques are widely used to ensure the model consistency by correct model-to-model and model-to-code transformation. Consistency management becomes a promising area of research especially for model-driven architecture. In this paper, we extensively review UML consistency management techniques. The proposed techniques have been classified based on the parameters identified from the research literature. Moreover, we performed a qualitative comparison of consistency management techniques in order to identify current research trends, challenges and research gaps in this field of study. Based on the results, we concluded that researchers have not provided more attention on exploring inter-model and semantic consistency problems. Furthermore, state-of-the-art consistency management techniques mostly focus only on three UML diagrams (i.e., class, sequence and state chart) and the remaining UML diagrams have been overlooked. Consequently, due to this incomplete body of knowledge, researchers are unable to take full advantage of overlooked UML diagrams, which may be otherwise useful to handle the consistency management challenge in an efficient manner

Incremental Consistency Checking in Delta-oriented UML-Models for Automation Systems

Automation systems exist in many variants and may evolve over time in order to deal with different environment contexts or to fulfill changing customer requirements. This induces an increased complexity during design-time as well as tedious maintenance efforts. We already proposed a multi-perspective modeling approach to improve the development of such systems. It operates on different levels of abstraction by using well-known UML-models with activity, composite structure and state chart models. Each perspective was enriched with delta modeling to manage variability and evolution. As an extension, we now focus on the development of an efficient consistency checking method at several levels to ensure valid variants of the automation system. Consistency checking must be provided for each perspective in isolation, in-between the perspectives as well as after the application of a delta.Comment: In Proceedings FMSPLE 2016, arXiv:1603.0857

Water and environmental issues

Water is a precious and finite part of the environment which is vital for socioeconomic development, sustainability of the environment and survival. Malaysia is fortunate that it is located in a humid tropical area rich in rainfall and water resources. The rapid economic growth of Malaysia in the past decades is also mainly attributed to its ability to exploit abundant natural resources including water. The exploitation of water resources is an important catalyst of economic growth but continuous exploitation without proper management and conservation may cause the depletion of water supplies, rendering water resources unsustainable. In recent years, water problems have escalated in Malaysia due to climate change, urbanization and population explosion. Therefore, effective water conservation, efficient waste water and sewage management integrated with recent technologies are important for fostering the tandem development of economic growth and the sustainability of environmental resources